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Lafayette outlines emergency‑management upgrades, resilience hubs and wildfire‑resiliency code readings
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Summary
City officials presented emergency‑management improvements — new outdoor‑warning sirens, polygon evacuation mapping, a continuity‑of‑government plan, five community resource hubs and a proposed wildfire‑resiliency code (first reading May 5, second reading/public hearing June 2). Officials urged residents to register for county alerts and previewed resilience programs such as HEPA distribution and tree‑planting.
City officials told the Lafayette City Council they are advancing emergency management and resilience projects that span near‑term alerting improvements to longer‑term resilience hubs and code changes aimed at wildfire risk reduction.
Deputy City Manager Megan Davis opened the presentation and introduced Fire Chief Pete Bradshaw and Sustainability Director Lizzie Bacone, who together outlined Lafayette’s all‑hazards approach and regional partnerships. Chief Bradshaw described an incident‑commander model that scales existing city divisions to an emergency tempo and highlighted recent technology upgrades: a new outdoor‑warning system that covers roughly 80% of outdoor areas and polygon‑based evacuation maps intended to speed first‑responder decision‑making.
"You have to be signed up in order to get an evacuation notice," staff said, urging residents to register for BOCO Alert so notifications reach the correct addresses. Chief Bradshaw explained that wireless emergency alerts (IPAWS) provide broad reach but less geographic precision, meaning staff balance speed and accuracy when issuing orders.
The presentation named five proposed community resource hubs — the library, recreation center, YMCA, Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Sister Carmen — to provide daily programming, backup power and gray‑sky services (sheltering, refrigeration, communications) and to complement county facilities. Staff said they are still developing hub capabilities and looking for funding for resilient power and other upgrades.
Neighborhood resilience was emphasized: staff detailed a neighborhood resilience toolkit pilot with Colorado University students to help neighbors map assets and plan collective preparedness, plus a HEPA air‑purifier program (over 150 applications received) prioritizing residents vulnerable to poor air quality. Rebate programs under the Power Ahead Colorado initiative were identified as a source of assistance for electrification measures.
Wildfire code and prescribed fire: Chief Bradshaw said the city will bring the state wildfire‑resiliency code for first reading on May 5, with a second reading and public hearing on June 2; the code would be adopted by reference. Staff noted mapping shows about 83 developable acres in Lafayette fall inside statewide risk areas. The city also described ongoing work on a prescribed‑fire ordinance and grassland management to reduce fuels while protecting ecosystem health.
Council questions focused on sharing polygon maps with the public, gaps in hub locations on Lafayette’s south and east sides, registering more residents for alert systems, and equitable outreach to hard‑to‑reach communities. Staff said they will continue community engagement, partner with local nonprofits such as Sister Carmen and Thorn, and coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions for capacity during multi‑day events.
Next steps: staff expect the wildfire‑resiliency code to come before council on May 5 and June 2 for adoption by reference after the second reading and public hearing. Officials also flagged ongoing outreach events (public resilience workshops and a May tree pickup tied to canopy efforts), and invited council and residents to upcoming public sessions.
