Bornholdt earns CEMA President's Award
PRESS RELEASE
March 2, 2022
Each year, the Colorado Emergency Managers Association (CEMA) meets to discuss operations and events from around the state, as well as the country. This training not only aids the respective counties in their ability to respond to emergency situations, but also enhances their network providing them with additional resources and knowledge during a localized incident or catastrophe.
This year’s meeting was in Loveland, Colorado, with more than 500 people in attendance. Garfield County Emergency Manager Chris Bornholdt received the CEMA President’s Award. Bornholdt was recognized for the tutorship and mentoring he provided over the past several years and continues to provide to other emergency managers in the state and nationally. Even with his plate full, he responds via phone calls or emails and helps point them in the right direction, providing advice and the contacts they need to do their jobs effectively.
Bornholdt is a part of the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office and works with Sergeant Levy Burris and Sergeant Chad Whiting to address daily problems ranging from stranded or injured mountain visitors, sometimes requiring helicopter “air-lift rescue,” to a stranded Greyhound bus full of travelers whose driver tried to go around a closed Glenwood Canyon using a four-wheel drive roadway.
Beyond his normal day-to-day duties and call-outs, Chris continues to address issues around the Grizzly Creek Fire that occurred in 2020 in Glenwood Canyon, as well as the Pine Gulch Fire that occurred the same year. Both fires necessitated calling in additional assistance in the form of Type I Incident Management Teams to provide the resources necessary to manage both incidences concurrently. Bornholdt was an integral part of the decision to call in more aid as these fires rapidly escalated and to provide local support as needed to these teams once they were in place.
The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office is proud to have Bornholdt as part of its team. Thanks has been extended to Bornholdt and to all first responders in our area. They work together with the Garfield County Search and Rescue Team to provide the safety, security, and resources necessary to make Garfield County a better place to visit and live.