Drones

Using drones as a tool for emergency responses already exists across the country through what is known as the Drone as First Responder program. However, the DFR program is limited to hand-held drones that require a licensed officer to operate on-scene with a battery pack.

A rash of drone sightings during the Colorado Rockies' first homestand of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies sent law enforcement scrambling to track down the operators. No one was arrested after more than a half dozen drone sightings around Coors Field earlier this month, but it is possible the drone pilots could still face fines up to $75,000.

Modern drones map farmland, inspect power lines and help fight wildfires across the Mountain West. Nationwide, the drone industry now employs more than 100,000 people — and demand for trained pilots continues to grow.

In the last two years, the state has shifted most of its grant funding in its Persons Who Wander Program to a new technology that’s bringing more buzz, along with some concerns about privacy rights and the reactive nature of the devices.

Some Colorado communities are opting for drone shows over traditional July Fourth fireworks this year. A fleet of illuminated drones can create a variety of images through flying formations.

The drone program in Clear Creek Sheriff’s department is quickly becoming an exponential advantage.

An Associated Press analysis of an aviation safety database reveals that drones last year accounted for nearly two-thirds of reported near midair collisions involving commercial aircraft taking off and landing at major U.S. airports. Over the last decade, a majority of such incidents involved drones.

An increasing number of law enforcement agencies along the Front Range are using drones in policing and have seen success, but the practice remains controversial for privacy and surveillance reasons.

The team competed in South Korea last month and placed third in the competition.

A report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, or UAPs, released last month by national intelligence officials didn’t say anything about last year's drone sightings in Colorado. So KUNC asked whether anyone ever solved the mystery about what the objects were and, if they were drones, who was flying them. The short answer: no.