ABOUT COLORADO RETACs

Colorado’s Regional EMS and Trauma System

Eleven Regional Emergency Medical and Trauma Advisory Councils serve every county in Colorado. Established in state law, they are the working infrastructure behind a coordinated, locally grounded statewide emergency care system.

What Is a RETAC?

A RETAC, Regional Emergency Medical and Trauma Advisory Council, is a statutory body created under the Colorado EMS Act and the Statewide Trauma Care System Act (CRS 25-3.5). Each RETAC represents five or more counties and serves as the regional coordination layer between local EMS agencies, hospitals, public health, and the state. Colorado has 11 RETACs covering all 64 counties.

RETACs are not advisory in the passive sense. They develop and submit biennial implementation plans to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, coordinate regional grant processes, set prehospital trauma destination guidelines, support training and preparedness, and represent their communities at the statewide level. They are the regional tier of a three-level system that runs from local agencies to the state.

Coordinate

Connect hospitals, EMS agencies, first responders, 9-1-1 centers, and public health partners across regional boundaries.

Plan and Prepare

Develop regional implementation plans covering training, disaster response, quality improvement, and prehospital care standards.

Represent

Bring local needs and regional data to state-level planning, policy, and funding discussions. Amplify what communities cannot do alone.

Sustain

Coordinate regional grant processes, manage biennial planning cycles, and support long-term EMS and trauma system development.

The RETAC Alliance

Colorado’s 11 RETAC executive directors have formed a collaborative body known as the RETAC Alliance. The Alliance is working to strengthen inter-regional coordination, develop shared resources, and present a unified voice on statewide policy and funding matters. A shared visual identity is in development to reflect the collaborative relationship among regions.

Each RETAC operates independently within its region and maintains its own board, budget, and biennial plan. The Alliance does not replace regional authority. It supports the kind of peer coordination that makes the statewide system more coherent.

Colorado RETAC Regions

Colorado is divided into 11 RETAC regions. Each region reflects the geography, population, and EMS system characteristics of its counties. Use the map to explore regional boundaries and find your RETAC.

Map data provided via ArcGIS. Tap or click a county to view regional information.

All 11 regions

Colorado RETAC Directory

Contact information and upcoming events for all 11 RETACs. Each RETAC maintains its own website, programs, and regional calendar.

RETAC Counties Served Executive Director Contact Upcoming Events
Northeast Colorado RETAC logo Northeast Colorado RETACncretac.org Jackson, Larimer, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld, Yuma Nick Nudell, PhD(c), MS, MPhil, NRP [email protected]
(970) 580-2668		 Supervisor’s Bootcamp
Leadership Bootcamp
Mile-High RETAC logo Mile-High RETACmilehighretac.org Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Elbert Shirley Terry, BSN, RN [email protected]
303-722-6734 (office)
303-919-0719 (cell)		 National EMS Safety Summit
EMS Financial Symposium
Clay Shooting Fundraiser
Golf Tournament
Foothills RETAC logo Foothills RETACfoothillsretac.com Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Grand, Jefferson Valorie Peaslee, MBA, BSN, RN [email protected]
(970) 301-8320		 See foothillsretac.com
Plains to Peaks RETAC logo Plains to Peaks RETACplainstopeaks.org Cheyenne, El Paso, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Teller Kim Schallenberger, BS, EMT [email protected]
(719) 342-5562		 MCI Symposium
EMS Financial Symposium
Central Mountains RETAC logo Central Mountains RETACcmretac.org Chaffee, Eagle, Gunnison, Lake, Park, Pitkin, Summit Sarah Weatherred, MHL, MSN, RN [email protected]
(970) 331-3355		 Western Slope Trauma Retreat
Northwest RETAC logo Northwest RETACnorthwestretac.org Garfield, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt Addy Bristol [email protected]
(970) 987-1043		 See northwestretac.org
Western RETAC logo Western RETACwretac.org Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel Danny Barela [email protected]
(970) 399-2663 (office)
(970) 640-1024 (cell)		 See wretac.org
Southwest RETAC logo Southwest RETACswretac.com Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, San Juan Fred Hutt, EMT IV [email protected]
(970) 739-1911		 Mountain Medicine Symposium
Peer Support Academy (Durango)
San Luis Valley RETAC logo San Luis Valley RETACslvretac.org Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache Reyna Martinez [email protected]
(970) 975-0227		 See slvretac.org
Southern Colorado RETAC logo Southern Colorado RETACscretac.org Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, Las Animas, Pueblo Brandon Chambers [email protected]
(719) 248-3978		 See scretac.org
Southeastern Colorado RETAC logo Southeastern Colorado RETACseretac.org Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero, Prowers Brandon Chambers [email protected]
(719) 248-3978		 See seretac.org

Directory information is maintained by each RETAC. Contact individual organizations to confirm current staff and event listings.

