State-of-the-art drone technology controlled by the eyes and touch of highly-trained operators within the Clear Creek County Sheriff's department has forever changed the field of operation for rescue, law enforcement and critical safety missions in the mountains.
It's been about three years to the day since Deputy Sheriff Bradley Stepter took his oath and started his post with the sheriff's department.
When he did, he brought an idea for the department moving forward.
"When I got hired, I was like "Hey, I own a drone, I love drones. Is there a possibility to implement that here?"" Stepter said.
Initial skepticism about the program was eventually replaced with encouragement within the department, according to Stepter.
That's when the drone program literally took off, Stepter said.
Now, the sheriff's department has two licensed drone pilots, Stepter and Sgt. Nick Aab, who can control any one of the three drones the sheriff's department owns and maintains.
The three aircraft are each designated by size for specific missions and each has its own nickname.
The largest, with capabilities to reach altitudes of up to 14,000 feet, is "Thunder Brick," according to pilots.
The medium-sized craft "Sparrow" can look above and beyond what human rescue resources can see, thanks to thermal imagery. That kind of perspective would take hours to locate on foot, rescuers said.
"It really takes down that time, that critical time trying to figure out if someone is injured, possibly on their last breath, we're able to find them a lot faster," Stepter said.
The smallest drone, "Firefly," can land on a piece of paper but is able to maneuver in ways that boggle the mind.
Firefly, with the operators' command, can fly inside a house or structure, room by room.
"Precision controlling, we have a set of goggles that allows you to view in real time where the drone is and what it's seeing. Then a motion controller gives me millimeter precision that I'm able to navigate going through a doorway, under tables, under chairs, over dressers, whatever have you," Stepter said.
Training and obtaining licensing as a drone pilot at this level requires approval by the Federal Aviation Administration.
A "Part 107 FAA Certification" exam must be passed for a pilot to earn a license to fly.
Stepter said, with his training and homework, he was able to pass the exam on the first attempt.
However, "It's a pretty tough test," he said.
Special exemptions for flight area, height and maneuvering are afforded to law enforcement - as long as the pilots have maintained all of their FAA drone certifications.
Perhaps the most significant advantage to a drone resource, both pilots Stepter and Aab said, is the opportunity to put technology in the place of what would otherwise require a human resource.
"We're able to assist the SWAT team, we can actually fly it into buildings in front of SWAT team members and it can clear rooms faster than sending someone in. I'd rather send in a piece of technology as opposed to someone who could get hurt," Aab said.
Simply for the fun of it, or to gain hours and experience as a pilot, Stepter had another idea to get the community interactively involved in the sheriff's drone program.
Look for it on Facebook. It's a weekly challenge posted on Mondays for locals to locate "Where the Drone was Flown".
Random photos and videos will be posted, with the winners identifying the location of the shot earning a CCSO Challenge Coin.
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