Accepting Applications for the Ranger Brendan Unitt Community Service Award

Larimer County employees leave lasting positive impressions on their co-workers and community members every day. The Ranger Unitt Award, an annual public service award starting in 2021, honors the commitment to the community that embodies the spirit of Ranger Unitt.

The Ranger Unitt Award is open to any current Larimer County employee who demonstrates their passion to serve the community above anything else. That passion is exhibited through selfless acts of exceptional community service displayed through quality community or county interactions or initiatives. If you know a Larimer County employee who has demonstrated this same spirit or spark, we encourage you to nominate them.

Nominations for the Ranger Unitt Award will be accepted July 20 – Aug. 31, 2021. The recipient of the award will be announced on Sept. 30, 2021, with a proclamation and an event following in October 2021. Applications will be accepted through an online form at https://www.larimer.org/ranger-brendan-unitt-community-service-award.

Brendan Unitt grew up in Windsor, Colorado, and was a 2011 graduate of Windsor High School. He served his country in the United States Marine Corps from 2011 to 2015, which included a tour in Afghanistan as a military police officer. Following his military service, Brendan returned to Larimer County. He graduated from Colorado State University in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a concentration in addiction and substance abuse counseling.

Brendan interned as a Deputy Probation Officer with Larimer County Probation Office where he received the Deputy Probation Officer of the Year Award in 2019. Brendan began to serve as a Larimer County Natural Resources Boat Ranger at Horsetooth Reservoir in 2020.

He committed himself wholeheartedly to providing safety assistance and emergency response to visitors at Horsetooth Reservoir. On Aug. 20, 2020 Brendan Unitt died while rescuing distressed swimmers during a sudden severe storm on Horsetooth Reservoir. Brendan was only days away from starting classes through the police academy at Aims Community College. He was 27 years old. After his death, there was an outpouring of support from the community about his passion to serve through his numerous interactions with community members and Larimer County employees.

Ranger Unitt’s service and sacrifice to the citizens of Larimer County will be honored annually through the Ranger Unitt Award.