UINTA COUNTY — “On horseback, you can see above the ground,” said Uinta County Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Hutchinson —  who is also the Director of Special Operations and a mounted officer — during a multi-agency drone exercise and training held on Friday, Nov. 22.

But not all situations are ideal for mounted officers; oftentimes other tools are required. While the local drone program is under the supervision of Sheriff Andy Kopp, Hutchinson has begun offering training to promote the familiarity and implementation of drone use. Four neighboring landowners, in addition to Hutchinson’s family, donated 6 square miles of land for the exercise.

“We started researching our drone program the fall of 2020 and working with Summit County, Utah, in 2021,” Hutchinson told the Herald. “We purchased our first departmental drone 2022. I was sent to learn about Summit County’s program and see if it was feasible [here]. Working with the sheriff and Uinta County Commissioners, we have been able to develop this program.”

Drones, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), have been increasingly used by law enforcement agencies nationwide for a variety of needs such as traffic collision reconstruction, pre-tactical/SWAT operations reconnaissance, hostage situations, support and safety during K-9 operations, forensic investigations and search and rescue missions. 

It was the second training exercise of its kind in Uinta County — interest in the event has quadrupled since its first one in 2022.

“We have 31 drones today versus the seven we had initially,” Hutchinson said of the burgeoning participation from 10 local and surrounding agencies.

This year’s effort welcomed members from the Uinta County Sheriff’s Office (UCSO), Uinta County Search and Rescue (SAR), Evanston Police Department (EPD), Evanston Fire Department (EFD) Chief Rustin Wagstaff, the Sheriff’s offices in Lincoln, Sweetwater and Summit (Utah) counties, the Utah Department of Natural Resources and drone-developers Rocky Mountain Unmanned Systems (RMUS) from Centerville, Utah.

Bear River State Park Ranger Andy McMahon said he attended the training because he was interested it utilizing the resource to monitor the park’s trails and wildlife.

Each drone can cost as much as $18,000, and technology capabilities and federal compliance guidelines are ever-evolving. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which limited the day’s activities to at or below 400 feet above ground level (AGL), also requires Part 107 pilot licenses.

Obtaining a license requires coursework, testing and re-certification every two years.

“We want them to get educated and more comfortable with the use of drones in the field,” Hutchinson said.

The first exercise of the day was a simulated search and rescue operation, with the backstory of a lost hunter. Such drone operations typically require at least two personnel — a pilot and an observer. There were decoys and distractions for each of the groups to sort through as they searched for the designated lost party. 

Participants broke into three groups based on experience and drone capabilities. The general consensus was that it’s faster and more efficient than searching on foot, but piloting does require a deft hand. Drawbacks included the often-loud noise emitted by the drones and confusion with direction at times. 

“I think we will see more use of drones, especially in the search and rescue efforts,” Hutchinson said. “The versatility, and ability to carry them into the search area, getting a ‘birds eye view’ is very helpful. It most likely will never be able to fully replace the use of helicopters for rescue but does expedite efforts in locating an individual and getting help to them.”

During a working lunch, the agencies viewed a drone video of a home raid conducted by Lt. Chad Hoffmeyer from Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

“I truly believe it’s keeping people safer,” Hoffmeyer said. “[We] don’t have to be in harm’s way to get intel if someone is hiding out.”

RMUS also presented current National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliant and upcoming drone technologies, such as light detection and ranging (LIDAR), offered by their outfit. Based in Centerville, Utah, they also offer the required pilot training — both single-day in-person and virtual options.

The second exercise offered several teams of two to three participants of varying expertise levels a competitive opportunity to locate a “suspect” using a drone inside the Hutchinsons’ barn, filled with a variety of parked ranching vehicles, mimicking a high-risk entry scenario. 

“[As far as] criminal activity, it reduces the risk to officers in those high-risk situations,” Hutchinson said. “They are very valuable.”

“It’s been a really fun day, really informative and helpful getting to know other agencies,” said SAR volunteer Kim Babcock, who has been a volunteer for two to three years and recently acquired her drone pilot license.

“Sheriff Kopp has been really generous and helpful and very involved getting us these drones and training,” Babcock said.

“I’m very happy about the turnout  from so many different agencies,” Hutchinson said. “The pilots showed great communication with each other and problem solving from the training.”