Moffat Tunnel lease approved; Gilpin officials continue pressure for train stop in Rollinsville

High-tech wildﬁre sensors help detecting ﬁres

The almost-constant threat of

wildfires looms heavily around mostly

forested Gilpin County. This summer,

however, county officials and other or-

ganizations will take another significant

step to help give them a faster alert if a

potential wildfire should begin.

Gilpin County Undersheriff Greg

Demo, representing the Gilpin County

Office of Emergency Management, met

with representatives from United Power,

the N5 Sensor company, and the Urban

Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant

program last week to initiate the first

phase of installing 100 additional N5

wildfire detection sensors throughout

the county over the next three months.

In March 2022, former Gilpin OEM

Nathan Whittington collaborated with

United Power to purchase and install the

county’s first five N5 Sensors on utility

poles at various locations.

The N5 Sensors, which have gained

popularity across the country since then,

utilize Artificial Intelligence to detect

heat signatures, smoke particulates, and

volatile organic compounds, providing

real-time alerts to emergency respond-

ers, even in sections of 150-square-mile

Gilpin County where no cell service is

available.

The N5 Shield sensors, developed

by a Rockville, Maryland startup tech

company, are small box-sized modules.

The units are operated with specialized

batteries, and some have attached solar

panels for power. Each sensor can de-

tect heat or fires up to a few miles away.

Whittington obtained Gilpin’s first

UASI grant, funded by the Federal

Emergency Management Agency, for

the initial sensors before he departed

Gilpin County in November 2023.

When Whittington unveiled the

county’s first N5 Sensors, he said, “Our

hope is to get to a fire before it becomes

a wildfire. That’s what we’re ultimately

trying to do. This program is getting

national attention now. The big thing

is this: we’ve gotten so good at chasing

wildfires, and we never really took the

time to figure out how we can get ahead

of a wildfire. We’ve always been waiting

to see the black smoke in the air so we

can say we have a fire. What if we can

pick it up from its initial combustible

material and get to it when it’s

only an eighth of an acre or a

tenth of an acre – not when it’s

four or five acres and growing.”

The destructive Marshall

Fire in nearby Boulder County

in December 2021 was one of

the motivating reasons Whit-

tington began exploring new

possibilities for early wildfire

prevention. More than 1,000

homes and businesses were

destroyed, while thousands of

others sustained damage as

a result of the Marshall Fire,

which led to the deaths of two

people and caused over $600

million in damages.

In addition, Whittington

obtained a grant to purchase a

DJI-brand Matrice 30-T drone

in 2022 to help search and

rescue operations and detect

potential wildfires from the

air. The drone has four cam-

eras, including a heat-seeking

thermal lens, which firefight-

ers deploy to quickly reach

potential small fires and assess

situations where emergency

personnel may be needed.

In a statement last week, Gil-

pin County Sheriff Kevin Arm-

strong said the 100 additional

new sensors are expected to be

“strategically placed” throughout the

county before Aug. 1. The sheriff’s office

thanked United Power employees for

installing the sensors on its utility poles

to help bolster early wildfire detection

and community safety.

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Gilpin County N5 Fire Technology Explained

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N5 Sensor technology explained

planned for deployment in Gil-

pin County this summer are

the result of years of research

by the N5 Sensor Company in

Rockville, MD.

So, what exactly is an N5

sensor?

It’s a durable device that

costs about the same as a com-

puter or high-end cellphone

and can withstand the quick

weather-and-temperature

changes frequently experi-

enced in Gilpin County.

Each sensor unit contains

a battery and can receive ad-

ditional power from a small,

attached solar panel. The

lithium-ion battery inside each

unit can run for weeks inde-

pendently if it isn’t connected

to a solar panel. The sensor

detects heat, particulates and

gas. If a signiﬁcant change

in readings occur, computer

algorithms determine if a ﬁre

has started and alerts local

authorities. The sensors do

not contain cameras or record

live video, so they cannot spy

on people or their properties.

The N5 prototype modules

that will be used by Gilpin

County are called Chem-

Nodes, which are multi-mod-

ular sensors that collect

data and send them to the

internet-technology cloud.

Advanced algorithms in each

module continuously monitor

and detect changes in air qual-

ity and heat. When signiﬁcant

changes are detected, alerts

are sent to the company and

designated Gilpin County au-

thorities. A similar test of N5

technology also will occur in

California this year.

The N5 units transmit

small data signals, called

LTE. According to N5 Sensor

Chief Revenue Oﬃcer Debra

Deininger, “It uses LTE and

we’ve optimized it so it can

work in places where your

cellphone can’t make a call.”

The sensors do not rely on

cellphone signals because – in

many parts of Gilpin Coun-

ty – there are no cellphone

towers and mobile phone

signals are weak or nonexis-

tent. Gilpin is working with

United Power to determine

if the company will allow

some of the N5 to be placed

near the top of its utility

poles around the county. It

is possible the sensors will

be disguised with camou-

ﬂage, with the hope that no

one disturbs or shoots at

them.

