Jefferson County commissioners voted unanimously to approve a supplemental budget item that funds the creation of a countywide Wildland Fire Management Program within the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

The program is intended to coordinate wildfire preparedness, expand response capacity and centralize wildfire data and community outreach across the county, officials said.

County staff described the program as a three-part effort to (1) increase preparedness through risk mitigation, standardized home assessments and a micro-grant program for homeowner mitigation; (2) expand response capacity by adding qualified wildland incident personnel and equipment; and (3) centralize administrative functions such as data management and regular five‑year reviews of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs).

Brian Keating, leader of the county Emergency Services section within the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, gave the presentation introducing the proposal and said the program’s goal is to “establish a holistic wildland fire management program for the county” focused on protecting residents and community values. Keating described three main focus areas—preparedness, response and administration—and outlined staffing, equipment and program elements that would support those goals.

Keating said the preparedness work would include a countywide home assessment program and a micro-grant cost-share program to help homeowners implement defensible-space and home‑hardening measures. He said the proposal envisions mitigation crews, a Type 6 engine for initial attack, chippers and other heavy equipment for fuels-reduction work, plus dedicated staff for outreach, planning and GIS support.

Testimony at the meeting came from fire officials, volunteers and local organizations who urged approval. Sean Jewell, division chief of special operations and emergency management for West Metro Fire Rescue, said he supported the program and asked commissioners to vote in favor. Katrina Stevens, who identified herself as a community ambassador for the Conifer and Elk Creek fire districts, told commissioners she values trained home assessors and called the proposed micro-grant program “critical” because “creating defensible space and home hardening can be overwhelmingly and depressingly expensive.”

Fire chiefs from Conifer and Elk Creek—Curt Rogers and Jacob Ware—also spoke in support. Rogers said Jefferson County falls in one of the more dangerous wildland-urban interface zones and emphasized watersheds that affect the Denver metro area. Ware called the program a “force multiplier” that strengthens interagency coordination, evacuation planning and community outreach.

Several volunteer and conservation representatives, including Nancy Balter and Garrett Stevens of the Jefferson Conservation District, praised the program’s countywide coordination and said it would make local agencies and residents more competitive for state and federal grant funding.

Commissioner Leslie Dahlkemper framed the vote as the culmination of multi-year work by commissioners, county staff and community task forces. Commissioner Libby Szabo Kerr and Commissioner Libby Zenzinger (first reference: Commissioner Libby Zenzinger) also voiced support during the discussion. Commissioners voted to approve the budget item; the clerk recorded three affirmative votes and the motion passed.

The county presentation and public testimony identified specific next steps: hiring dedicated staff, standing up mitigation crews and equipment procurement, creating a standardized home-assessment process, establishing a micro-grant program, and centralizing CWPP reviews and wildfire data. County staff said program capacity would help the county both receive mutual-aid resources and reciprocate support when neighboring jurisdictions need assistance.

Clarifying details raised in the meeting included an item cited by a speaker allocating $6,800,000 to the program and a board summary that increases sheriff’s office staffing by 37 regular positions across related items; the meeting packet and presenters tied program funding to the county’s ability to show match for state and federal grants and to revenue from a recently passed local ballot measure referenced in the meeting as 1A. County staff also said traffic and other operational details will be handled as part of implementation and that the program is intended to support, not replace, local fire protection districts.

Community members and fire leaders emphasized that wildfire risk cuts across jurisdictions and that countywide coordination—especially standardized assessments, grant support for homeowners and data centralization—could increase resilience and improve outcomes during large incidents.

The board did not adopt detailed program operating rules during the vote; staff were directed to proceed with implementation steps outlined in the presentation and to coordinate across departments and local fire agencies. The county also noted CWPPs must be reviewed on a five‑year cycle under Colorado State Forest Service requirements, a task staff said the new program will help support.

What’s next: county staff will begin hiring and procurement steps described in the proposal, stand up mitigation crews and develop the home assessment and micro-grant programs. County leaders said having program staff in place should make the county more competitive for state and federal wildfire grants.