On the slopes and the streets

Skiing has always been a part of Deputy Sean Heidman’s life. He loves hitting the slopes.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) Deputy Sean Heidman loves outdoor adventures, especially skiing. Growing up in northeast Ohio, Sean learned as a kid and was a ski instructor in high school. His love of the mountains and skiing is part of what brought him to Colorado more than 20 years ago.

Sean has a bachelors and masters degree in psychology and worked in counseling before switching to law enforcement. He always wanted a career where he helps people, and law enforcement provides more action day-to-day.

Early in his career, Sean got involved with DCSO Crisis Intervention Teams. More than a decade later, he is one of the directors. Sean spent 10 years as a School Resource Officer, specifically on the Youth Education and Safety in Schools program. He taught safety classes at many different schools around Douglas County.

A recent major ski accident propelled Sean into a new creative endeavor. While recovering, he wrote and illustrated a children’s book about finding strength and resilience through adversity. It is titled “The Can’telope” and is about an adventurous pronghorn antelope and his friends who remind him it is ok to ask for help. Still in final editing, Sean hopes to have the book published soon.

Sean has other interests: anything nature related, conservation, art, word puzzles, billiards, movies and anything fast on two or four wheels.

Family is paramount to Sean and he cannot think of a greater blessing. He married his wife, Stephanie, more than a decade ago in Costa Rica. They have two children, a 9-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter. “It’s such a joy to watch them grow into the compassionate, talented, free-spirited wonders that we had always hoped for,” Sean said. “It’s hilarious to see those glimpses of our own attributes coming to life in our kids.”

Sean recently moved into a new DCSO position as deputy with the Community Resources Unit. The focus is promoting safety for business and faith-based groups, and his days generally include coordinating events, providing safety training and building lasting positive relationships between DCSO and the public. Sean is also a public information officer.

“Living and working simultaneously in Douglas County affords me the satisfaction of taking pride in my community and seeing the impact that we, as DCSO employees, have on the safety and wellbeing of our citizens,” said Sean. He hopes to remain at DCSO until retirement, stating, “I can’t imagine living or working anywhere else!”