The N5 sensor data is

transmitted into the (inter-

net) cloud, which analyzes

the data. The information

triggers a text alert that is

transmitted to county oﬃ-

cials almost instantly. “This

is a ﬁrst in Colorado,” ac-

cording to Deininger.

months, Gilpin County

Emergency Manager Na-

than Whittington and coun-

ty staﬀ will move around

the N5 sensors to various

locations for a short while, so

they can determine the best

data settings for the devices.

That test run will include

taking the sensors to places

where residents plan to con-

duct pile burns on their prop-

erty. “That way, we can set

the database for what a burn

signature should look like and

what gasses we should expect.

By doing that, the algorithm

can start changing the variant

so that we’re not picking up

something every time some-

one lights up their boiler on

Five engineers from N5

Sensors visited Gilpin County

and tested the devices, assur-

ing their data signals can be

transmitted from various parts

of the county. Whittington

said the initial test sites in-

cluded Green Valley Ranch,

Tolland, Missouri Gulch and

Elk Park Road.

Whittington is hoping that

people who see one of the sen-

sors will stay away from it. If

someone tampers with an N5,

it will go oﬀline – a situation

that will immediately be trans-

mitted to the county. “The

goal is for people to know that

these are a critical resource

that could potentially save

their lives. We hope they will

Deininger, who attended

the Gilpin County press con-

ference last week, said the N5

can detect a ﬁre “from up to

half-mile or mile away.” She

noted it can detect something

as small as a campﬁre but

wouldn’t send an alert unless

the ﬁre became much larger.

For example, if campers left

their ﬁre unattended and it

suddenly ﬂared up, the sensor

would report the change. “In

that case, we would send an

alert,” she said.

According to the company,

“Gilpin OEM and Fire depart-

ments will have 24/7 access

to a dashboard and real-time

alerts that will help them un-

derstand and manage threats

from ﬁre. This information al-

lows ﬁrst responders to detect

and quickly deploy resources

to control ﬁre, protecting lives

and infrastructure.”

N5 was founded in 2012

by Absishek Motayed as a

spin-oﬀ from the University

of Maryland. Last year, the

Department of Homeland Se-

curity awarded the company a

$6 million research grant. N5

Sensors previously received

$1 million in venture-capital

funding. The company has two

U.S. patents for highly-selec-

tive nanostructure sensors and

methods of detecting target

analytes (a substance whose

chemical constituents are be-

ing identiﬁed and measured).

The N5 sensors will be used to quickly alert Gilpin County oﬃcials of ﬁres.

N5 sensors can detect heat signatures or smoke

particulates, or volatile organic compounds using

artificial intelligence and notify authorities before

a fire becomes an out of control wildfire.

2016. He later served as a senior investi-

gator for the State of Arizona.

With the arrival of Mingura, county

leaders hope to end the revolving-

door situation at the OEM office that

has persisted over the past two years.

Longtime OEM Nathan Whittington

held the position for five years and de-

veloped several key programs for the

county. His successor, Melissa Lewis,

resigned after eight months, leav-

ing the county without an OEM since

October 2024.

Whittington was considered in-

strumental in improving Gilpin’s

emergency plans. He led the county’s

emergency response efforts after the

COVID-19 pandemic arrived in March

2020. He worked for over two years to

secure masks, test kits, and other sup-

plies for Gilpin County.

After the Marshall Fire in Boulder

County in December 2021, Whitting-

ton organized a trip to the affected

community of Superior for Gilpin’s

commissioners and senior staff

members. They learned how Boulder

responded to the devastating blaze

and spoke with federal and state offi-

cials on-site to learn what Gilpin could

do to prepare for a similar disaster,

should one occur.

Whittington also led Gilpin in

purchasing and installing N5 Sensor

devices throughout the county to en-

hance a wildfire alert warning system.

(see related story).

However, in November 2023, Whit-

tington resigned to become head of

the significantly larger OEM program

in neighboring Jefferson County. In

February 2024, Gilpin hired former

Clear Creek County OEM Lewis to fill

the position. Lewis assisted the county

after a six-foot snowfall impacted

Gilpin in March 2024 and later helped

update its Community Wildfire Pro-

tection Program last summer.

After eight months, Lewis left Gilpin

to take a position with the Federal

Emergency Management Administra-

tion’s Incident Management Assis-

tance Teams.

stopped with Mingura

• May 12 – Horseshoe. Oﬃcers stood by during Divi-

sion of Gaming trespass.

• May 15 – Central City Parkway. Oﬃcers assisted

Gilpin SO, Clear Creek, Idaho Springs PD, and Division

of Gaming in locating suspects with felony warrants.

Controlled Substance

• May 12 – Monarch. Small amount of cocaine found

in stolen wallet. Drugs seized.

• May 15 – Lodge. Red truck struck stop sign near

Dakota Lot and left scene.

• May 17 – Monarch. Damaged property reported.

Restitution paid.

