Updated March 26, 2025 

Signing up for emergency notifications is a crucial step to staying informed and prepared for any disaster. By registering for alerts, you receive real-time updates on severe weather, evacuations, and other critical information that could impact your safety. 

Make sure you'll get critical information during an emergency by signing up for:

• Boulder County’s emergency notifications systems, also known as BOCO Alerts. Official emergency alerts impacting your area will always be sent through this system.
• Louisville's “News/Important Updates” email list. Subscribing to this list ensures you receive important news, safety advisories, and event changes directly to your inbox.
• Learn more about signing up for emergency notifications on our Preparedness page.

If you have questions regarding the City’s communications, email PIO@LouisvilleCO.gov.  

The City has an internal crisis communication plan, which is flexible and regularly updated to ensure that it can be used effectively regardless of crisis type, size, resources or level of impact. During an emergency or disaster, the City of Louisville coordinates directly with our partners such as Boulder County Office of Disaster Management.

Updated March 26, 2025.

BOCO Alert is Boulder County's emergency alert system. During an emergency, BOCO Alert will send out notifications to impacted areas in Boulder County. BOCO Alerts is an opt-in system, meaning you need to register yourself and choose your notification preferences.

Signing up for emergency notifications is a crucial step in staying informed and prepared for any disaster. By registering for alerts, you receive real-time updates on severe weather, evacuations, and other critical information that could impact your safety.

Learn more about signing up for BOCO Alerts

In October of 2024, the City of Lousville and Louisville Fire, in partnership with Boulder County, performed a successful citywide test of BOCO Alerts.

In the months and weeks leading up to the test, we focused our communication and outreach efforts on encouraging our community to sign up for the alerts. From June–October 2024, we gained a total of 1,487 users who signed up for Louisville addresses, and 11,330 users registered in Boulder County. During the test, 34,942 contact points (phone numbers, email addresses, etc) were reached!

Thank you to everyone who organized and promoted this test; Louisville Police Department, Louisville Fire Department, Boulder County Sheriff's Office, Louisville City Council, and City staff. And thank you to our community, for spreading the word and being prepared!

Updated March 26, 2025 

The City takes an all-hazards approach to disaster and emergency management, which means preparing for and responding to a wide range of potential threats. The primary goal of this strategy is to ensure the safety and well-being of the community by focusing on mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. By addressing all types of hazards in a coordinated and comprehensive way, the City aims to minimize harm, reduce risks, and strengthen community resilience in the face of any crisis.

Emergency Operations Plan -

• The City of Louisville has an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), which is a comprehensive guide that outlines how the City will respond to various emergencies, such as disasters. It details the roles and responsibilities of city officials, emergency responders, and organizations, ensuring that resources are used efficiently, communication is clear, and safety is prioritized. The EOP helps to coordinate efforts during a crisis, minimize damage, and protect residents.
• The City currently has an Emergency Operations Plan that was presented to the City Council in 2012. The plan includes guidelines from the National Incident Management System and other documents with recommended best practices from Federal, State, and regional emergency management groups. Louisville also has an annex in Boulder ODM’s EOP plan that identifies current vulnerabilities, potential hazards, our community profile, and identifies critical facilities. Understanding potential hazards helps ensure operational planning, preparedness, training, and resources are aligned with community needs. The City is in the process of reviewing the current plan documents and may update or modify to ensure it meets current needs.

Emergency Manager 

• The emergency manager contact for the City of Louisville is the City Manager. The Chief of Police and the Louisville Fire District Chief provide critical operational guidance and support. Both Chiefs have many decades of public safety experience to include emergency response and management as well as Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) training and certification. The police department, fire district, and the City’s Recovery and Resiliency Manager regularly collaborate with the Boulder County Office of Disaster Management (ODM) for regional alignment.

The City of Louisville has adopted Ordinance 1891, series 2025, which establishes a Fire Hardening Code to enhance building safety against wildfire risks.

The new code includes requirements that apply to new constructions, occupiable accessory structures, and repairs or replacements of certain home systems, (such as decks and fences) which must comply with specific fire hardening standards.

To learn all about the requirements of the code, including how this might impact your upcoming project as a resident, business, or contractor, visit our Fire Hardening Code website.

Updated March 26, 2025

Xcel Energy is the authorized utility provider responsible for the delivery of electrical power to Louisville residents and businesses. Xcel has implemented new strategies for wildfire mitigation, including "Public Safety Power Shutoffs" (PSPS). These shut offs have caused more outages than our community has experienced in years past.

