Communications & Operations Specialist Cindy Howard, joined Fire Adapted Colorado in September of 2021, after summer deployments on the Tamarack and the Woods Creek, Balsinger, and American Fork Fires, as a PIO. Prior to working as a Public Information Officer, Cindy served as the Custer County Emergency Manager from 2016 through June of 2019. During her EM tenure, the south region was impacted by the Hayden Pass, Beulah Hills, Junkins and Spring Creek fires, leading her away from all-hazards, to a focus on wildfire risk-reduction, alert and warning, and evacuation planning in her community. Cindy has also been a volunteer member of Custer County Search & Rescue since 2007 and a member of the Tallahassee FPD Wildland Team. She has a BA in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance from Regis University.

When not working remotely from her mountain home near Westcliffe, Cindy deploys as a PIO, (most recently on the 2023 Quartz Ridge & Bear Creek fires), responds and trains with Custer County SAR, and enjoys hunting, hiking and climbing in the Pike San Isabel National Forest and Sangre de Cristo Wilderness.