Here’s where $340,000+ in grants awarded to 9 Boulder County search and rescue and trail safety organizations will go

Nine local search and rescue, and trail safety projects were awarded $341,190 in grants in June by the Boulder County Commissioners, Boulder County announced Tuesday, June 7.

The funding is the third round of search and rescue grants made possible by the Emergency Services Sales and Use Tax, approved by voters in 2022 as County Issue 1B, Boulder County said. 

According to Boulder County, the tax provides funding to help emergency service organizations in Boulder County’s rural and mountain communities purchase equipment, improve public safety, and strengthen their ability to respond to emergencies. 

“This grant round supports organizations that provide search and rescue services or work to make local trails safer for county residents and visitors,” Boulder County said.

Organizations grants approved for by BCC:

Boulder Climbing Community: $8,330 (Medical training and equipment)

• Medical training and equipment for Boulder Climbing Community staff and its network of volunteers who perform trail maintenance and fixed hardware assessments and replacement throughout the climbing areas in Boulder County.

Boulder County Mounted Search and Rescue: $75,000 (Radios to replace obsolete radios and fire extinguishers for animal evacuations)

• New dual band radios and accessories that meet Boulder County Communications Center 2030 standards to enable communication with command, partner agencies, other teams, and within the team. Procurement of expiration-free, compact, lightweight, nontoxic fire extinguishers that can be used during large animal evacuations.

Boulder Emergency Squad: $113,248 (Operational readiness and resilience) 

• Equipment, training, and operational support to enhance emergency response and public safety in Boulder County. Request will strengthen search and rescue capacity, improve responder safety, and support BES’s ability to respond effectively across trails, open space, and surrounding communities.

Boulder Mountainbike Alliance: $10,000 (Volunteer first aid training for trailhead safety)

• Funding to expand first aid training for volunteers who spend significant time on Boulder County trails. While not emergency responders, they are often first on-scene and can provide initial care during medical incidents.

Bryan Mountain Nordic Ski Patrol: $14,845 (Updated training resources and equipment to assist with backcountry first aid and rescues)

• Equip volunteer instructors with training resources and volunteer patrollers with reliable communications for backcountry environments. Includes updated textbooks for volunteer-instructors teaching other volunteers, radios and Garmin devices w/ subscriptions.

Friends of Colorado Avalanche Information Center: $7,737 (Avalanche prevention and safety outreach program at USFS trailheads in Boulder County) 

• Support for FoCAIC’s Trailhead Outreach Program activities in Boulder County during the 2026/2027 season. This funding will support at least eight local trailhead visits where FoCAIC staff will provide free, in-person avalanche safety education to backcountry users at popular trailheads.

Front Range Rescue Dogs: $11,000 (Update PSAR materials and safely hiking with dogs educational video series)

• Funds to update FRRD’s preventative search and rescue (PSAR) materials and create a short video series to be marketed through digital and social media for backcountry recreationists who hike or bike with their dogs focused on how to keep their dogs safe, which in turn helps keep their hiker/cyclist guardians safe.

Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance: $10,106 (Trails/Trailhead 2026 training and radio grant)

• Dual-band VHF/UHF radios, Wilderness First Aid/CPR training, Avalanche training, and InReach subscriptions.

Rocky Mountain Rescue Group: $90,924 (Upgraded Rope Systems, Rescue Hardware, and Radios To Improve Backcountry Search and Rescue Response)

• Technical rope systems, rigging hardware, rope management gear, dual-band radio communications, and mission-support computers. These upgrades will improve safety, operational efficiency, and interagency coordination, enabling effective response to complex rescues in terrain across Boulder County.

Boulder County said funding recommendations were developed by the Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee, a volunteer committee of Boulder County residents with experience in emergency services, firefighting, and search and rescue.

According to Boulder County, the committee reviews and scores applications, and recommends awards during two grant cycles each year. Since 2023, more than $6.5 million has been awarded.

The fall grant cycle for fire protection districts will open in early September.