Colorado § 24-33.5-802 - Definitions.

§ 24-33.5-802. Definitions.

As used in this part 8, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Accredited local organization for civil defense" means a local organization for civil defense that is certified by the office of emergency management as conforming with the "Plan and Program for the Civil Defense of this State" prepared by the governor of Colorado or under the governor's direction. A local organization for civil defense remains accredited only while the certificate of the Colorado state civil defense agency is in effect and is not revoked.

(1.5) "Adjusting agent" means the third-party workers' compensation insurer with which the office of emergency management contracts, in accordance with section 24-33.5-809, for the adjustment and disposition of claims and provision of compensation pursuant to this part 8.

(2) "Civil defense service" means all activities authorized by and carried on pursuant to the provisions of the "Colorado Disaster Emergency Act", part 7 of this article, including training necessary or proper to engage in such activities.

(3) "Civil defense worker" means any natural person who is registered with the office of emergency management or with a local organization for civil defense for the purpose of engaging in civil defense service pursuant to the provisions of this part 8 or is a physician, health-care provider, public health worker, or emergency medical service provider who is ordered by the governor or a member of the disaster emergency forces of this state to provide specific medical or public health services during and related to an emergency epidemic.

(3.3) "Colorado ranger" means a peace officer acting under the authority of an agency requesting assistance from the Colorado rangers law enforcement shared reserve through an intergovernmental agreement or mutual aid agreement or as otherwise granted by law.

(3.5) "Colorado rangers law enforcement shared reserve" means the statewide shared reserve law enforcement agency that is a political subdivision of the state through the execution of an intergovernmental agreement pursuant to section 29-1-203.

(4) "Disaster" has the meaning set forth in section 24-33.5-703.

(5) "Emergency volunteer service" means all activities authorized and carried out by a volunteer who is a member of a qualified volunteer organization as directed by a county sheriff, local government, local emergency planning committee, or state agency in the event of disaster or during a training exercise, drill, or class conducted in preparation for a disaster, which exercise, drill, or class is organized or under the direction of such county sheriff, local government, local emergency planning committee, or state agency.

(6) "Injury" means and includes all accidental injuries and all occupational diseases recognized and compensated by the "Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado", articles 40 to 47 of title 8, C.R.S., as well as any illness that is caused by an emergency epidemic declared to be a disaster emergency.

(7) "Local emergency planning committee" means a committee that meets the criteria specified in section 24-33.5-1504.

(8) "Local organization for civil defense" means a public agency which is empowered to register and direct the activities of civil defense workers within the area of the county or city or any part thereof and is thus, because of such registration and direction, acting as an instrumentality of the state in aid of the carrying out of the general governmental functions and policy of the state and includes a local organization for civil defense established by ordinance.

(9) "Qualified volunteer" means a volunteer who meets the criteria specified in section 24-33.5-824 (1).

(10) "Volunteer" means a volunteer who is a member of a volunteer organization and provides volunteer services through the organization in the event of a disaster.

(11) "Volunteer organization" means an organization that provides emergency services on a state or local level pursuant to this part 8.

Source: L. 2012: Entire part RC&RE with relocations, (HB 12-1283), ch. 240, p. 1089, § 10, effective July 1. L. 2016: (5) amended, (HB 16-1040), ch. 233, p. 942, § 3, effective August 10. L. 2020: (11) amended, (HB 20-1402), ch. 216, p. 1051, § 45, effective June 30. L. 2023: (3) amended, (HB 23-1072), ch. 21, p. 81, § 1, effective March 17. L. 2025: (3.3) and (3.5) added, (HB 25-1181), ch. 36, p. 179, § 3, effective March 26.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 24-32-2202 as it existed prior to 2012.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 16-1040, see section 1 of chapter 233, Session Laws of Colorado 2016.