Public health expands air-quality monitoring and issues smoke alerts as fires raise particulate levels; agency also reports grants, hires and prevention work

Routt County Public Health told the board it has installed two local air-quality monitors and is preparing a public dashboard to show real-time particulate and ozone readings. County staff said an air-quality alert was issued for smoke from fires to the west and that the county had coordinated a public message and planned a press release.

Scott (public-health environmental staff) said the monitors at the Department of Human Services building and at the fairgrounds are live; the county is testing a GIS-based dashboard to make averages and index levels understandable to the public. Staff said the state had issued an air-quality alert earlier in the day and that the county had posted guidance for vulnerable groups (people with respiratory disease, children and older adults). Commissioners asked about using the county alert system for air-quality emergencies; staff said they will use targeted alerts selectively so residents avoid "alert fatigue." The county also continues to use PurpleAir community monitors to expand public visibility of smoke and particulate patterns.

Public-health director Roberta reported other program updates: the state passed Senate Bill 25285 (raising retail food-license fees) and the county expects phased fee increases over coming years; public-health hiring is underway (an environmental health specialist and a tobacco specialist have been added), and the department distributed about 300 gun safes across three community events after receiving a small CDPHE grant. Roberta said the county is operating the Credible Mind behavioral-health platform with neighboring counties and is administering a SAMHSA-funded youth alcohol-prevention program; staff noted that federal continuation of the SAMHSA grant is uncertain and the county is prioritizing how to spend first-year funds for prevention work while awaiting notice about future funding.

On measles and communicable-disease surveillance, staff noted Colorado had recorded several cases statewide but none required a county-level response. Public Health also reminded residents about rabies-risk protocols and about bringing potentially exposed bats for testing when appropriate. Commissioners asked staff to provide summaries of suicide-data reviews and indicated interest in sharing those updates with a joint meeting packet for the city.

The board did not take formal public-health policy action at the meeting; staff will continue implementing monitoring, outreach and grant-funded programming and return with more detailed updates.