When a Lander local realized not everyone who needed free, healthy meals could actually get to them, she found a way to bring hot meals to them instead. Read more
Health
Radios Help the Cortez Community Intervention Program Reach People in Need
Montezuma County launched its Community Intervention Program to better respond to noncriminal 911 calls. But in order to get the innovative program running, they needed radios to communicate with dispatch—that's where LOR came in.
Photo by Jedekiah Coy, Mesa Media Productions.
Many of the roughly 12,000 911 calls Montezuma County dispatch receives each year are noncriminal in nature. “I came across a number of clients or patients for who it wasn’t really a law enforcement issue and didn’t really have a medical concern that warranted taking them to the ER,” says Albert Brokofsky, a Cortez area EMT. “They were kind of right in the middle.” That’s why, in 2022, Montezuma County launched the Community Intervention Program (CIP), in which EMTs and clinical therapists are dispatched to nonviolent calls—providing resources to people in need and connecting them to behavioral health resources while alleviating pressure on law enforcement. It’s an innovative program for a rural community, but it wouldn’t have been possible if the CIP team couldn’t communicate with dispatch and other emergency responders. The LOR Foundation helped the CIP team purchase four high-quality radios that work in even the most remote areas of Montezuma County, allowing the team to stay connected in emergency situations. Learn more in the video below.
Filmed and edited by Jedekiah Coy, Mesa Media Productions.
Cortez Community Officer
Reach out to connect on important matters for your community or your organization.
Cortez Community Officer
Nicci Crowley
nicci@lorfoundation.orgNicci prides herself on being a connector of people and ideas—a trait that’s central to her work as the LOR Foundation’s community officer in Cortez, Colorado. She listens to community members to understand the challenges they collectively face and then… Meet Nicci
More Health Stories
By Ilana Newman, The Daily Yonder Read more
With many Lander residents uninsured and struggling to find help, a Lander local stepped up to create a free medical clinic that reduces the barriers to care. Read more
When an important community asset fell into a state of neglect, a Lander local came home to revitalize the dirt jumps he helped build 15 years ago—with a little help from LOR. Read more
Share an Idea
If you have an idea for improving quality of life in Cortez or Monte Vista, Colorado; Lander, Wyoming; Libby, Montana; Questa or Taos, New Mexico; or Weiser, Idaho, use this form to start a conversation with us.