Emergency Management

Larry Sanders - Emergency Manager
401 Main Street, Suite 201
Walsenburg, Colorado 81089
Phone: (719) 738-3000 ext 120

Huerfano County Fire Protection District

La Veta Fire Protection District

Huerfano County Launches New Emergency Notification System.

The CodeRed™ system provides county officials with the ability to provide pre-recorded emergency telephone notification/information messages to targeted areas or the entire county. Residents and businesses located within Huerfano County are encouraged to sign up for CodeRed™ to be sure they receive timely emergency notifications when alerts are issued. Just click on the CODE RED logo below to get started or click here for more information.

The Office of Emergency Management will attempt to keep this page up to-date during an emergency. However, residents should not depend upon this site but should instead monitor local media for the latest emergency information. Residents of Huerfano County should tune into KSPK or watch the local channels.

For additional contacts and links, please click here.

For more information about the South All-Hazards Region (SAHR), which consists of five counties; Custer, Fremont, Las Animas, Pueblo and of course Huerfano. Click here.

Huerfano County Emergency Response Plan

Tornado Safety Tips

When a tornado watch is announced, it means conditions are present for a tornado.
Keep a radio/TV tuned for further information, and gather emergency supplies.
When a Tornado Warning is issued, it means a tornado has been sighted or is imminent. Take shelter immediately.

If you are at home:

Go to your basement. If you have no basement, go to an interior hallway or small interior room on the the lowest floor.
Avoid windows.
Do not remain in a trailer or mobile home if a tornado is approaching. Take cover elsewhere.

If you are at work:

Go to an interior hallway on the lowest floor, or a designated shelter.
Avoid windows.

If you are at school:

Follow instructions of authorities/teachers.
Stay out of structures with wide free-span roofs like auditoriums and gyms.

If you are in a car or outside:

Seek cover in a nearby building, or lie flat in a ditch or ravine.

Hail Safety Tips

If you are in an automobile:

Stop driving. If you can see a safe place close by (like inside a garage, under a highway overpass, or under a service station awning), drive there as soon as you can. Make sure you pull completely off the highway.
Do NOT leave the vehicle until it stops hailing. Your car will furnish reasonable protection.
Stay away from car windows. Cover your eyes with something (like a piece of clothing). If possible, get onto the floor face down, or lie down on the seat with your back to the windows. Put very small children under you, and cover their eyes.

If you are in a building:

Stay inside until the hail stops.
Stay away from the windows, especially those being struck by hail.
Account for all family members, building occupants, pets, etc.
Do not go outside for any reason. Large hail can cause serious or even fatal injuries.
Avoid using phones and electrical appliances during a severe storm to avoid the danger of electrocution from lightning.

If you are outdoors:

If you are caught outdoors, seek shelter immediately. If you can't find something to protect your entire body, at least find something to protect your head.
Stay out of culverts and lowland areas that might fill suddenly with water.
Trees are a last resort. It is common during severe storms for trees to lose branches. Also, large isolated trees attract lightning.

For more on preparing yourself and your family for disaster, be sure to visit READYColorado.

Emergency Management Services:
* Develop, review, and enhance the County's disaster preparedness and recovery plans for "All Hazards".
* Distribute and coordinate those plans on a County-wide basis.
* Operate, maintain, and enhance the County's Emergency Operations Center(EOC).
* Manage and coordinate County-wide response to, and recovery from, natural and technological disasters.
* Coordinate the County's disaster response/recovery needs with higher levels of government.
* Serve as coordination point for federal disaster relief programs.
* Develop and deliver public information and education programs about disaster preparedness.
* Provide administrative and logistical support to the County's Hazardous Materials Response Team.
* Plan, conduct, and critique exercises that test and improve preparedness.
* Develop, distribute, and provide instruction on guidelines for businesses and industry disaster planning.