Domestic Violence / Harassment

• May 17 – Ameristar. Male arrested in garage for

violating protection order and domestic violence

harassment.

• May 18 – Ameristar. Female arrested after oﬃcers

witnessed altercation in parking garage.

• May 18 – Ameristar. Male and female arrested after

physical altercation. Both transported to jail.

Found or Lost Property

• May 13 – PD lobby. Miscellaneous ammo turned in

from forest. Logged for destruction.

• May 13 – Bally’s North. Lost ID re-

ported. Not located on surveillance.

• May 14 – Ameristar. Party re-

ported loss of collectible silver bills.

Investigation ongoing.

• May 12 – Bally’s North. Credit card

fraud from February reported. Under

investigation.

Mental Health / Welfare Checks

• May 13 – Miners Mesa & Main.

Suicidal party placed on M-1 hold.

• May 15 – Ameristar. Welfare

check on party in garage. No further

action.

• May 16 – Hidden Treasure. Male

and female contacted in truck.

Advised to leave.

• May 16 – Ameristar. Sleeping

subject located. No further action.

• May 17 – Hwy 119 & Main. Injured

male located and transported.

• May 18 – Ameristar. Oﬃcers

responded to possible drugging.

Investigation ongoing.

• May 18 – Ameristar. Oﬃcers con-

ducted walk-through and observed

domestic dispute.

• May 15 – Monarch. Suspect def-

ecated and lay on sidewalk. Penalty

issued. Transported to hospital.

• May 15 – Monarch. Counterfeit

bills investigated. Bills con/f_iscated.

• May 18 – Horseshoe. Victim

claimed to be drugged. Transported.

Investigation pending.

Obstruction / Court Violations

• May 16 – Monarch. Suspect ar-

rested for theft, disorderly conduct,

and violation of court order.

• May 18 – Ameristar. Two parties

arrested following altercation. Charges include resist-

ing and obstructing court order.

• May 14 – Rim Rock. Male sleeping in vehicle.

Welfare check conducted.

• May 15 – Rim Rock. Suspicious vehicle contacted.

Male asked to leave.

• May 12 – Monarch. Wallet with cash stolen and drugs

recovered. Wallet returned; suspect not identi/f_ied.

• May 16 – Monarch. Stolen property recovered.

Suspect arrested and booked.

• May 18 – Dakota Lot. Property stolen. Two sus-

pects located in Central City. Summonses issued and

property recovered.

• May 18 – Monarch. Theft reported. Report taken.

Traﬃc (Criminal Violation)

• May 12 – Traﬃc stop at 400 block of Main Street for

no headlamps. Driver received a verbal warning.

• May 12 – Traﬃc stop at 6100 Hwy 119 for no tail-

lamps. Driver received a verbal warning.

• May 12 – REDDI report initiated from Ameristar.

Driver was not impaired and was issued a warning

near Hidden Treasure Trailhead.

• May 14 – Traﬃc stop on Miners Mesa Road for

expired plate over a year. Driver was issued a penalty

assessment.

• May 14 – Stop at Hwy 119, Mile Marker 6 for

expired plate. Driver’s license was revoked. Driver

received summons and was advised not to drive.

• May 14 – Stop at Hwy 119, Mile Marker 6 for no

expiration stickers. Driver received verbal warning.

• May 14 – Stop at Hwy 119, Mile Marker 6 for no

license plate. Oﬃcer assisted in reattaching plate.

• May 15 – Stop at Hwy 119 and Main Street for ex-

pired plates (11/24) and illegal turn. Driver received

penalty assessment.

• May 15 – Stop at Hwy 119, MM 6 for expired plates

(06/24). Driver received penalty assessment.

• May 15 – Stop at Monarch for expired plate. Driver

received Gilpin County summons.

• May 15 – Stop at Hwy 119 and Main Street for

expired tags and illegal left turn. Penalty assessment

issued.

• May 15 – Stop at Hwy 119, MM 6 for expired tags.

Summons issued.

• May 16 – Stop at Dakota Lot for unsafe turn at Hwy

119. Verbal warning issued.

• May 16 – Stop at Lodge Casino for illegal U-turn.

Driver issued warning.

• May 16 – Stop at Hwy 119 and Richman for ex-

pired tags. Verbal warning issued.

• May 16 – Stop at Miners Mesa and Main for ex-

pired tags. Summons issued.

• May 17 – Stop at Hwy 119, MM 6 for expired tags.

Penalty assessment issued.

• May 17 – Stop at Hwy 119, MM 6 for no plates.

Verbal warning issued.

• May 17 – Stop at Lodge Casino for illegal U-turn.

Warning issued.

• May 17 – Stop at Hwy 119 and Main for expired

registration. Summons issued.

• May 18 – Stop at Hwy 119, MM 6 for expired plate.

Penalty assessment issued.

• May 18 – Bally’s Parking Garage. Suspect arrested

on warrant and cited for trespassing.

DESPERADOSDESPERADOS

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Moffat Tunnel lease approved; Gilpin officials continue pressure for train stop in Rollinsville

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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