Boulder County government offices are closed Thursday, July 4, and Friday, July 5, in observance of Independence Day.

Stage 1 fire restrictions, enacted for unincorporated areas of western Boulder County.

Emergency Services Grant Program
Injured people being rescued off the side of a mountain and in a rushing stream by emergency responders

Emergency Services Grant Program

Grants for Boulder County Fire Districts and Search & Rescue Agencies

Typically, Boulder County runs two grant cycles per year*:

  • Spring – Search & Rescue and Trail/Recreation Safety Service Providers in Boulder County;
  • Fall – Fire Protection Districts Serving Mountain and Rural Boulder County communities.

There is no current open grant round. The Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee (ESGPAC) will take the summer off and begin to meet again in the fall of 2024 (dates TBD).

(*The schedule for grant rounds is subject to change from year to year.)

Upcoming Meetings

Note: No meetings are currently scheduled. The ESGPAC will begin to meet again in the fall of 2024 (dates TBD)

Members of the public are invited to view all advisory board meetings.

To join virtual meetings, register for the Zoom link at any time, including after the meeting has started.


Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee

The Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee (ESGPAC) provides recommendations to Boulder County regarding the grant program portion of the Emergency Services Sales and Use Tax. The committee reviews two grant cycles each year. One round of funding is dedicated to fire districts that serve the mountain and rural areas of unincorporated Boulder County. A second round of funding is offered to search and rescue organizations that provide services in Boulder County.

News and Updates


ESGPAC Meeting Dates and Grant Notes

2024 Spring Grant Program

Purpose: To help fill gaps in funding for the following emergency services needs in Boulder County:

  • Capital, including facilities and equipment, and operational costs of Search and Rescue Organizations that can assist the County in responding to emergencies;
  • Trail and Trailhead Safety Initiatives to increase emergency response and public safety on public trails and open space/recreational areas in Boulder County;
  • Innovative pilot program proposals to enhance emergency response and public safety on public trails and open space/recreational areas in Boulder County.

Note: The online application platform closed on 04/19/2024. The Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee will be reviewing applications in May and June.


2024 Meetings & Recordings*

*Note: In-person meetings are not recorded, but they are open to the public to attend.

2023

The first round* of funding for the Boulder County Emergency Services Grant Program was offered to fire districts that serve the mountain and rural areas of unincorporated Boulder County.

The first round of grants addressed:

a.) Supplemental funding for the needs of fire departments in mountainous and rural areas;
b.) Small and large equipment or small capital projects or needs; and
c.) Operational costs of search and rescue organizations.

Meeting Dates:

* A second round of funding for other emergency and public safety services (including search & rescue) will be awarded in early 2024.

Staff Liaison

Barb Halpin (bhalpin@bouldercounty.gov) or 720-564-2830

The Emergency Services Sales & Use Tax was approved by voters as County Issue 1B in 2022. Revenues from the tax were first collected in calendar year 2023 to help provide financial assistance to underfunded or under-resourced organizations providing emergency services—such as firefighting or search and rescue—in the rural and mountain areas of Boulder County.

Grants will be awarded on an annual basis to help enhance emergency services and trail & trailhead safety services in unincorporated Boulder County.

2024 Committee Members

Nine members appointed to the Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee by the Board of County Commissioners

Lynette Anderson

Kate Beezley

Juliette Hans

Ben Hogan

Doug Hurst

Maria Kuntz

Doris Rigoni

Rick Sheingold

Dennis Whalen