Emergency Operations Plan

On June 20th, 2023 The Saguache County Board of County Commissioners re-adopted the County's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that was originally adopted on November 17, 2020.

The EOP outlines general guidelines on how the county carries out its response and recovery responsibilities to address an emergency or disaster event. This plan can only be activated through the issuance of a local Disaster Declaration. Adoption of the plan through this order identifies that the director of the Saguache County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will lead county disaster or emergency response and recovery efforts. Once the plan is activated, all county departments and offices are mandated under the authority of the Colorado Disaster Emergency Act (C.R.S. 24-33.5-701) and this plan to carry out assigned activities related to mitigating the effects of an emergency or disaster and to cooperate fully with each other, the OEM, and other political subdivisions in providing emergency assistance.

Major emergencies and disasters are complex events that present communities and emergency personnel with extraordinary problems and challenges that cannot be adequately addressed within the routine operations of local government. Since no disaster is the same as another, and our complex emergency environment is evolving, this plan is meant to be a flexible framework that is easily adapted to small and large events, as well as catastrophic disasters. This plan is intended to provide Saguache County officials with a basis for the coordinated management of disaster incidents so that impacts to people, property, and public services are minimized and so that normal community conditions can be restored as quickly as possible.

All departments, agencies, and organizations in Saguache County are responsible for developing and maintaining up-to-date internal plans and procedures for carrying out assigned emergency functions as outlined in this plan, and for ensuring that their personnel are adequately trained. The Saguache County EOP outlines the emergency management system components that allow for coordinated planning, preparedness, response, and recovery from emergencies and disasters in collaboration with all local, state and federal partners, non-profit organizations, non-governmental partners, private sector and volunteer agencies.