System structure

Colorado EMS Governance

Most people assume CDPHE runs Colorado EMS from Denver. The actual structure is more distributed. RETACs are established by and accountable to county commissioners under CRS 25-3.5-704, not to CDPHE. The dotted line in the diagram below represents a funding relationship only.

Colorado EMS governance structure Flowchart showing Colorado EMS governance tiers. At the local level, county commissioners establish the RETAC and the local EMS provider serves citizens. At the regional level, the RETAC submits plans to SEMTAC and has a dotted funding-only line to CDPHE. At the state level, the Governor appoints SEMTAC and EMPAC; SEMTAC approval is required before the State Board of Health can adopt rules. The General Assembly appropriates funds to CDPHE. At the federal level, Congress directs HHS, CMS, and DOT. FEDERAL STATE REGIONAL LOCAL U.S. Congress HHS CMS U.S. DOT Fed. Medicaid match Governor General Assembly JBC Health CDPHE State Board of Health SEMTAC EMPAC scope of practice only SEMTAC approval required before Board adopts rules RETAC County Commissioners Local EMS Provider Citizen / Patient Authority / direction Funding relationship only Medicare / Medicaid flow

The dotted line between RETAC and CDPHE represents a funding relationship only, not authority or supervision. RETACs are established by and accountable to county commissioners under CRS 25-3.5-704.

How we got here

A Brief History of Colorado’s RETAC System

Colorado’s regional EMS and trauma system was built over decades through legislation, reorganization, and incremental investment.

1978

EMS Act

Colorado establishes its first framework for EMS regulation.

1989

EMS Funding Bill

The Highway User Tax Fund EMS Account is created with a $1 surcharge per vehicle registration: 60% to EMS provider grants, 20% to counties, and 20% to CDPHE.

1995

Trauma System and ATACs

Hospitals begin voluntarily seeking trauma center designation. Area Trauma Advisory Councils (ATACs) are formed and funded through the 20% county HUTF allocation.

2000

Integrated EMTS System and RETAC Formation

The State Emergency Medical and Trauma Advisory Council (SEMTAC) is established. ATACs transition to become Regional Emergency Medical and Trauma Advisory Councils (RETACs). Statute sets RETAC base funding at $75,000 plus $15,000 per member county. County-specific subsidy funding ends.

2001

First RETAC Established

The Northeast Colorado RETAC is the first council to formally organize. The remaining ten regions follow in quick succession, completing statewide RETAC coverage.

2010

HUTF Surcharge Doubles

The surcharge increases to $2 per registration. Total state HUTF funds reach approximately $10 million, with about $6 million in grant funding. CDPHE adds staff. RETAC base funding does not increase and remains at 2000 levels. A Systems Improvement grant program (603 grants) is formally established at 10% of total funds.

2016

Supplemental RETAC Funding

A $20,000 supplemental allocation is added to RETAC funding, the first increase since 2000.

2018 – 2020

Funding Reductions

DMV formula changes reduce HUTF collections by approximately $1.6 million. The Department of Revenue removes trailers from the HUTF formula, further cutting available EMS funding.

2022

General Fund Supplement

The state general fund supplements HUTF with $2 million to partially offset losses from the 2018 to 2020 period.

Connect With a RETAC

Whether you are a provider, agency leader, hospital administrator, county official, or community member, there is a RETAC that serves your area. Each council welcomes participation from local partners. The stronger the regional network, the better the system works for everyone.

RETACs are statutory bodies operating under the Colorado EMS Act and the Statewide Trauma Care System Act (CRS 25-3.5). They are funded through the Highway User Tax Fund and operate in coordination with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.