Commissioners table decision on hiring emergency-management contractor after vendor interview

Myers Emergency Management, led by Patrick Myers, interviewed with the Rio Blanco County commissioners on Feb. 25 to provide emergency management, continuity and planning services. Myers described his firm’s plan to provide a flexible number of weekly hours and to subcontract local emergency manager Arthur Simintel (Colorado Springs) as the on‑the‑ground representative.

Myers said the firm can staff an emergency operations center, provide 24-hour incident command for significant events and bring in subject‑matter specialists as needed. Arthur Simintel described his background in emergency management, wildfire response and large-event planning and said he would be the county’s primary on‑site contact if the contract is awarded.

Commissioners asked about local presence, response time and how the vendor would integrate with county agencies, fire departments and other local responders. Each vendor representative said the proposal includes travel time and an intent to maintain at least a monthly in‑county presence; Myers said the firm would “weave ourselves into the fabric of your community” and could scale up staffing for major incidents.

After the interview the board voted to table the hiring decision to permit reference checks and additional review. The motion to table passed on a roll call; commissioners stated that they wanted more time to examine qualifications and contact references before awarding the contract.