Colorado Disaster Declaration Process

Disaster Declarations usually follow these steps:

  • Local government responds, supplemented by mutual aid from neighboring communities and volunteer agencies. If the disaster exceeds the local capabilities, they can request state assistance.

A local government may declare a local disaster or an emergency through the chair of the Board of County Commissioners, or other principal executive officer of a political subdivision, through an order or proclamation and submit it to the state. This activates response and recovery of all applicable local and inter-jurisdictional disaster emergency plans.

Why Declare a Disaster?

  • To gain access to TABOR emergency reserves
  • To qualify for certain types of federal and state disaster assistance
  • To activate local and inter-jurisdictional emergency plans and mutual assistance agreements
  • To support the enactment of temporary emergency restrictions or controls (e.g., curfews, price controls)
  • The State Responds with state resources as requested (and/or needed) by the local government.

The Colorado Division of Emergency Management, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Department of Public Health & Environment, Department of Transportation, Department of Local Affairs, Department of Public Safety, Colorado State Patrol, Department of Human Services, Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Natural Resources are all examples of Colorado agencies who may respond to a disaster.

The State may declare a disaster or emergency by Executive Order or Proclamation of the Governor if the Governor finds a disaster has occurred or that this occurrence or the threat of a disaster or emergency is imminent. This frees up State TABOR reserves and Disaster Emergency funds, enables the Governor to temporarily enact or suspend State restrictions or controls, activates the State Emergency Operations Plan, and activates the State Emergency Operations Center.

  • Damage Assessment. The state can request a disaster declaration from the Governor with a preliminary damage assessment from the local government through the state Division of Emergency Management.

The state can also perform a formal federal, state, and local preliminary damage assessment with FEMA to determine if damage amounts may qualify for a presidential disaster request and therefore, federal assistance.

A presidential disaster declaration and/or emergency can be requested by the governor to the President through FEMA, based on the damage assessment, and an agreement to commit state funds and resources to the long-term recovery is made.

  • FEMA will evaluate the request and recommend action to the White House based on the disaster damage assessment, the local community and the state’s ability to recover.
  • The President approves the request or FEMA informs the governor it has been denied. The decision process could take a few hours or several weeks depending on the nature of the disaster.

Note: The difference between a disaster declaration and an emergency declaration is that an emergency can be declared even though there is no disaster. An example would be the Summit of the Eight or World Youth Day. Additional resources were requested and the State Emergency Operations Plan was activated. Also, an emergency declaration is generally of lesser scope and impact than a major disaster declaration.  

Colorado Disaster Emergency Procedures Handbook for Local Governments

Governor’s Disaster Emergency Council

Members:

  • Governor - Chair
  • Attorney General
  • Adjutant General

Representatives from Departments of:

  • Administration
  • Transportation
  • Public Safety
  • Natural Resources

Additional members may be appointed by the Governor. By statute, the council consists of “not less than six members and not more than nine.”