The list of local governmental entities across Colorado that have officially declared states of emergency continues to expand as a result of the coronavirus epidemic.

As of March 19, Park County announced that it, too, was officially declaring a state of emergency because “the costs of responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 virus will likely be greater than the county’s available resources.”

The primary motive for the declaration is to eventually procure federal or state reimbursement for the costs of combating the viral pandemic, and the basic crux of the declaration is almost purely financial.

During a state of emergency, Park County utilizes a Comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan that provides county agencies and personnel with general guidelines and principles for planning, managing and coordinating during times of crisis.

Because extraordinary times sometimes call for extraordinary measures, the emergency plan contains interesting language with regards to the county’s scope of authority during a state of emergency.

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