Federal drone changes wil impact Gilpin ﬁrst responders

Federal drone changes wil impact Gilpin ﬁrst responders By Don Ireland By Don Ireland

What if you woke up one morning and learned you couldn’t buy a new TV, a cell phone, or car parts because they were made in China?

agencies that rely on them as part of their jobs.

the Black Hawk Police Department, and the Black Hawk Fire Department all own legally compliant drone models. However, purchasing accessories for them could be difficult in the future. Plus, if one of their drones were to crash or break, it may be difficult to find a repair shop that has the necessary parts in stock.

Drones Drones

Unthinkable? For most of the estimated 480,000 drone pilots in this country, the situation was similar as of Dec. 23, 2025. That day was the final one for federal regula- of Chinese-made drones, primarily from DJI and Autel Robotics, to be sold in the U.S. Regulators didn’t act, so the “new drone ban” went into effect.

state and local law enforcement and emergency response agencies that operate drone programs use DJI technology; these programs will be at immedi- ate risk if they no longer have access to the most cost-effective and efficient drone technology avail- able,” DJI wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in early December.

approvals for drones from foreign-made en- tities, primarily because they aren’t exempt from the government’s “covered list” – a list of countries that manufacture drones that forward.

The“Age of Drones” column is a 3-time Colorado Press Assn. “Better Newspaper Award” winner, 2022, 2023 & 2024

FAA- Certified Part 107 Drone Pilot

As a professional drone pilot who shoots photos and videos for clients, I also face the same chal lenges as first responders in Gilpin County. If any of my four DJI drones needs repair, I might find my self up a creek without a paddle. However, while I in comparison to what Gilpin’s law enforcement officers and firefighters are doing with their drones. They fly drones to help protect the public and assist officers in avoiding the potential perils of their jobs.

On Dec. 23, 2025, the FCC reiterated a long- standing concern among U.S. officials—that Chi- national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons.” The govern- ment decision came after hearing unconfirmed reports that foreign-made drones could contain technology that the Chinese government might obtain to spy on the U.S. whenever a drone is in the air. Thousands of U.S. drone pilots sent protests to their government leaders opposing such a ban. However, their protests were ignored.

• If you own or fly a drone manufactured by DJI or Autel, it’s still perfectly legal to own and operate it regulations.

• U.S. retailers can continue to sell DJI and Autel models, provided they received FCC approval before Dec. 23. It’s perfectly legal to purchase several of Mini 4 Pro, Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro, Avata 2, Air 3S,

Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Pilot Institute, which trains drone pilots to pass the FAA Part 107 Certification test, surveyed about 8,000 pilots about the FCC’s ban. About 43 percent said they expect an “extremely negative” or “poten- tially business-ending impact” on their operations. business within two years. The Journal also reported that many U.S. pilots had been hoarding Chinese- made equipment in anticipation of the ban.

Neo 2, DJI Flip and the Matrice 350 RTK enter prise drone. However, it’s difficult to find a retailer or online store with any models in stock, due to stringent import restric tions currently in place by the U.S. Customs and

While the legal aspects of what hap- pened on Dec. 23, 2025, are rather technical, the decision made by federal regulators boils down to several key points that affect anyone who owns or which manufacture 77 to 90 percent of all drones purchased in the U.S.

On the other hand, many people believe that ban- ning the sale of future foreign-made drone models in the U.S. could help spark the development of new While the majority of new drone start-ups will focus on larger, enterprise models for use by those in construction, mapping, agriculture, infrastructure inspection and law enforcement, the “little guy” who wants a small, inexpensive drone for themselves or their kids may be left out in the woods for a while.

• The “covered list” will also make it difficult to purchase drone add- on supplies such as new propellers, batteries and for those models still considered legal in this country.

They include:

In the meantime, U.S. drone pilots have their fingers crossed, hoping a homegrown drone manu- technological sophistication – and affordable prices – they’ve seen over the past decade from China.

• If DJI releases any new models, such as a DJI Mini 6 Pro or Mavic 5, they won’t be allowed to be sold or flown in the U.S. However, they will be available elsewhere in the world, as no other countries have restricted Chi- nese-made drones.

So, if you woke up tomorrow and had to buy a new like China – what would you do? It’s a question worth pondering.

The U.S. “ban” prohibiting the sale of new DJI and Autel models poses challenges for individuals and

When you are handling a deceased person’s final affairs, it is possible that you may encounter one or more firearms owned by the decedent at the time of death. Such firearms standard shotguns that are obviously hunting firearms. Others may be military-style firearms with pistol grips and mounting rails. Some fire- arms may have a selector switch near the trigger. What is the best way to deal with such firearms?

take appropriate steps to obtain and

occupied house, and are not already stored in a strong gun safe that cannot be carried away, you should make appropriate arrangements to secure place the guns in the custody of an individual or entity that holds a Federal Firearms License until it can be determined whether and how to dis- tribute the firearms to the heirs or beneficiaries. Individuals with a Federal Firearms License can legally take possession of a wide variety of fire- arms, including guns that are not typical hunting firearms, such as machine guns and short bar rel rifles and shotguns. Such licensees have the proper authority to possess the guns and perform necessary background checks before any transfer. The licensees are also likely to have proper storage and insurance that will protect the Personal Rep- resentative or trustee during the administration of the estate/trust if something should happen to the firearms during that time. Licensees holding a Local Federal Firearms License can be found through websites such as FFLGunDealers.net and Gunbroker.com.

2. Determine how the firearms are owned.

The person nominated in the estate - er ownership of the firearms has been transferred to the trust by the one making the trust, or are owned only in the name of the deceased person. the one making the trust typically signs an assignment of personal property that transfers ownership of such property, including firearms, to the trust. If so, legal authority to take possession of the firearms for safekeeping and ultimate distribution.

1. Determine who has legal authority to handle the firearms.

You should first determine if the deceased person had a will or trust which nominates or appoints someone to be in charge of the decedent’s estate. If such documents exist, obtain them and determine who is nominated as the Personal Representative, or appointed as the trustee, or successor trustee of the trust. You should then contact that person to advise

3. Make arrangements to properly secure

Particularly where the firearms are in an un-

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Federal drone changes wil impact Gilpin ﬁrst responders

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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Federal drone changes wil impact Gilpin ﬁrst responders

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