Protective Agencies

In the mountains, emergency help is usually farther away than in urban areas.

Grand County is a large community and the agencies that serve us are highly trained and enjoy what they do.

Always call 911 in an emergency. Say your address or location and stay on the line.

Grand County Search and Rescue
(970) 726-8595, www.grandcountysar.com
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
(970) 887-2732
All Grand County Fire Districts
24-Hour Admin. (970) 725-3311
Grand County Police Dispatch
(970) 725-3343
Grand County Office of Emergency Management (OEM)

(970) 887-2732,
www.co.grand.co.us/oem.html  Located at the Central EMS Station, 81 West Agate, Granby 80446

Grand County residents and visitors will have another outlet for emergency information – the grocery store. Grand County EMS & OEM, in cooperation with local grocers, are installing emergency message boards to keep the public informed and safe during an emergency.

CodeRed® Emergency Notification

Used for cellular phones in conjunction with “Reverse 911,” which can only contact landline phones, this system provides ultra-high-speed cellular phone or text messaging to inform registered participants during an emergency or disaster affecting Grand County. This system will only be used for emergency purposes. Registration to receive emergency notifications can be done via the web link on the Grand County Emergency Information Portal, www.gcemergency.com.
How does Grand County dispatch work?

Dispatch provides two different services for the county. The main one is a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). This is the one place in the county that is maintained twenty-four hours a day all year long to answer requests from anyone needing public-safety services. The other service manages and provides information to public-safety responders such as EMS, fire, police, or Search and Rescue. 911 is a phone service used by the dispatch center. Not all requests for public safety services come through 911. 911 is for emergency calls only.
The dispatchers are trained in EMD, CAD, and CCIC.

• EMD, Emergency Medical Dispatch, is an organized procedure for questioning persons calling for medical assistance. This is done through protocols approved by the local medical authority. The protocols include specific questions, response configurations, and instructions for each medical, traumatic, or life-threatening complaint.
• CAD, Computer Aided Dispatch, is the use of computers and special software to record the pertinent information needed for the records management system. This information is used in reports completed by public safety responders.
• CCIS, Colorado Crime Information System, is a statewide, computer, information system. It is used to manage information on warrants, criminal history, and to issue statewide alerts. CCIS is a service used by law enforcement through dispatch, and is a single point of consolidated information to link all the agencies.
• NCIC, National Crime Information Computer, is the same as CCIS except it is nationwide.

Police
The towns of Kremmling and Granby have their own police forces and Winter Park and Fraser have a joint police force. Their jurisdiction is within the town limits.

Grand County Sheriff

The sheriff, Rod Johnson, is statutorily responsible for running the jail, serving civil process, conducting search and rescue, and providing law enforcement services to areas outside the corporate boundaries of municipalities. He is also responsible for coordinating wild land firefighting response. The Grand County sheriff is responsible for providing law enforcement for the towns of Grand Lake and Hot Sulphur Springs. He also provides dispatching services for all the law, fire, and EMS services in the county.

Firefighters

The firefighters in Grand County are mostly volunteers. There are five fire-protection districts and 11 fire stations in Grand County. Firefighters are often the first emergency personnel at the scene of fires, traffic accidents, wildfires, and incidents which involve air or watercraft. They may be called upon to treat injuries or perform other vital medical functions. They use a variety of equipment and vehicles such as 100ft aerial towers, engines for structures or wildfires, and to haul water for areas without fire hydrants. Training includes wildfires, high-rise and rural firefighting, hazardous materials such as gas leaks or spills, and removing victims from vehicles.

Grand County Search and Rescue

Grand County Search and Rescue (GCSAR) is a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides no-charge emergency search and rescue and mountain-safety education. They are accredited through the Mountain Rescue Association for skills in backcountry search, avalanche search, and rope-rescue systems. All team members are trained as medical first responders. New this year – GCSAR now has a fully equipped, swiftwater, rescue team. Finding and treating a patient is often not the hardest part of a SAR operation; it’s evacuating a patient from the backcountry in a safe and timely manner. The 40 to 50 trained professional volunteers respond for lost or injured persons who are beyond the reach of fire or EMS services. They also provide standby services for community events and backcountry safety classes for children and adults.

Emergency Medical Service

Emergency Medical Service (EMS) is a diverse group of 42 full-time staff certified by the State of Colorado and the National Registry. Their goal is to be trained for anything and everything. Four EMS stations cover the entire area of Grand County. When an ambulance is pulled from one station, another is placed at a location that will respond quickly to the next call. EMS receives about 2,000 calls a year. The biggest trauma calls are for backcountry injuries. The Mountain Medical Response Team is a part of EMS but has more training to bring care where car access is not available. EMS is on hand during big festivals and events and, when possible, aid in search and rescue. They are Red Card certified to offer support during a forest fire.

• If your statement starts out with “Well, its not really an emergency but...,” think twice about making the call.
• If you call 911 while on Berthoud Pass or hiking near the divide, make sure you state your location clearly. You could get Gilpin County dispatch and help may not find you.