As we approach National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, The Mountain-Ear wants to ensure our readers know about the positive actions our law enforcement performs. The following is taken from a report presented by the Nederland Police Department:

Late November and early December saw three heart attacks and unattended deaths. This does not include the events at the Eldora Ski Area. Between Nederland Police, Nederland Fire, Sugar Loaf Fire, and Boulder Sheriff, they responded to three deaths that were either apparent heart attacks or otherwise unattended deaths. All three calls came out in a four-hour time span.

For one of those heart attacks, Officer Gerthe was second on scene, and assisted with CPR compressions along with other logistics. He played a key role on this call. This was referenced in a letter from Chief Schmidtman with Nederland Fire. This patient survived and was transported to Boulder Community Hospital.

On another heart attack call, Nederland Fire worked on the patient for an extended period of time. I personally want to recognize the following staff from the Nederland Fire Department: Ken, Lyndsey, George, Charlie, Ian, Mandy, and Jamie, who worked on the patient for 45 minutes. Unfortunately, despite their exhaustive work under difficult circumstances, they were not able to save the patient. Jamie was instrumental in tending to the patient’s wife, who was completely traumatized by the entire event. He did an amazing job with her.

The final medical call was also a woman having a heart attack. Her residence was very difficult to find off Ridge Rd. The Nederland officer recognized that this location would be hard for ambulance staff to find, and went to the scene without being prompted. He provided valuable information and direction to the incoming ambulance as to the location, saving several minutes of response time. In addition, the officer made a phone call to the patient’s friend letting them know what was going on.

From Nederland Fire Department Acting Chief Charlie Schmidtmann:

Chief Johns:

I’d like to take this time to send an official thank you, to your officer Eric Gerthe. On 12/04/21 at approximately 1800 hours Nederland Fire was dispatched to a cardiac arrest on Timberline Drive. I was the first on scene and Officer Gerthe was soon the second to arrive. Eric was quick to assist me in beginning CPR and continued until more responders arrived on scene.

Once responders took over care, Eric stepped back and began documenting for us. This documentation helped us keep track of all of our procedures and medications. As the call progressed, we were able to get pulses back, spontaneous breathing and hand movement from the patient.

In the end we transported the patient to BCH with AMR emergent. The last update I received, the patient was awake and following commands with her eyes. With Eric’s assistance and willingness to be part of our team he helped save a life.

I continue to be humbled by the people and agencies I get to work with.

With great appreciation and thanks,

Charlie Schmidtmann

Acting Chief

Officer Erich Gerthe attended a Radar/ Lidar class. The instructor sent the following:

Just wanted to reach out and say thanks for sending Officer Gerthe to our advanced Radar / Lidar course. He’ll be able to tell you more but I think he got a ton of great insight into running speed. There was obviously some learning since he was one of the only officers to score 100% on the tests!!

Erich also attended a 40 Crisis Intervention Training course (CIT). This week-long class is one of the more difficult trainings. Officers are put into scenarios with a group of actors. The actors are very good and play the role of people in crisis – anything from several mental health diagnoses, PTSD, or someone just experiencing a mental breakdown.

Nederland Officers worked with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to provide real-time updates on the injured mamma moose and her calf. Lots of extra patrols were done to avoid additional stress placed on the moose. We have an excellent relationship and direct contact with the local officer. Over the past week we have been in contact regarding the moose, the bull elk hit by a car, and a buck deer head that was found near the RTD lot.

In addition, CPW harvested thousands of Kokanee salmon eggs from the inlet of Barker Reservoir. This annual project continues to sustain the fishery and adds to the much-needed egg supply for other reservoirs.

Black Hawk Police

January 9, 2022, is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and we would like to thank the Black Hawk Police Department for its dedication to public safety. Day in and day out, the men and women of the department continue to make a difference to those they serve. Chief M. Moriarty stated, “I am proud of the Black Hawk Police Department and all who serve in this honorable profession. Thank you to all who have chosen to walk this path for a safer community. “

Thank you,

Michelle Moriarty

Chief of Police

Black Hawk Police Department

Gilpin County Sheriff

As we recognize January 9, 2022, as National Law enforcement Appreciation Day, I would be amiss by not recognizing all the dedication and efforts made by all the staff in the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office. We must include those behind the scenes that contribute to the success of the Sheriff’s Office. The men and women of the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office are an amazing team of individuals who care about the safety and security of our beautiful community. I am extremely proud of each member of the Sheriff’s Office and the commitment they have to meet our Core Values, Mission and Vision Statement. This is a very noble and honorable profession these public servants have embarked on. January 9, 2022, I celebrate and appreciate each of their commitment in keeping this profession honorable.

