“I think I was paired with the perfect city. I come from, and will probably always live in, places similar to Grand Junction—communities that can really benefit from resilience work.”
Armour was a Wildland Firefighter in Montana
Eloise Armour knows a thing or two about resilience. A former wildland firefighter in Montana, she is now pursuing a dual Master of Science in Ecology and a Master of Environment at Western Colorado University.
As part of her graduate work, Eloise has been serving as a Colorado Resilience Engine (CORE) Intern with the City of Grand Junction through ICLEI USA. The program is funded by the NSF ASCEND Engine and Colorado’s Office of Economic Development & International Trade. CORE interns partner with host cities to advance resilience initiatives while gaining hands-on experience in climate action planning and implementation.
Her six years as a firefighter taught her what resilience looks like on an ecological scale. Now, she is shifting her focus to resilience at the community level. “I have realized through this experience that resilience means something totally different when you’re looking at it from a community scale instead of a landscape scale,” she explains. “My motivation is to apply resilience to a small community where you can see change more quickly.”
Armour Conducting Community Outreach
In Grand Junction, Eloise has concentrated on the City’s ability to manage extreme heat events. Over the past six months, she has analyzed the relationship between high temperatures and 911 emergency calls from 2020 to 2025. Her findings show that on days above 95 degrees, emergency services receive an additional two to three heat-related calls compared to cooler days. Over the course of a summer, this can add up to 120–150 extra calls—a significant strain on first responders and hospital staff.
Eloise has also studied which populations are most likely to make these calls and translated her findings into a report with cost estimates. This information equips the City to make informed decisions about how best to protect residents from extreme heat while managing expenses and resources. As she notes, “Local governments are often the cornerstone of regional resilience. They know their cities best.”
Next month, Eloise will deliver several presentations to City staff, the fire department, and the Chief of Police. One will focus on emergency planning, while another will address housing through the lens of community risk and a recent vulnerability assessment.
She hopes that both her analysis and the City’s response will serve as a model for similar communities, helping them allocate resources more efficiently while safeguarding residents. “The fellowship has been a terrific program—I cannot recommend it enough,” Eloise says. “It’s such a great opportunity for cities to get high-quality work while also supporting workforce training.”
Brian Johnston, Workforce Development Program Manager for the NSF ASCEND Engine, agrees: “Given the success of this year’s intern cohort, we plan to expand this program even further over the next three years. The NSF Engine takes a broad approach to supporting challenges to community resilience, with ICLEI internships fulfilling the role of policy and community-based solutions.”
ICLEI Interns Deliver Presentations at the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit in Breckenridge, CO
Eloise also encourages other students to consider the program. “For me, it’s been a terrific opportunity,” she says. “I think I was paired with the perfect city. I come from, and will probably always live in, places similar to Grand Junction—communities that can really benefit from resilience work.”
Eloise will graduate in May and hopes to pursue a career in emergency planning, community resilience, or wildfire management planning, where she can combine her academic training with her firefighting experience.
