New Emergency Manager Named, Focus on Preparedness and Coordination

Las Animas County officials formally introduced Darren Kolakowski as the county emergency manager during a county commissioners meeting this month. Kolakowski, who also serves as Hoehne fire chief, told the board on December 9 that his immediate agenda will focus on assessing existing preparedness plans, updating the county emergency operations plan, improving coordination among partner agencies and boosting public education on emergency preparedness.

The announcement places a career fire chief at the helm of county emergency planning as residents move into a season of increased weather risk. County leaders and first responders face familiar hazards including wildfire, high wind events, winter storms and flooding. Kolakowski emphasized the need to align local plans with on the ground realities in rural communities where long travel distances, sparse infrastructure and limited shelter options complicate response and recovery.

Practical implications for residents include a review and likely revision of evacuation protocols, sheltering plans and communication strategies. An updated emergency operations plan can clarify roles and responsibilities among local government departments, fire districts, law enforcement and state partners, and can guide where resources should be staged during a major incident. Kolakowski signaled that improving interagency coordination will be a priority, which could affect how quickly services are restored after storms, how evacuation notices are issued and how mutual aid is requested and deployed.

Public education is another central element of the new manager's agenda. Kolakowski plans to expand outreach so households understand family preparedness actions, pet evacuation options and winter survival needs in remote areas. For many Las Animas County residents, clearer guidance on when to shelter in place and when to move to centralized locations could reduce risk and speed recovery.

County commissioners are expected to work with Kolakowski as his initial assessments are completed and specific updates to the emergency operations plan are drafted. For a county shaped by open terrain and shifting weather patterns, the combination of local firefighting experience and a focused preparedness agenda aims to strengthen resilience and shorten response times when incidents occur.