May 8, 2015 VOLU M E 1 3 | I S SUE 27
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Man comes back from death’s door Quick response saves Parker resident at gym near hospital By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@colorado communitymedia.com Dave Lawless knows that if there was ever a good place to have a heart attack, next door to a hospital is it. The Parker resident collapsed April 28 at Lifetime Fitness, and if not for the quick reaction and expertise of the people around him, Lawless wouldn’t have been revived to tell his story. Two of the people were a doctor and a nurse who work at Parker Adventist Hospital, just across the roundabout from Lifetime Fitness on Crown Crest Boulevard. Alexis Munro recently graduated from nursing school and started working in the
hospital’s cardiac and stroke unit in November. She said Lawless was turning blue by the time she reached him. From there, everything seemed to align perfectly: One man announced himself as a doctor, one person began chest compressions, another called 911, and yet another ran to grab an automated external defibrillator, which administers electrical shocks to victims of cardiac arrest to return their heart to a normal rhythm. There were no warning signs of a heart attack. Lawless, 64, says he stays active playing beach volleyball, lifting weights and doing regular cardio. His cholesterol levels and blood pressure have never indicated that anything was amiss and he maintains a healthy diet. A heart attack was “completely out of the blue,” he said. Lawless continues on Page 9
Parker resident Dave Lawless and his wife, Kathy. Courtesy photo
A cat’s tale: Cop rescues Rolo on I-25 Parker feline traveled eight miles before police officer found him By Jane Reuter
jreuter@colorado communitymedia.com
The drone owned by South Metro Fire cost $3,000 and is a Phantom 2 model. Photos by Mike DiFerdinando
Drone use on way up Law enforcement, first responders find numerous uses for new technology By Mike DiFerdinando and Christy Steadman Staff writers
Rick Young of the Castle Rock Fire Department flies a drone to investigate a house fire April 15.
As crews work to clean up the damage from an April house fire that claimed a man’s life, Rick Young pilots a remote-controlled drone that surveys the site. Young, a firefighter with the Castle Rock Fire Department Investigation Unit, looks for burn patterns and smoke stains — anything that may provide a clue to the cause of the blaze. “It allows us to get a 360-degree
Rolo the cat was huddled next to a concrete barrier on an Interstate 25 median during morning rush hour when Lone Tree police officer Andrew Brown and a good Samaritan found him. He was almost eight miles and four days from his home in Parker, his chin scraped, coat dirty, pads raw and claws worn down so significantly his rescuers first thought he was declawed. “He was in a little ball against the concrete wall, with only about two feet between him and thousands of cars going by,” Brown said. “I was scared he was going to run away (from me) and get hit by a car.” But Rolo allowed the officer to pick him up, put him in his patrol car and take him to the Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center. The veterinarian who examined him knew one thing immediately: The 2-yearold Maine coon cat with a square of blue cloth around his neck was someone’s beloved pet. “I saw that bandanna and I said, `Somebody loves him,’” said veterinarian Pilar Starman. Lost cat continues on Page 7
view of the site,” said Lt. Patrick Richardson of the Castle Rock Fire Department. “It takes pictures and HD video and really allows us to see the whole structure.” This drone is new — only its second time in use. It belongs to South Metro Fire Rescue, but is available to partnering agencies for investigative purposes. Use of drones for public services is an expanding trend throughout the country, state and Front Range. Law enforcement and first responders Drones continues on Page 9
BY THE NUMBERS $3,000
$45
$10,000
400 feet
Cost of the DJI Phantom2 drones used by South Metro Fire Rescue and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Cost of a basic drone
Cost of a higher-end drone
Elevation at which drones begin to interfere with air space and will draw the attention of aviation officials.
Parker resident Orietta Harris, with her daughter Erin on the right, snuggles up to her cat Rolo after a health check at the Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center. Rolo was lost for four days and found on I-25 during morning rush hour. Photo by Jane Reuter