Inside La Plata County SAR's Drone Playbook

An interview on drone strategies and lessons learned from a Colorado-based Search and Rescue team

At Eagle Eyes Search, our products are shaped by the ideas of teams in the field. Talking with SAR teams gives us valuable insight into the realities of search and rescue operations, and how technology can make a real difference. We also believe there’s huge value in sharing these experiences and lessons learned across the SAR community.

Recently, we sat down with Josh Duttry, Director of IT and a leading member of the UAS team for La Plata County Search and Rescue (LPCSAR) in South West Colorado. Josh has seen drones, or Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), evolve from cautious trials to a trusted part of their operations. He shared practical insights on building a UAS program, working in challenging terrain, and using tools like Eagle Eyes to support the mission.

Starting up the Drone Program at La Plata County SAR

When Josh Duttry joined LPCSAR in 2018, the team didn’t have an official drone program. Launching one proved challenging in a county marked by contrasting attitudes.

Josh: “La Plata County reflects a wide range of perspectives, our rural areas tend to emphasize independence and privacy, while the city of Durango brings a more urban and tech-forward mindset. These diverse views initially raised important conversations about privacy and the appropriate use of drone technology in public safety.”.

Initially, LPCSAR relied on personal drones brought in by team members to see how useful they might be. Over time, trust and support grew, especially thanks to La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith, who gave the team the autonomy to integrate drones into their operations. “He supports everything Search and Rescue does,” Josh said. “Sheriff Smith has seen the results of LPCSAR’s consistent and professional approach, and his support has been instrumental in allowing us to innovate and expand our use of UAS technology in ways that directly enhance public safety and mission success.” Since the early years Sheriff Smith has assigned Deputy Henrik Krog as the Unmanned Ariel Systems Unit – Program Manager.

Funding, however, has remained a constant hurdle. As a fully volunteer-run organization with no steady budget, LPCSAR relies entirely on grants and community donations. Josh noted how they’re always transparent with supporters: “When we talk to donors, we tell them: ‘This amount will purchase this battery for said drone. Or if you donate this amount, that would provide an entire drone of this caliber, or an entire camera payload with thermal capabilities.’ People like knowing exactly what their support goes toward.”

Today, LPCSAR is working to expand its capabilities further through initiatives like the Recon for Rescue fundraising campaign. “We have a nice list of wants and goals,” Josh said, “and we’re trying to encourage our community as best we can to help support us in reaching those goals. Everything from advanced hardware and devices that can stay in the air longer and see things that other devices can’t, to just simply getting the training that we need under our belts. Every dollar donated to LPCSAR goes directly toward advancing public safety and strengthening our ability to assist those in need throughout the rugged backcountry we serve.”

How LPCSAR uses drones in field operations

La Plata County Search and Rescue handles around 50 to 60 missions each year, with call volume often spiking during avalanche season or hunting season. Advances like Apple’s satellite SOS have made it easier to resolve some incidents more quickly. “Cell phones and the ability to send emergency messages via satellite are a great addition to the toolbox,” Josh said. “In some cases, we’re able to make direct contact with lost individuals and guide them back to safety before launching a full field deployment.”

When missions require field deployment, drones have become a versatile tool. The team’s approach is systematic and data-driven:

• Searching for missing people

  Searching remains one of the drones’ core uses. LPCSAR often launches immediate reflex tasks for search missions, flying spiral or grid patterns outward from the Initial Planning Point (IPP). “Everything starts with the IPP,” Josh explained. “That might be the subject’s last known location, a clue, or the subject’s vehicle.” These quick aerial sweeps help identify clues faster, narrow down search areas, and save time and resources compared to ground searches alone.
  
  

• Revealing subtle terrain features using orthomosaics

  LPCSAR often uses drones in missions to build orthomosaics from captured drone photos. One striking example involved the discovery of human remains in a mountainous area. Although the remains were several years old, LPCSAR flew systematic patterns over the terrain and processed the imagery on a laptop right in the field. The resulting orthomosaics showed how snow and water flow had carried the remains downslope over time, vital information that guided further investigation and search efforts.
  
  

• Technical rescues

  Drones serve many roles beyond searching. They’ve become essential for technical rescue teams working in challenging terrain. Aerial imagery captured from multiple angles, and rendered in 3D, helps rope rescue specialists visualize routes, hazards, and escape paths that would otherwise stay hidden from ground-level views. Being able to rotate and examine a terrain model in real time improves risk assessment and planning significantly.
  
