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Emergency manager outlines trainings, exercises, siren project and staffing changes
Summary
Ouray County emergency manager updated commissioners on planned exercises and trainings, a final evacuation plan, a Log Hill warning-siren grant, coordination on daily blasting notifications, and the advertised deputy emergency manager position; commissioners requested follow-up on victim advocate capacity and blasting schedule.
Glenn Boyd, Ouray County emergency manager, told the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 4 that the county has a final evacuation plan ready for adoption and is awaiting the City’s adoption of the emergency operations plan so signatures can be collected from partner agencies.
Boyd said the county’s Colorado Emergency Preparedness Assessment (SEPA) stakeholder meeting will be Feb. 27 and the full SEPA session will be April 10 at the county fairgrounds; the SEPA work will drive an integrated preparedness plan and a five‑year training and exercise schedule. He outlined several planned exercises: an evacuation exercise on Nov. 3, 2025, an emergency operations center exercise in February 2026, and a D I S 1002 (executive‑level emergency management) class on March 27, 2025, at the fairgrounds.
Boyd reported two avalanches since Dec. 17 that involved people, one fatality and one nonfatality, a school evacuation caused by a gas leak, and ongoing monitoring during an extreme cold event. He also described daily coordination with a blasting contractor and said daily texts or calls notify him when blasting is planned; staff use a shared Google Sheet to coordinate public notices.
On a separate preparedness item, Boyd said the county has secured grant funds for a Log Hill emergency warning siren that could include voice messages (for example, “evacuate now”). He said locations are under discussion with Log Hill representatives and with San Miguel Power and that environmental and historic‑preservation reviews are required under the grant.
Boyd said the county’s tactical interoperability communications plan was recently updated, that staff are checking FCC licensing, and that the county is exploring new repeater locations with Ridgeway Fire District.
On staffing, Boyd said the deputy emergency manager position is being advertised at 30 hours per week (three‑quarter time). Commissioners pressed for a status update on the victim’s‑advocate program because the advocacy role is now at fewer hours; sheriff’s office and county staff estimated current funded hours at about 24 per week (county/city/town contribution) supplemented by VOCA and other funds and asked to schedule a separate agenda item to review caseloads, funding and service levels.
Commissioners asked staff to check the approved blasting schedule and confirm whether the contractor is on track to complete site cleanup and demobilization; staff said the public schedule indicated the week of Feb. [this week] as active operations and listed an estimated one remaining week of active operations with cleanup/demobilization in late February.