~Sheriff Kevin Armstrong

This past year, we’ve been deluged with negative stories about law enforcement. We know there’s more to our police and sheriffs than that. Here are some stories from the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office, sent by Public Information Officer Cherokee Blake:

On September 15, 2021, Sgt. Adami received information from Minnesota that a man wanted for domestic violence, assault, and menacing with a handgun was staying at the Coyote Motel. Minnesota advised that this man said he wanted to die “suicide by cop” and not be arrested. Sgt. Adami, Sgt. Jones, Deputy Collins, Deputy Schmucker, and CSP Trooper Brown came up with a tactical plan to take the male into custody, considering all safety concerns.

The man was also with a woman who was wanted on a felony warrant out of Arapahoe County. The couple were taken into custody after a highrisk felony traffic stop at the Coyote Motel. The execution of the plan worked perfectly, without any injuries to Law Enforcement or suspects. Each of the deputies, sergeants and troopers showed exceptional professionalism in not allowing this man to complete his threat of “suicide by cop.”

Excllent job!!

Marie Romero wrote: This was undoubtably one of the worse scenarios of my career: a single dispatcher on duty with multiple 911 medical calls and all of our ambulances in use.

I was overwhelmed and unable to effectively provide an emergency medical dispatch on the overdose call, due to the sheer volume of radio and phone traffic coming into the center.

I would first like to express my gratitude to trainee Chantel Collins, who was instrumental in calling around for ambulances and doing the scut work behind the scenes as well as staying at the console during a situation that would have sent a lesser person into hiding.

Thank you to Central City Fire Department for handling the three calls dropping in a very short amount of time in their jurisdiction, as well as ensuring the safety and transport of a victim to his residence. I am grateful to Timberline Fire Department and Deputy Collins for their professional and quick response. This call could have had a much different outcome. Gilpin Ambulance Autherity handled themselves in the professional manner we have all come accustomed to…. Thank you!

From SheriffArmstrong: I was listening and responding to assist with a chopper go for the overdose. Marie Romero did a fantastic job in a very difficult situation with multiple 911s and medical calls. She told me today her trainee, Chantel Collins, did an outstanding job helping in the background of these events.

Communications Specialist is a difficult job in “normal” circumstances, but when you have no ambulances in the county and none close that can assist us, trying to dispatch multiple medical calls, getting a medical helicopter dispatched, and all the radio traffic, this “normal” becomes overwhelming. Marie and Chantel stepped up and took care of Gilpin County in the most professional way they could.

Deputy Collins administering Narcan to the overdoe victim saved his life. He needed four doses of Narcan to save this person. Great job, Grant!

From Grant Collins: I just wanted to thank all parties involved during this call. The quick action by all undoubtedly saved the patient’s life. Marie was dealing with at least four to five medical calls in the span of 15 minutes, and I believe all medics were out of service on other calls as well. Timberline arrived on-scene very quickly and administered Narcan, which then allowed the patient to be revived.

Thank you, Sgt. Jones, for providing me with the Narcan less than 2 weeks ago.

Attempted Suicide: Deputy Sedlmayr stopped to check on a vehicle on the side of the road. The deputy contacted the driver, who was unresponsive. Several empty prescription bottles were found next to him. He was transported to hospital.

Communications Specialist Shandee Hartvigson received a call from a concerned person about her boyfriend. The boyfriend had told her that the smoke alarm/carbon monoxide alarm kept going off even after he had reset it, that he was sleepy and had a headache. Communications Specialist Hartvigson recognized that the man was in danger, dispatched resources to the address, and called the boyfriend and had him get out of the house.

According to firefighters on scene, there was a fatal amount of carbon monoxide in the home. The boyfriend later called Dispatch and thanked them for saving him.

Dispatch aired a CPR in progress call. It is my understanding that Deputy Bailey and Deputy Grant Collins arrived and performed CPR. They were able to resuscitate the victim, who was then transported to the hospital. Communications Specialist Hartvigson was also instrumental in this incident.

Deputy Collins took a report about a suicidal subject. The information was not very helpful, and a ping of the victim’s phone narrowed the area to a 11-kilometer area near Hughesville Road and Highway 119.

Undeterred, Deputy Collins continued to look in the area for the suicidal person. He found the victim in the 300 block of Dakota Ridge Road. The victim had run a hose from his exhaust into his car and sealed the car in an attempt to kill himself. Collins was not initially aware of what was wrong, and found the victim unconscious. He called for paramedics and removed the victim from the car.

Had Collins not been diligent in his search for the victim, had not acted quickly and decisively, this person would have been successful in his suicide attempt. Communications Specialist Hartvigson was also instrumental in this incident.

I received a letter from Sheriff Sauve of the Marinette County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin, thanking Investigator Jeff Collins for his assistance in a child pornography case that had been active since 2017. Investigator Collins located the suspect, interviewed him, and obtained a confession.

Deputy Sedlmayr was on his way to work and came upon a head-on collision on Highway 6 that had just occurred. An impaired driver almost struck a CSP Trooper (who was on another accident) before driving into the wrong lane, striking a car head-on. Deputy Sedlmayr placed the couple from the impacted car and their two dogs in his personal vehicle. He drove them to the Sheriff’s Office to arrange for a ride home.

