Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting

CoE Director, Benjamin Miller, recently had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be the keynote speaker for the 2025 Ethics in Engineering Case Competition hosted by Lockheed Martin in Washington, D.C. In this competition, academic institutions are represented by two-student undergraduate teams accompanied by faculty. They present their solutions to a fictional case involving ethical, business, and engineering dilemmas. This year's ethics case focused on wildfires, a topic that the CoE is passionate about. During his presentation, Miller motivated students by sharing his successes and failures from over 25 years in public safety. He highlighted the importance of innovative thinking and daring to be the person who can make a difference in the world. Thank you to Lockheed Martin for inviting us! ?? To watch the recap video of the 2025 Ethics in Engineering Case Competition, click here: https://lnkd.in/g_GnJjiB

At the CoE, UAS in public safety, is one of our key focus areas. Few moved the needle as much as Romeo Durscher in the space. His contributions to humanity through the use of UAS in Public Safety can not be understated and we are saddened to hear the news of his passing. Rest easy Romeo and thank you for your commitment to modernizing public safety.

Happy Employee Appreciation Day to our team of needle movers! ?? At the Center of Excellence, we're so grateful to have such a passionate and dedicated group of people. Your creativity and forward-thinking ideas help us make a real difference in public safety, enhancing the lives of Colorado's emergency responders and the communities they serve. Thank you for all your hard work! #WeAreDFPC #CoE #COTAK

We're so proud to be a part of the DFPC family. ?? #WeAreDFPC

We are excited to welcome Anthony (Tony) Somogyi to the Center of Excellence (CoE) team! Tony will be joining us as the CoE #Aviation Projects Manager and brings a wealth of #experience. He retired from the US Army in 2019 after 20 years of dedicated #service, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His last 12 years were spent at the High-altitude Army Aviation Training Site (HAATS), and he also served for five years as a Helicopter EMS Pilot with CareFlight of the Rockies. Tony is enthusiastic about leveraging his #experience and #skills in innovative ways to assist #Colorado emergency responders across all public safety disciplines. Outside of work, Tony enjoys the great #outdoors. His favorite activities include hiking, #camping, fishing, hunting, and #paddle boarding. "I've been told I have too many hobbies at home, but my favorites are woodworking, gardening, tinkering in the garage, and learning new things," Tony shared. Welcome aboard, Tony!

Meet David Mahan, the new Colorado Team Awareness Kit (COTAK) Liaison for the Center of Excellence (CoE). In this role, David will support #agencies across the state in implementing and utilizing #COTAK. As a former #emergency responder, David is eager to introduce #COTAK to Colorado's public #safety agencies because he understands its added protection and situational #awareness. Before joining the CoE, David worked as the Quality Assurance/Training Tech at Jeffcom 911. Before that, he spent 28 years at the Buffalo Grove Fire Department in Illinois, where he retired as a Fire Lieutenant/Paramedic. Additionally, David is a Certified Protocol Instructor teaching the EMD/EFD protocol #certification courses for The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch/Priority Dispatch since 2014. In his role as a COTAK Liaison, David will #collaborate closely with field users to ensure they feel #comfortable using the program. "It's exciting that this tool is not limited to fireground operations; it has proven to be an invaluable #asset for all of public #safety," David said. In his free time, David enjoys keeping up with his sons, Max (9) and Owen (7). His family stays active through local sports leagues, and he loves playing outdoors, often in the dirt. They also enjoy camping, skiing, and hiking. David and his family share their home with a boxer dog named Ella and a cat named Frankie, who coexist happily together. Welcome aboard, David!

Please join us in #welcoming Lizzy Depew to the #CoE team! Lizzy will serve as a #COTAK Liaison. In this role, she will #demonstrate COTAK capabilities to interested #agencies, assist with #onboarding new users, create #training resources, and #support COTAK users. Lizzy has spent five #seasons working with the Forest Service as part of trail, snow ranger, and #fire crews. She earned her master's in #recreation resource management from Utah State University. Before joining the #CoE, she worked as an outdoor #program coordinator at Colorado Mesa University, managing logistics and safety training for various outdoor trips. Additionally, Lizzy has been an instructor for Wilderness First Responder courses through Desert Mountain Medicine since 2022 and has been a Mesa County Search & Rescue member since 2023. In her free time, Lizzy enjoys rock #climbing, backpacking, #skiing, chainsaw carving (yes - chainsaw carving!), and reading. Welcome aboard, Lizzy!

Last week, the Colorado Team Awareness Kit (#COTAK) team held a strategic planning meeting in the beautiful town of Salida. During this meeting, we focused on #strategizing, #developing, and #planning for the future of #COTAK to better support #emergency responders in Colorado. You may also notice some new faces as our team has expanded. You'll have the chance to meet these individuals soon, but this meeting provided a great opportunity for fun team-building activities. We are excited to see what the future holds for COTAK and our agency #members!

Please join us in #welcoming Bryce Boyer to the #CoE team. Bryce will serve as a #COTAK Support Liaison and brings extensive experience in public #safety, specifically the #fire service. As a second-generation #firefighter and a #Colorado native, Bryce has been involved in the #emergency responder industry for most of his life, both as a volunteer and a #career member. In 2017, he attended the Colorado Emergency Management Academy, leading to his role as a core Pueblo County Emergency Operations Center member. Bryce holds an associate degree in fire #science and multiple industry-related #certifications. In his free time, Bryce enjoys spending time with his #family and pets, as well as pursuing a variety of #hobbies. These include spoiling his grandchildren, managing a small farm, participating in amateur #radio, and enjoying tabletop #games with friends. Welcome to the team, Bryce!

We are incredibly grateful for our #COTAK agencies. Thank you to Chris Enright and the GOLDEN GATE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT for being a part of the #COTAK program. Check out how COTAK enhances #firefighter safety, situational #awareness, and team #coordination! ??