Boulder County Approves $2 Million in Emergency Services Grants for Local Fire Protection Agencies
Grant funds are used for resources essential to first responder and community safety including lifesaving medical and firefighting equipment, personal protective gear, emergency vehicles, communications upgrades, and outdated fire station improvements.
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- For the third year in a row, Boulder County is awarding funding to fire protection districts that serve rural and mountain communities.
- The Fall 2025 grant round includes 20 awards totaling $2,014,842, the greatest amount and largest dollar amount awarded since the grant program began in 2023.
- The funding comes from the Emergency Services Sales Tax approved by voters in 2022.
Boulder County, Colo. - The Boulder County Commissioners, with support from the Boulder County Sheriff, approved $2,014,842 for the 2025 Fall Fire Protection District Grant Round. Funding for the grants is provided by the Emergency Services Sales & Use Tax, a ballot measure passed by voters in 2022 as County Issue "1B."
The 20 awards approved this fall, the greatest amount and largest dollar amount awarded in the three years the sales tax has been collected, will help pay for lifesaving medical and firefighting equipment, emergency vehicles, fire station improvements, communications upgrades, personal protective equipment, and other resources essential to first responder and community safety.
Boulder County has distributed more than $6 million in emergency services grants since the program began in 2023. Grants will be offered in the spring to search and rescue organizations in Boulder County.
“We are pleased to once again support the extensive volunteer and staff first responder teams that protect communities in times of emergency across Boulder County,” said Boulder County Commissioner Marta Loachamin. “Thanks to the Emergency Services Sales Tax approved by county voters, local fire districts can use this grant program to secure essential equipment and capital improvements that strengthen safety and preparedness countywide.”
Recommendations for the fall grant round were put forward by the Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee (ESGPAC), a dedicated volunteer group of county residents with experience, expertise, and interest in emergency response and activities that make living and recreating in Boulder County safer for everyone.
Twice each year, the Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee (ESGPAC) reviews grant applications from organizations providing firefighting, search and rescue, trail safety, and emergency medical services in Boulder County, and recommends funding allocations to the Board of County Commissioners from the Emergency Services Sales Tax grant fund.
 Rebuilt Type 6 brush truck for wildland firefighting
2025 Fall Emergency Services Grant Awards
In December, Boulder County awarded 20 Emergency Services Sales & Use Tax grants totaling $2,014,842 to fire protection districts, emergency response agencies, and county partners serving rural and mountain communities.
Funded projects support critical needs including firefighter safety equipment, emergency medical tools, communications upgrades, capital improvements, and wildfire detection technology.
Below is a summary of the 20 funded proposals:
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Allenspark Fire Protection District — $54,620
Firefighter safety and operational equipment including PPE, a multi-gas detector, litter and wheel, intake valve, hose, and 14 Minitor7 pagers.
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Boulder County Firefighter’s Association (BCFFA) — $147,125
Countywide emergency medical services training for all 17 BCFFA rural and mountain fire protection district agencies.
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Boulder County Sheriff’s Office – Fire Management — $65,780
Converts the ALERTWest wildfire-detection pilot program into a permanent 24/7 monitoring system.
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Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District — $220,612
NFPA-compliant PPE, radios, firefighting tools, medical gear, and training.
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Boulder Rural Fire Protection District — $47,910
Equipment to place a new Type 6 wildland engine into service, including tools, hose, fittings, MDT, and radios.
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City of Lafayette — $141,634
Upgrades to automatic voice alerting in the county dispatch system for improved efficiency and alert accuracy.
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Four Mile Fire Protection District — $186,423
Deferred replacements including a crew truck (50% share), ALS medical equipment, and other operational tools.
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Gold Hill Fire Protection District — $85,800
Concrete station apron, replacement SCBA bottles, UTV safety upgrades, a portable water pond, potable water system, and new PPE.
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Hygiene Fire Protection District — $195,380
Contribution toward construction of a new, modern fire station to replace the outdated 1963 facility.
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Indian Peaks Fire Protection District — $246,551
Replaces a failing 1992 brush truck and funds insulation and heating for the station bay.
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Lefthand Fire Protection District — $59,123
Replaces expired SCBA cylinders and adds a LUCAS CPR device to enhance safety and patient care.
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Louisville Fire Protection District — $81,857
Updated wildland PPE, radios, and specialized tools for technical rescue operations.
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Lyons Fire Protection District — $85,364
Four “No Smoke” diesel exhaust filters and 11 sets of structural turnout gear.
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Nederland Fire Protection District — $75,000
Purchases a LUCAS 3.1 CPR device and replaces an outdated LifePak monitor.
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Pinewood Springs Fire Protection District — $1,950
Tools for responding to EV and lithium-ion battery emergencies, such as those experienced by electric vehicles heading to or from Estes Park and Lyons on US 36
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Sugar Loaf Fire Protection District — $57,785
Purchases 14 BK KNG mobile radios to improve communication and safety.
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Sunshine Fire Protection District — $150,000
Replaces two aging RAM 5500 chassis for brush trucks and upgrades one with a new diesel pump and warning lights.
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Timberline Fire Protection District — $28,914
Five sets of custom-fit, NFPA-compliant structural PPE.
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Timberline Fire Protection District — $20,000
Supports ambulance coverage in Timberline’s Boulder County response area through Gilpin Ambulance Authority.
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Volunteer Fire Department of Big Elk — $63,015
All-terrain vehicle and skid rescue system for fire patrol and search and rescue across the 20-square-mile district and neighboring areas.
For additional information about the grant program and a full tally of all grants awarded since the first year the tax was collected (2023), please visit the Emergency Services Grants website or contact Barb Halpin at ESgrants@bouldercounty.gov.
 Label inside a wildland firefighter's personal protective gear showing manufacturing date
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