A PSPS is a risk mitigation option where power is shut off to a targeted area for a limited duration when wildfire risks are extremely high. It is a tool used only when other methods, like Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS), are not enough to ensure safety.

Xcel may implement a PSPS during high wind events or other weather events where wildfire risks are high.

How can residents prepare for power outages, planned or unplanned? 

• Boulder Office of Disaster Management has developed a guide to preparing for power outages, specific to Boulder County residents, available on their website. 

Will the City communicate important information to the community during power outages? 

• If Xcel Energy implements a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), or an unplanned widespread outage occurs, the City will work with Xcel to communicate the outage impacts to residents as quickly as possible.
• Xcel customers can check the outage status via Xcel’s outage map. If your power is out, but the outage does not show on the map, report an outage via Xcel’s website.
• As always, make sure you are signed up for BOCO Alerts in the event that a power outage becomes a community emergency.
• For power outages impacting City facilities, or that are expected to last several days, the City will provide updates through the “City News/Important Updates” email/text list, among other channels such as social media and traditional media. While we can't predict outages, we will do our best to get critical information, including resources and impacts to facilities, to our community in a timely manner.

Xcel's Presentation to Louisville:

On October 17, 2024, Xcel Energy provided the Louisville community presentation about Xcel's wildfire mitigation strategies and future approaches moving forward. The staff is working on making the slides accessible and will have them posted on the website. You can view a copy of the slide deck here. 

Xcel Energy Community Input & Public Comment 

Xcel Energy has posted a recording of their 2025-2028 Wildfire Mitigation Plan Community Meeting.

After viewing the presentation and reviewing their proposed filing, they encourage you to share your feedback regarding the 2025 – 2027 Wildfire Mitigation Plan directly with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Be sure to reference Docket Number 24A-0296E in your comment, which you may submit using any of the following methods:

• Email: dora_puc_website@state.co.us
• Phone: 303-869-4390
• Online Comment Form (External Link)
• Mail: Colorado Public Utilities Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202

Visit Xcel Energy's Community Outreach page to learn more. 

Updated March 26, 2025

Are you familiar with Boulder County's Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)? This planning process brings together a diverse group of stakeholders, including local government, the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS), local fire protection districts, and community members. It is a collaborative effort to identify and prioritize measures to protect life, property, and critical infrastructure during a wildfire event.

The CWPP has been adopted and published by Boulder County. The City of Louisville and Louisville Fire Protection District were part of the core team for the Boulder County CWPP process. The City of Louisville will utilize this plan to assist with future mitigation strategies in our community.

Visit the County's website for more information!

More about the CWPP:

The goals of this CWPP are to protect lives and reduce risk to property and critical infrastructure. It empowers local communities to improve their wildfire mitigation and response capabilities by working with fire protection districts and local government and non-governmental agencies to identify high-risk areas and prioritize actions for minimizing the impacts of wildfire to homes, people, and infrastructure across the county landscape. The CWPP does not aim to provide prescriptive-level management guidance and local experts should be consulted when crafting project-level action plans and treatment prescriptions.  Additionally, CWPPs are not policy documents and are not legally binding. They are intended to facilitate efforts where stakeholders within communities, including residents, homeowners associations (HOAs), fire protection districts, and government and business entities, work together to help make their communities safer from wildfire. The CWPP will be treated as a living document intended to be updated every 5 years. 

Updated March 26, 2025

Louisville has an open space division within our Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Trails Department. This team has been working hard on mowing and mitigation practices across our city properties, prioritizing vegetation management as a tool for wildfire mitigation.

Learn about everything this team has been doing for wildfire mitigation on our website.

The City conducted a Wildfire Risk Assessment in 2023 to help us identify and prioritize wildfire mitigation efforts. Visit the Story Map and Report to learn more and track our progress.

Do you see a problem area in one of our parks or open spaces? Use our "Report a Problem" tool! Using this tool, you can submit a report which will be routed to the correct department to respond.

Report a Problem

Updated March 26, 2025

The City of Louisville is committed to supporting the mental and emotional well-being of its residents. Louisville residents have access to a range of mental and emotional health resources through Boulder County and the State of Colorado. Whether you are seeking professional care or community support, there are numerous resources available to help you maintain your mental well-being.

