Fremont Search and Rescue reviews 2024 operations; county awards $590,580 contract for East Main SAR/EMS building

Fremont Search and Rescue presented a year‑in‑review to the Board of Fremont County Commissioners on Dec. 10, describing accreditation, mission count, volunteer hours and recent equipment and grant support. Later in the meeting the board awarded a construction contract to build a dedicated Search and Rescue (SAR) and emergency management facility on East Main.

"We are a nonprofit 501c3. We've been established since 1969," said Dustin Elliott, commander of Fremont Search and Rescue, as he outlined the group's structure and 2024 operations. Elliott and Captain Randy Swords told commissioners the team is Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) accredited, currently has about 23 active members, and had conducted 27 missions year to date, including lost and injured hikers, ATV rollovers, dementia wanderings, swift-water responses and high‑elevation rescues.

Elliott provided operational metrics: the team reported a total of 6,278 volunteer hours in 2024 so far — 743 hours on missions, 2,813 hours on training, and roughly 1,881 hours on fundraising and community events. He described equipment needs and recent grant support: a $23,000 grant from the Keep Colorado Wild fund to replace a UTV, donations of additional all‑terrain vehicles from a neighboring county, and a grant that allowed the team to update outdated laptops and office equipment.

Commissioners and county staff lauded the group's professionalism and noted that volunteer SAR operations free up deputy resources for law‑enforcement duties. County officials also pointed out interagency training with Canyon City Fire and neighboring search-and-rescue teams.

Contract award for East Main facility

Later in new business the board considered bids for a project to build a separate Search and Rescue facility and additional county storage on East Main. Fremont County Engineer and project manager (identified in the meeting as Jay Bunder Center) recommended awarding the low responsive bid of $590,580 from Alcon Construction, Inc. The board approved the award on a roll-call vote (Commissioner Bell — Aye; Commissioner Grantham — Aye; Commissioner McFall — Aye).

The commission noted the county had previously set aside American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the project and that contracting before year‑end was necessary to obligate those funds. Commissioners said the building will provide meeting and training space for SAR, expanded equipment storage, and dedicated work space separate from emergency management areas.

What search and rescue asked for and how they’re funded

Elliott described volunteer recruitment (monthly meetings, first step is attending a team meeting), fundraising (an annual trivia night and Colorado Gives Day participation), and community outreach (school programs and safety events). He said the team is funded primarily by fundraising and grants and thanked local partners for donations. He also encouraged residents to call 911 for incidents that need SAR response.

Speakers

- Dustin Elliott — Commander, Fremont Search and Rescue (citizen) - Randy Swords — Captain, Fremont Search and Rescue (citizen) - Jay Bunder Center — Fremont County Engineer and Project Manager (government) - Commissioner Bell — Commissioner, Fremont County Board of Commissioners (government) - Commissioner Grantham — Commissioner, Fremont County Board of Commissioners (government) - Commissioner McFall — Commissioner, Fremont County Board of Commissioners (government) - County Administrator Tony Carocci — County Administrator (government)

Authorities

- {"type":"other","name":"Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) accreditation","citation":"Mountain Rescue Association reaccreditation (mentioned)","referenced_by":["sar-east-main-award-2024"]}

Actions

- {"kind":"contract_award","identifiers":{"contract_number":"not specified","project_slug":"east-main-sar-ems-building"},"motion":"Award bid for East Main Search and Rescue / Emergency Management Buildings Project to Alcon Construction, Inc., in the total amount of $590,580.","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[{"member":"Commissioner Bell","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Commissioner Grantham","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Commissioner McFall","vote":"yes"}],"tally":{"yes":3,"no":0,"abstain":0},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Project to be funded in part by previously allocated ARPA funds; contracting necessary to obligate funds before year-end."}

Discussion_vs_decision

- discussion_points:["Search and Rescue operational summary and accreditation","Equipment and training needs; recent grants and donations","Project scope for new East Main facility and use of ARPA funds"], - directions:["Proceed with contracting with low bidder and obligate ARPA funds"], - decisions:["Award contract to Alcon Construction for $590,580"]

Clarifying details

- {"category":"missions","detail":"Year to date in 2024, the team reported 27 missions including lost/injured hikers, ATV rollovers, dementia walkaways, river incidents, high-elevation rescues.","source_speaker":"Dustin Elliott"} - {"category":"volunteer_hours","detail":"Team reported 6,278 total volunteer hours in 2024 (743 on missions, 2,813 training, 1,881 other).","source_speaker":"Dustin Elliott"} - {"category":"grant","detail":"$23,000 grant from the Keep Colorado Wild fund to replace a UTV; state grant funds used for vehicle/equipment upgrades.","value":23000,"units":"USD","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Dustin Elliott"} - {"category":"funding_source","detail":"ARPA funds previously allocated for the East Main project; county must contract to obligate those funds before end of December 2024.","source_speaker":"Commissioners"}

Proper_names

- {"name":"Fremont Search and Rescue","type":"organization"} - {"name":"Alcon Construction, Inc.","type":"business"} - {"name":"Keep Colorado Wild Fund","type":"program"} - {"name":"American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)","type":"program"}

Community_relevance

- geographies:["Cañon/Canyon City","East Main area, Fremont County","unincorporated Fremont County"], - funding_sources:["ARPA","Keep Colorado Wild grant","local fundraising"], - impact_groups:["residents in remote areas","hikers and recreational trail users","emergency responders and volunteers"]

Meeting_context

- engagement_level:{"speakers_count":6,"duration_minutes":90,"items_count":2}, - implementation_risk:"low", - history:[{"date":"2023-2024","note":"ARPA funds allocated previously for facility; project advertised and bid in November 2024."}]

Searchable_tags:["search-and-rescue","SAR","ARPA","grants","Fremont County","Alcon Construction"]

Provenance

- transcript_segments:[{"block_id":"block_757.095","local_start":0,"local_end":672,"evidence_excerpt":"How are you guys? Good. We just wanted to kinda give you guys, kind of a year in review for Fremont Search and Rescue. So I'm Dustin Elliott. I'm the commander of Fremont Search and Rescue... 4 2024, so far, year to date, we've had 27 missions... To date, 2024, total hours we expand as a team, 6,278 hours total...","global_start":757.095,"global_end":1319.4,"tc_start":"00:12:37","tc_end":"00:21:59","text_sha256":"e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"block_3619.08","local_start":0,"local_end":178,"evidence_excerpt":"And I'd like to recommend that we accept that bid, from Alcon Construction in that amount of $590,580... It has been moved and seconded to award the bid to Alcon Construction Inc. For $590,580 Any further discussion? Roll call, please... Motion carries.","global_start":3619.08,"global_end":3778.445,"tc_start":"00:60:19","tc_end":"01:02:58","text_sha256":"e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e5","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]