Town of Estes Park Information Technology Division – Estes Park Trail-Gazette
The Town of Estes Park’s Information Technology (IT) division supports all internal departments, works in conjunction with many outside agencies, and manages the public wireless internet provided around Town Hall. The IT team, made up of five staff members, constantly monitors and evaluates how data is accessed and shared behind the scenes while also ensuring that potentially sensitive data is secure and backed up. The team also ensures that the network infrastructure between Town facilities and end-users provides a safe, reliable connection. This is required so that just about every Town employee can do their jobs effectively and efficiently, and in turn provide excellent services to the community. Network
reliability is especially important when supporting our most critical functions such as the Estes Park Police Department.
With each passing year organizations are becoming more dependent on technology, and the Town of Estes Park is no different. Digitizing workflows, providing support for remote work, and moving towards a paperless office environment, all while staving off increasingly sophisticated cyber-security threats, have been among the leading IT-driven business trends for years. The COVID pandemic has only increased the focus on digital and remote solutions as well as the need to keep security threats front of mind. The drive to a more digital workplace has only increased the need for a strong Information Technology division at the Town of Estes Park.
The COVID pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of life, including what a “typical” workday looks like for most employees. Organizations operating under the traditional 40-hour, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday work week have had to embrace teleworking, willingly or otherwise. By quickly providing laptops and setting up Virtual Private Network access, the IT division enabled Town employees to securely access the network resources they needed to keep business moving. Providing support to teleworking employees presents new challenges, and the IT division has been able to use grant funding to purchase software designed to remotely access employee machines, regardless of geographic location while also keeping sensitive data safe and secure. The Town repurposed laptop computers and
monitors to enable employees to remain productive even while working from outside of the office.
Meetings quickly shifted to video conferencing via webcam to ensure social distancing, including public Board meetings. Recently, the Town’s IT division set up network access at the Event Center for Estes Park Health to conduct vaccination clinics. Hundreds of Estes Park residents were able to get COVID vaccinations and Estes Park Health was able to track those vaccinated, safely and securely, by utilizing onsite connectivity provided by the Town and managed by the IT division.
Last year, on top of a global pandemic, Estes Park was threatened by some of the largest wildfires in Colorado history. The IT division, in conjunction with other Town departments and local agencies, helped establish an Emergency Operations Center at the Estes Park Event Complex. The Town provided internet and phone access at dozens of workstations for emergency staff responding to the fires, including the Town, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, the Estes Valley Fire Protection District, Rocky Mountain National Park, and other agencies.
Technology needs in the workplace will only increase in time, and reliance on a strong IT team is becoming more and more necessary. The Town of Estes Park’s IT division is continuously looking for better ways to meet the ever-growing challenges in an ever-changing technology landscape, including improving accessibility of information, security of data, and emergency preparedness for the Town and First Responders in the Estes Valley. In doing so, not only does Town staff benefit, but so too does the entire community.
Gloss