Innovation isn't just a buzzword for the folks over at Larimer County; it's the backbone of their annual accolades. The county's employees, praised for their drive and creativity, have once again showcased their ability to upgrade service delivery through the latest Larimer County 2025 Innovation Awards. Keeping things practical and focused on community service, the awards highlighted several employees who are pushing boundaries to better meet the needs of the people they serve, according to Larimer County.
This year's Grand Prize went to a nimble response team from the Larimer County Office of Emergency Management, Kohl Parrot, and Loren Barnes. Faced with the cumbersome and immobile nature of traditional laptops during crises, the duo introduced an inventive solution, with a little help from technology. They swapped out clunky hardware for eight PC Sticks, creating a mobile call center that's as portable as it is efficient. "Now emergency operations can be much more mobile and locate where they are needed the most," a description of their project reads, as per Larimer County.
The PC Sticks, comparable in size to a typical smartphone, teamed with equally slender monitors, redefine what it means to set up shop in the heat of a disaster. Gone are the days when setting up a command post meant being shackled to one spot due to technical constraints. Add to that the donated Pelican case that houses and transports this compact tech, and Larimer's OEM has streamlined disaster response to something close to plug-and-play.