General Mental & Emotional Support Resources:

• City of Louisville
  • Co-Responder Program: In an effort to address mental health crises and bolster community safety, the Louisville Police Department has partnered with Boulder County Community Services to implement a new Co-Responder Program. This is a 7 day per week service from noon-10:00 p.m.
    • To access this service, a community member may contact police dispatch at the non-emergency number 303-441-4444.
• Boulder County:
  • Mental Health Partners is now Clinica Family Health & Wellness

    • They offer a wide range of specialized programs and services for people of all ages – including therapy for individuals, groups, and families.

    • New Clients and appointments: (303) 443-8500

    • Withdrawal Management: (303) 441-1281

• State of Colorado - Behavioral Health Administration: Get Help 
  • Crisis Services: The 988 Colorado Mental Health Line is available for free, immediate, human support 24/7. If you or someone you know is struggling with an emotional, mental health or substance use concern, call or text 988, or live chat at 988Colorado.com.

  • Get free virtual counseling (youth only) with the I Matter program connects youth with therapists for up to 6 free virtual sessions. Some in-person appointments are available, too. Sessions are completely confidential. I Matter is for people 18 years and under, or 21 years and under if receiving special education services.

Marshall Fire Related Mental & Emotional Support Resources:

• Mental Health Partners is now Clinica Family Health & Wellness
• Jewish Family Service & Community Foundation Boulder County
  • Individuals that have been impacted by the fire, which include first and secondary responders, can identify and select a local licensed behavioral health provider. Providers on the list have availability and are accepting new clients in-person or virtually. All participants will have until Dec. 31, 2024, to use their 15 sessions.
    • For questions about your sessions or how many you have used, please contact bccc@jewishfamilyservice.org. For more information about this program, call 720.248.4686.
  • Video Support

    • Pause and Action Community Grief – important aspects of stress and grief, as well as healing mechanisms and avenues for support.

      Understanding Personal and Collective Impacts of Traumatic Losses – gather some important tools for support and resourcing for yourself and your family

      Understanding Disaster Stress – A panel of local experts share information on recognizing signs of acute stress, supporting loved ones, accessing free services, and practicing self-care.

  • Community Foundation Boulder County Unmet Needs Grant
    • The CFBC Unmet Needs grants provide financial support to fire-impacted community members with immediate fundamental needs as a result of significant loss initiated by the Marshall Fire event. For questions about the Unmet Needs program, email unmetneeds@impactdf.org.

The National Weather Service will issue a Red Flag warning when there’s an increased risk of fire danger. A Red Flag day means that the conditions are right for the start or rapid spread of wildfires, and that extra precautions should be taken to prevent them. Low humidity, strong winds, and dry fuels pose an increased risk of fire danger, prompting heightened fire awareness and safety precautions.

 What you should do on Red Flag days:

•  Avoid any activity that may produce a spark and start a wildfire. This includes no open burning, avoiding mowing operations or dragging chains, or operating any equipment that produces sparks or has open flames. 

• On Red Flag days, residents should be prepared for possible power outages. Xcel Energy (your power provider in Louisville) may have Public Safety Power Shutoffs or be using Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings on Red Flag Days. Learn more about how to prepare for power outages on Boulder County's website. 

• Learn more at:
  • Boulder County Fire Restrictions
  •  Wildfire Partners “Red Flag Warnings Information”

What the City does on Red Flag days:

The Louisville Police Department and Louisville Fire Protection District actively collaborate with external partners to monitor Red Flag days. These agencies work together to stay informed of emerging conditions, ensuring they can quickly respond with the appropriate resources if needed.  

Louisville Police Department 
The Police Department notifies the public of Red Flag Warnings and internally prepares for events that might occur because of the wind. On Red Flag days, our Police Department is prepared for power outages, street signs or poles being downed, trees and limbs falling to the roadway creating a traffic hazard, fires, and other incidents that might require response. They also relay relevant weather information to other City departments to ensure that proper resources are available across the City to address potential hazards. The Department has call-in procedures in place and mutual aid capabilities to bring in more police resources as needed.

Louisville Fire Protection District
On most Red Flag days, the Fire District is prepared for what they call a ‘High response’.  If a ‘High response’ is needed, they would send the following on the initial call: two fire engines, six brush trucks, 2 water tenders, 2 Battalion Chiefs and the Fire Duty Officer from the County.  These resources are more than what the Fire district usually has on duty, and with help from nearby fire districts, they can quickly get the appropriate amount of help or add more resources if needed.