Keep Colorado Wild Pass funding supports Rocky Mountain SAR UAS Conference
Bridget O'Rourke
DENVER ‒ On May 31, Douglas County Search and Rescue, in partnership with Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Backcountry Search and Rescue Program, hosted the first-ever Rocky Mountain SAR UAS Conference at the Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Facility.The event focused on how Search and Rescue (SAR) teams use Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), also known as drones, during search and rescue operations. SAR teams can use drones during rescues to provide an airborne view from above trees and terrain, search large areas quickly, use thermal cameras to locate subjects, and to communicate remotely with people once a drone finds them.
This year’s conference brought together a dynamic community of more than 60 UAS professionals from over 25 different agencies across Colorado to share best practices and lessons learned, helping to shape the future of SAR UAS operations statewide.
Conference attendees had the opportunity to meet and learn from leading drone professionals and experts in public safety and emergency response, demo the latest life-saving UAS technology, share mission stories and real-world drone applications, and discover new ways to collaborate on local search and rescue capabilities.
"This event was an outstanding success," said Brent Lounsbury, Emergency Management Coordinator for CPW. "Douglas County SAR identified the need for an event where SAR UAS professionals could collaborate and learn from each other; it clearly hit the mark. We're really looking forward to this event coming around again next year, and it being an even larger success."
Modern drones feature powerful cameras and sensors, providing views from above that are inaccessible to ground teams. Douglas County SAR has recently used drones to quickly locate a missing 10-year-old boy, as well as missing hikers, that would otherwise have taken significantly longer to find. In addition to SAR, CPW also uses drones for wildlife and land management.
“This conference allowed us to get everyone in a room, make contacts and share best practices. I particularly enjoyed the question and answer sessions after each presentation, where critical discussions and learning were exchanged peer-to-peer,” said Dave Miska, President of Douglas County SAR.
CPW's Backcountry SAR program provides support to County SAR teams throughout Colorado, including funds from sales of the Keep Colorado Wild Pass, hunting and fishing licenses, and the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue (CORSAR) card. County SAR teams throughout the state are primarily composed of volunteers and play a critical role in emergency response throughout Colorado.
Join us in keeping Colorado, Colorado. Support your local county search and rescue teams by purchasing a $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass with your next vehicle registration.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.
DISCLAIMER: The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) website maintains press releases containing historical information that may no longer be accurate. Press releases are dated, which should be noted to determine whether the information provided is current. Please review our current regulations and brochures for up-to-date information.