  

• Remote monitoring and communication

  Drones play a crucial role in observing situations safely from a distance. They can check on a subject’s condition without putting rescuers at risk, survey hazardous areas like swiftwater channels, and even broadcast messages using loudspeakers during missions. For example, LPCSAR uses drones to support their swiftwater team by flying downstream to spot potential dangers, such as an unexpected rafting group approaching, unaware of rescue operations. This aerial perspective helps keep both rescuers and the public safe.
  
  

Eagle Eyes Pilot highlights hikers on the controller display of an LPCSAR drone, based on their colour and movement.

Augmenting the human eye with Computer Vision

Early on in LPCSAR’s drone program, it became clear that simply putting a drone in the air doesn’t guarantee you’ll spot everything right away. “Without something like Eagle Eyes, it’s extremely difficult to recognize details live on the controller,” Josh said.

Eagle Eyes has become an integral part of LPCSAR’s incident command workflow. It’s often displayed on a large screen in their command center, enabling multiple team members to review footage and detections together, which puts extra eyes to good use, even those who might not have an immediate field task. “We’ve had Eagle Eyes running on a large screen in our incident command center. It allows those involved, but not deployed to the field, to monitor detections and review footage in real time. Many eyes lessen that load,” Josh noted.

While a team member flies the drone, another monitors the live video feed with Eagle Eyes Scan.

But the value is not just in the real-time aspect. “Our pilots are trained to understand that it’s not just about having an eye in the sky. It’s about collecting the data so we can analyze it afterward. You’re really in a data acquisition role rather than doing a direct visual search.” A perfect example came during a mission where LPCSAR assisted another county by running their drone footage through Eagle Eyes. By reviewing the collected data systematically, they were able to confirm that certain areas had already been thoroughly searched and didn’t need immediate re-checking. “We were able to process all the Eagle Eyes data and say, ‘We don’t see the need to immediately re-search those locations.’ That helped us allocate our teams more effectively and prioritize resources where they could have the most impact,” Josh explained.

Keeping drone operations safe and effective

Managing airspace adds a layer of complexity to LPCSAR’s drone operations. Deconfliction between drones, helicopters, and other aircraft is a constant concern in the mountainous terrain of Southwest Colorado. “If it’s as simple as having drones in the air and then getting through comms that a helicopter is coming into the area for their search pattern, then everyone lands,” Josh explained. But during larger incidents, dedicated aircraft managers are assigned to coordinate aerial movements and maintain safety across the skies.

And above it all looms the unpredictability of Colorado’s weather. Conditions can shift rapidly, from clear skies to gusts exceeding 30 or 40 miles per hour. “The weather can change at any moment,” Josh noted. “It can go from crystal clear and still to gusts 30-40 plus miles an hour easily.” The region’s high elevations mean thinner air, which significantly affects drone performance and limits how effectively lighter, more portable drones can be used. These environmental factors demand careful planning and quick adaptation from LPCSAR’s drone team every time they deploy.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are crucial for search and rescue teams like LPCSAR, especially when working in complex environments and coordinating with multiple agencies. But as Josh pointed out, “There’s no golden bullet for creating SOPs.” Developing effective SOPs is a process of drafting, revising, and learning from real-world missions. It’s critical to involve the people who work directly in the field to ensure that procedures are practical and safe. For LPCSAR, these evolving guidelines are what enable the team to expand operations safely and integrate seamlessly with partner organizations during major incidents. “These SOPs don’t just help us fly safely, they protect the public, our searchers, and any nearby recreationalists.”

Eagle Eyes Scan's color detection identifies ground crews and equipment from a prerecorded video file viewed on a laptop.

Drones vs. helicopters: Picking the right tool

La Plata County has a unique resource: one of their team members owns a personal helicopter, which they’ve adapted for SAR use. “We developed mounts in-house and run multiple cameras, one forward-facing, one looking straight down, and we’ve got someone in the back seat staring at a laptop running multiple instances of Eagle Eyes,” Josh said. This configuration allows LPCSAR to collect high-resolution aerial footage across wide areas and at high speeds, which can be reviewed with Eagle Eyes both in flight and for post-flight analysis. It’s an ideal setup for covering expansive terrain quickly and leveraging computer vision tools to detect key features or clues that might otherwise be overlooked in the moment.

For LPCSAR, choosing between drones and helicopters is all about using the right tool for the mission, balancing effectiveness, safety, and operational risk.