Deputy Amie Collins made a reddi report on the errant vehicle and remained on scene of the accident to assist in traffic control and statements.

A great appreciation to Sergeant Wes Jones, Sergeant Keith Priest, Deputy Ghaith Hameed, Deputy David Rak, Deputy Wes Sedlmayr, Deputy Stephen Mathews, Communications Specialist Courtney Ray, and Communications Specialist Shandee Hartvigson for staying and sleeping at the Sheriff’s Office during the snowstorm so our citizens would not see any break in the services we provided them.

A resident sent an email complimenting Deputy Scott Bailey on taking a woman from a head-on collision to a safe place so she could get a ride home. She reported, “I was so cold, shivering and stressed out, and your demeanor calmed me down. You’re an exceptional officer.”

PIO Cherokee Blake: Today in our NOCO meeting the discussion was about a number of successes between public land managers and first responders. I wanted to relay the “Thank you, Cherokee Blake” from Eric Lane of Boulder County, which was echoed by others about how PIOs, including you, were essential in getting out a coordinated, common message about road closures and other responses the County and counties made quickly to forest closures.

“It made me think that at the time I was a member of the public who appreciated knowing this closure information to adjust my own recreation planning, but also feel a sense of safety knowing what actions the county made for public safety. Thanks, from many agencies for being the voice for our Gilpin information releases.”

On April 21 the entire 800 radio system went down in Colorado due to a State of Colorado update in the software. Communications Specialist Brianna Kennedy began dispatching over a handheld radio for Clear Creek County, Black Hawk, and Gilpin County. Then her dispatching console went down.

All this happened during a major car crash on Highway 119 with a multiple agency response, and a head-on collision on the Parkway. Brianna problem-solved this situation and was able to keep track of all the first responders and incidents in the county until the system came back online about four hours later. Amazing work done by Brianna Kennedy.

An inmate wrote: Sir, I would like to say thank you for running a department that embodies the morals, values, heart, respect, and honor that I believe the badge is meant to represent and for finding a way to maintain equity, dignity, and humanity on both sides of the badge. Thank you.

From the City of Boulder: Wished to express their gratitude to Cherokee Blake for her assistance as a PIO during the tragedy at the King Soopers in Boulder.

Dispatcher Courtney Ray received a medical call from a residence in the county. Courtney quickly determined that several of the residents thought it had been a good idea to come to the mountains and ingest wild mushrooms. Courtney provided information to first responders to keep them safe as well as reaching out to Poison Control immediately.

Communication Specialist Shandee Hartvigson received a 911 call from a very hysterical young woman. The poor connection from the cell phone made communication difficult. It was determined that the woman had hit an elk on the Parkway, causing significant damage to her vehicle.

Shandee was able to give her clear direction to keep her safe. Shandee was able to calmly talk to the female, getting her into a calmer state before deputies arrived. Deputy Joseph Armijo arrived on scene. His patient and gentle demeanor calmed the driver and gave her reassurance that she was safe.

The driver later stated that the deputy collected all the information he needed, but it felt like he was just talking to her, and he provided an ease which made the interaction comfortable. He remained extremely considerate of her emotions, and when the animal needed to be put down, he pulled her away and made all attempts to distract her. “Deputy Armijo exemplified compassion and upheld the mission of the Sheriff’s Office with great integrity and service.”

Communications Specialist Lily Neilson was commended for her work and assistance in the apprehension of a violent felon. She coordinated three deputies, Black Hawk Officers, and gaming officers with the movement of the felon. The conversations and detailed information came from two casinos’ surveillance teams. Her calm and attention to detail and officer safety was nothing but amazing. The felon was taken into custody without incident.

Deputy Bailey responded to a report of a ghost in a residence. He cleared the residence and assured the party everything was all right. The resident asked Deputy Bailey to take their trash out. He obliged the resident.

I’d like to express my appreciation to the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office and the entire department for 5 years of superior, 24 hour, 7 days a week, service to Central City! Our decision to “defund the police” and “fund” the Sheriff’s Office was a wise one! Thanks for all you do for our community.

Judy Laratta

Thank you does not seem like a big enough word for the women and men who serve their communities daily. Your willingness to protect, befriend and be positive role models to our youth is truly appreciated. I will pray for your strength , safety and wisdom and that society will respect you for the remarkable people that you are. Happy and blessed New Year to you and your families.

Dawn Kauffman

January 9th is Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. As a member of Timberline Fire Protection District for the past two decades, I have had the opportunity to work with the fine men and women from the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Department.

They are caring, professional, and hard working. They can be counted on 24/7, 365 days a year to answer and assist in any situation. We are truly blessed to have such law enforcement in our community. Their jobs are complicated and difficult. They continue to step up and serve.

Chip Smith

Volunteer fire fighter

Gilpin County resident