DEMOGRAPHICS:

Summit County is located approximately 70 miles west of Denver in the Central Rocky Mountain Region of the state. It is 620 square miles with about 30% of that having roads and trails with limited accessibility. There is no railroad service in Summit County but there is heavy traffic and truck activity along I-70 and State Highway 9. The year round population as of 1/1/03 is approximately 25,985. The county’s east boundaries are the Eisenhower Tunnel and Highway 6 over Loveland Pass (Haz-Mat Route) the top of Vail Pass to the west, Hoosier Pass to the south and Green Mountain Reservoir to the north.

The entire county is located between 8,500-14,500 feet in elevation. Altitude sickness seems to occur to both young and old alike. Altitude when combined with alcohol, exertion and dehydration can exacerbate undiagnosed heart disease, as well as first time seizures.

Because this is a resort community, which includes Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain and Keystone ski areas, the population swells with a heavy seasonal shift in due to a transient work force. Ski season with heavy daytime and weekend crowds can triple the winter population. Statistics obtained from Ski Country USA state that the number of visitors to Summit County Ski Resorts for the 2002-3 ski season were: Arapahoe Basin, 317,401; Breckenridge, 1,424,770; Copper Mountain, 1,058,016; and Keystone 1,038,942.The county is a popular summer getaway attracting boaters, fisherman to Lake Dillon as well as cyclists and hikers.

The Coroner’s office interacts with many agencies including:

Ski Patrols:

Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain

Fire Agencies:

Lake Dillon Fire Rescue, Red White & Blue, Copper Mountain, Lower Blue

Medical Clinics:

Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Keystone

Towns:

Blue River, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Dillon, Frisco, Heeney, Montezuma, Silverthorne

Police Agencies:

Breckenridge PD, Dillon PD, Frisco PD, Silverthorne PD, Summit County Sheriff, Colorado State Patrol (CSP)

Emergency Medical Services:

Summit County Ambulance Service, Many fire departments are staffed with EMT’s

Hospitals:

Summit Medical Center (level IV), New Centura (Level III) Hospital

Hazardous Materials:

Eisenhower Tunnel Haz-Mat & Fire operated by Colorado Department of Transportation

Search & Rescue:

Includes high angle, dive and water rescue

Dispatch:

With the exception of Colorado State Patrol all the above departments are dispatched by the Summit County Communications Center located in Frisco.