Small drones offer a big advantage in rugged terrain. They’re portable enough to be carried into remote or hazardous areas where sending people would be too risky. As Josh explained, “You can search low and slow with a drone and hover in spots where helicopters simply can’t safely operate.” Drones are also far less costly to replace or operate, which adds to their value as frontline tools in both high-risk and resource-limited environments. Whereas helicopters require highly trained pilots, introduce significant safety considerations, and carry major financial overhead, drones allow teams to act quickly and efficiently without exposing responders to danger.

Helicopters, on the other hand, excel at speed and covering large areas, especially in forested regions with gradual elevation changes. But they come with higher risks and costs. As Josh put it, “With helicopters, there’s what’s considered the height-velocity curve - also commonly referred to as the HV or ‘dead man’s curve’ - where you’re at a fast enough speed and high enough altitude that you’re in a safer operation area. Everything we do with drones is generally inside the danger zone of that HV curve.”

Ultimately, the team sees helicopters and drones as complementary tools. “They’re different tools, a sledgehammer versus a ballpeen hammer. They both do their own thing and they do those things well. It’s just about choosing the right tool for the right job.”

Advice for Other SAR Teams

When we asked Josh what advice he’d give to other SAR teams looking to build or expand their drone programs, he shared several practical lessons from his own experience:

• Start small and train often

  Josh recommends beginning with modest equipment and focusing on training as many team members as possible. “It’s better to have multiple devices and multiple team members practicing and getting hands-on experience, rather than one expensive drone that everyone’s afraid to use.” Smaller, less costly drones help teams build confidence and skills without the fear of damaging high-end gear. “When lives are on the line, even modest drone capabilities can make a difference. What matters most is using them consistently and safely.”
  
  

• Integrate drones into all SAR operations

  While drones are often part of a separate and specialist unit/team, Josh emphasizes weaving UAS into every facet of SAR work, from locating missing persons to evaluating terrain or checking on a subject’s condition safely. “UAS don’t have to be solely for searches. They can give you perspectives you can’t get from the ground, or even communicate through loudspeakers.”
  
  

• Prioritize communication

  Effective communication is critical for safe and successful operations. Josh stresses the importance of both pre-mission briefings and thorough debriefings afterward. “When teams come back, it should be a two-way conversation where search management understands what was done, and the drone team shares their perspective on how the real world looked versus how it might appear on a map.”
  
  

Where innovation needs to go next

When we asked Josh how technology is changing SAR operations, he didn’t hesitate to point to the impact of new technology.

Like most other North-American SAR teams, CalTopo has become a vital tool for LPCSAR. “We use CalTopo for clue management, so we can load in photos, keep track of exactly where they were taken, and make sure everyone’s on the same page,” Josh said. “It’s great for mutual aid because everyone out in the field can see the same information, right on their phones. A huge step is seeing tools like Eagle Eyes integrate with CalTopo. It’s all about understanding and tracking our resources, our team members, our tools in the air and being able to see that in real time.”

Another big shift is the rise of reliable satellite connectivity. “Starlink is really changing the game for us,” Josh said. “Now we can share maps, video, and mission data in real time, even far from civilization. Drone technology is advancing rapidly, and connectivity is a huge part of what makes it all work.”

Josh sees several key areas where technology should go to further transform drone use in SAR:

• Automation

  Automating flight patterns and detection tasks, whether spotting visual clues, movement, thermal signals, or specific objects, will help reduce fatigue for drone operators and make searches more thorough and efficient.
  
  

• Better batteries

  Longer-lasting batteries would allow drones to stay airborne longer, extending the reach and duration of missions without frequent battery changes, which is vital for covering large or rugged terrain.
  
  

• Combining cameras and signals

  Blending sensors like multispectral cameras and lidar with radio tools to detect signals from devices a missing person might carry, such as Bluetooth, could help pinpoint people faster, even in dense forests or rugged landscapes.
  
  

Josh reminded us not to lose sight of the human side of SAR. “At the end of the day, sometimes the best tool is still a person in the field in jeans and a T-shirt with a water bottle and a radio,” he joked. It’s a good reminder that even as drones, AI, and other tech continue to evolve, the heart of search and rescue remains the people who show up, ready to help. “SAR will always be about people helping people. The technology should serve that mission, not replace it.”

Connect with LPCSAR

Josh values connecting with other teams and exchanging lessons learned. He welcomes SAR teams, both in Colorado and elsewhere, to reach out.

Check out more of LPCSAR’s SAR Tech & UAS insights, or feel free to email Josh to keep the conversation going.

Photos: La Plata County SAR

24 July 2025, by Joep Maas