{"id":2449826,"date":"2019-10-13T22:32:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T04:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/business-monday-new-indoor-facility-to-test-drones-opens-at-rifle-garfield-county-airport\/"},"modified":"2019-10-13T22:32:00","modified_gmt":"2019-10-14T04:32:00","slug":"business-monday-new-indoor-facility-to-test-drones-opens-at-rifle-garfield-county-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/business-monday-new-indoor-facility-to-test-drones-opens-at-rifle-garfield-county-airport\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Monday: New indoor facility to test drones opens at Rifle Garfield County Airport"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.7858823529412\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-314342-251\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/CoETechnodrome-rct-101019-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/CoETechnodrome-rct-101019-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kyle Mills \/ Citizen Telegram | Garfeild County Commissioner Mike Samson talks with with CRFR Chief Randy Callahan and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Director Mike Morgan as the CoE shows off their new facility at the Rifle Garfield County Airport Tuesday.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9\">\n<p><strong>Garfeild County Commissioner Mike Samson talks with with CRFR Chief Randy Callahan and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Director Mike Morgan as the CoE shows off their new facility at the Rifle Garfield County Airport Tuesday.<\/strong><br \/>Kyle Mills \/ Citizen Telegram<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/CoETechnodrome-rct-101019-2.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Garfeild County Commissioner Mike Samson talks with with CRFR Chief Randy Callahan and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Director Mike Morgan as the CoE shows off their new facility at the Rifle Garfield County Airport Tuesday.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/CoETechnodrome-rct-101019-2-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/CoETechnodrome-rct-101019-2-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kyle Mills \/ Citizen Telegram | The Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced Techology Aerial Firefighting unveild the new Technodrome facility Tuesday at the Rifle Garfield County Airport. The 7,000-square-foot structure will be used for testing and evaluation of new technology and drone testing.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>The Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced Techology Aerial Firefighting unveild the new Technodrome facility Tuesday at the Rifle Garfield County Airport. The 7,000-square-foot structure will be used for testing and evaluation of new technology and drone testing.<\/strong><br \/>Kyle Mills \/ Citizen Telegram<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/CoETechnodrome-rct-101019-2-1.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"The Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced Techology Aerial Firefighting unveild the new Technodrome facility Tuesday at the Rifle Garfield County Airport. The 7,000-square-foot structure will be used for testing and evaluation of new technology and drone testing.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/CoETechnodrome-rct-101019-2-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/CoETechnodrome-rct-101019-2-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kyle Mills \/ Citizen Telegram | A variety of drones of different shapes, sizes, and uses were on display during Tuesday\u2019s event. The 7,000 square foot indoor structure will be instrumental in testing new drone technology to aid the public service sector.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>A variety of drones of different shapes, sizes, and uses were on display during Tuesday\u2019s event. The 7,000 square foot indoor structure will be instrumental in testing new drone technology to aid the public service sector.<\/strong><br \/>Kyle Mills \/ Citizen Telegram<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/CoETechnodrome-rct-101019-2-2.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"A variety of drones of different shapes, sizes, and uses were on display during Tuesday\u2019s event. The 7,000 square foot indoor structure will be instrumental in testing new drone technology to aid the public service sector.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/business-monday-new-indoor-facility-to-test-drones-opens-at-rifle-garfield-county-airport\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/business-monday-new-indoor-facility-to-test-drones-opens-at-rifle-garfield-county-airport\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">The sounds of drones on hand weren\u2019t the only buzz filling the new Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting (CoE) Technodrome last week at Rifle Garfield County Airport.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">More than 70 people had an up-close look Tuesday at the new 7,000-square-foot indoor facility that allows the center to safely test and evaluate different types of technology for public safety in an enclosed environment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Center of Excellence Director Ben Miller spoke of the bright future of the center as the afternoon sun lent the fabric-covered structure a glowing yellow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe big advantage of the facility is that we can test new things that aren\u2019t quite allowed or contemplated by the FFA because we are indoors,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe shut the doors and do all the flying we want to in here. We fly big drones that aren\u2019t allowed outside yet, which exceed the current rules, and if we are successful in here, it shows promise and momentum to approach the FAA.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The $331,450 facility was approved by the Garfield Board of County Commissioners in the spring and constructed by Kuersten Construction LLC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Technodrome was filled with city, county and state public officials including Garfield Board of County Commissioners John Martin, Mike Samson and Tom Jankovsky.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Also on hand were Colorado Department of Public Safety Executive Director Stan Hilkey, and Division of Fire Prevention and Control Director Mike Morgan, the former chief of Colorado River Fire Rescue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWhen the decision was made to build the Center of Excellence at the airport I was the local fire chief, working with the city and commissioners to try and convince the state this was the right place to put the center,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cTo be here today and see it moving forward really brings a smile to my face.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The center is currently working on a handful of projects including aerial application of water enhancer studies, unmanned aerial systems, unmanned aerial systems detection, geospatial mapping and more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe drone piece is one of our major projects. We manage all drone operations for the entire Colorado Department of Public Safety. This process began as an internal certification process where we take our staff within Colorado Department of Public Safety to that next level beyond just the FAA certificate,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Located at the Rifle Garfield County Airport, the Center of Excellence employs eight staff members. Employees include firefighters, PhD electrical engineers and attorneys.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Miller said it is a dynamic team, with the ability to look at a lot of stuff and go very in-depth into new technology.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAt the Center of Excellence, we are looking at advanced technologies in public safety. We have a lot of projects, looking at what\u2019s next. We\u2019re looking to track public safety members in the field \u2014 firefighters, police officers and etc. \u2014 to provide them real-time geospatial information about who\u2019s where, what team are they on, and what\u2019s their mission,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe can relate critical things to them, and move it around the incident in real-time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Garrett Seddon, Unmanned Systems Project Manager, reiterated why the work done at the facility in south Rifle is so important.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAfter the wake of the fires of 2014, their destructive nature, the state government wanted to look at the way we do firefighting. One of those was aerial firefighting and they wanted to put in place a detection for fires to prevent devastating fires,\u201d Seddon said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The center looks at advanced technologies and gets it into the hands of public safety officials or practitioners on the ground, so they can use these tools to make life-saving decisions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">With the new Technodrome, the Center of Excellence has a multiuse facility at its disposal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cOur main focus is on public-service agencies. We are here if the general public ever has any questions. We can help them answer those questions,\u201d Seddon said. \u201cBut our training efforts and initiatives are all focused toward public safety agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:kmills@postindependent.com\">kmills@postindependent.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/business-monday-new-indoor-facility-to-test-drones-opens-at-rifle-garfield-county-airport\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Garfeild County Commissioner Mike Samson talks with with CRFR Chief Randy Callahan and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control Director Mike Morgan as the CoE shows off their new facility at the Rifle Garfield County Airport Tuesday.Kyle Mills \/ Citizen Telegram The Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced Techology Aerial Firefighting unveild the new [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2449826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 15:32:19","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2449826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2449826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2449826\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2449826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2449826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2449826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}