Mission: The mission of the Emergency Services Department is to protect Huerfano County by developing, coordinating, and implementing executable plans to prevent, mitigate, prepare, respond and recover from all hazard events.
Vision: Enable Huerfano County and supporting agencies to efficiently build a resilient community prepared to respond and recover from all hazards and disasters.
Current Alerts & Notices
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Effective March 31, 2026
By order of the Huerfano County Board of Commissioners, Huerfano County has been placed under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions effective March 31, 2026. The following activities are prohibited during Stage
Preparedness
The purpose of HMAC is to provide a forum where the operation leads from all local Huerfano County’s Emergency Service providers meet with their counterparts in other services, districts or jurisdictions, & also with those from State and Federal agencies. Here you can discuss, plan, and prioritize coordination of services in response to those incidents which may involve a multi-agency response. Resource gaps and available resources can be identified prior to an actual incident, and the coordination of a combined response to future incidents can be worked out beforehand.
The meetings will, over time, cover multiple topics including: wildfire, law enforcement operations, evacuations and public notifications, EMS services, Hazmat, and any other potential emergency response. Planning for natural, technological, or human caused incidents and disasters will be considered. This group is made up of a variety of stakeholders that are willing to assist in problem solving, process improvement and implementation for all hazards.
The LEPC is a federally mandated entity composed of state and local officials, business representatives and members of the public. The LEPC will work to identify industrial hazardous materials and the community informed of any potential risks. If your company is required to keep a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) on file for any chemicals stored or used in the workplace in quantities equal to or greater than the Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ), you must report it.
The LEPC meets quarterly during a set HMAC meeting time. If you are interested in attending or becoming a part of this committee please contact the County Emergency Manager.
Huerfano County’s Personal Emergency Preparedness Workbook has been designed to serve as a guide for gathering information and supplies for any individual to have what they need during an event. Remember, ultimately, you are responsible for yourself!
Response
During an emergency, you may receive instructions to shelter in place. This is a precaution aimed to keep you safe while remaining indoors. Select a small, interior room with minimal to no windows, and take shelter there.
- Lock all windows and doors
- Turn off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems.
- Bring all persons and animals with you
- Have your family disaster supplies ready with you. For more advice on a safety kit, please see Huerfano County’s Emergency Preparedness Workbook or https://www.ready.gov/kit
- Listen to radio, television, or for an HCNotify alert with further instructions
In the event of a sudden event, you may just have minutes to gather your family and leave your home. By taking time before an event, you can positively impact your family’s response.
- Arrange your evacuation ahead of time; don’t wait until the last minute to plan.
- Know where to go, map routes, create a meeting place for your family
- Plan what to take.
- Have a go bag ready- Use Huerfano County’s Emergency Preparedness Workbook under the Prepare tab
- Create a home inventory to assist with insurance purposes and have important documents with you
- Practice and review these plans with your family!
Mitigation
Huerfano County points residents to the following authoritative wildfire and hazard mitigation resources:
- NFPA: Preparing Homes for Wildfire. The National Fire Protection Association’s guide to home ignition zones and home hardening. https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/preparing-homes-for-wildfire
- U.S. Fire Administration: Wildland Urban Interface Outreach. Federal outreach materials for residents living in fire-prone areas. https://www.usfa.fema.gov/wui/outreach/
- Ready.gov: Wildfires. Federal preparedness resources and shareable graphics. https://www.ready.gov/collection/wildfires
Huerfano County’s wildfire mitigation work includes:
- Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) Assessments to help residents identify projects that reduce wildfire risk on their own properties. Fill out this form or email [email protected] to request an assessment.
- Community organizing through the regional Firewise Communities program. The County’s regional coordinator helps neighborhoods apply for and renew Firewise designation, develop mitigation action plans, and carry out community-identified projects, from roadside fuel treatment that improves emergency egress to chipping resident slash piles that reduce hazardous vegetative fuel.
- Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) development that quantifies wildfire risk across the county and outlines mitigation projects over the next 5 to 10 years. Learn more and read the plan.
- Public agency and community partnerships, including the U.S. Forest Service, Fire Protection Districts, and the Spanish Peaks Alliance for Wildfire Protection, for community outreach around reducing wildfire risk.
- A community chipper program that helps Firewise Communities in Huerfano County reduce hazardous fuels. Download the Prepare for the Chipper flyer (PDF).
A Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) assessment is a free, on-site walkthrough that helps you spot ways to reduce wildfire risk close to your home.
To request an assessment, fill out the form below or email the mitigation team directly.
Request a Home Ignition Zone Assessment
Email: [email protected]
Huerfano County and several participating jurisdictions prepared this local hazard mitigation plan to guide hazard mitigation planning in order to better protect the people and property within the county from the effects of hazard events. This plan demonstrates the communities’ commitment to reducing risks from hazards and serves as a tool to help decision makers direct mitigation activities and resources. The plan is intended to be a living document through ongoing implementation and regular updates every five years. We will soon begin working on a new update for approval in 2023.
The Recovery Base Plan was created after the Spring Fire in 2018. The plan is a framework for use in Huerfano County in preparation for and response to disasters to guide Huerfano County’s recovery and resiliency efforts. As the County experiences future events, disaster specific annexes will be added.
A downloadable wildfire resilience guide for Huerfano County residents will be posted here soon. In the meantime, residents can contact the Mitigation & Planning Specialist (see Contact Us, below) for current guidance.
This is a video that FACO shared with the neighborhood ambassador program that highlights native plants that are great for WUI landscapes because they are ignition resistant
Get Involved
Volunteer opportunities with Huerfano County Emergency Management are being finalized. Watch this space for the volunteer signup link and program details. Until then, residents interested in volunteering can reach out via the Contact Us section below.
Information about the role Huerfano County Dispatch plays on behalf of the City of Walsenburg, along with current City of Walsenburg phone numbers and utility contacts, will be posted here shortly. For emergencies, always call 911. For non-emergency dispatch, call 719-738-1044.
A request form for community outreach and speaking engagements with the Emergency Management department will be available here soon. In the meantime, contact the Acting Emergency Manager (see Contact Us, below) directly with outreach requests.
Contact Us
Robert Gilbert
Huerfano County Acting Emergency Manager
Office: 719-738-3000 x 217
Cell: 719-890-0782
Email: [email protected]
Raquel Lopez-Rodriguez
Huerfano County Dispatch Manager
Cell:719-248-5337
Email: [email protected]
Ross Hallihan
Mitigation & Planning Specialist
Office: 719-738-3000 x 122
Cell: 719-431-4006
Email: [email protected]