DENVER -- Normally, shooting a few seconds of video along Interstate 25 for a gas price story would be a typical day in the duties of a news crew.

But Monday, two 7NEWS staffers saw firsthand what security concerns can be like now, with the Democratic National Convention less than 100 days away.

"I think the deputy, whoever it was, did what she had to do," said Deputy Cocha Heyden with the Douglas County Sheriff's Department.

The incident took place at the Castle Pines exit on Monday.

The deputy asked who the two men were and what they were doing.

They answered that it was a gas price story for the news.

She wanted identification and later called the newsroom to confirm the men were legitimate.

"That's very suspicious. Why is someone out there filming something?" Heyden said.

No one was threatened or arrested and the whole matter lasted only seconds.

Douglas County and the state's homeland security office saw the event as an appropriate response by a very observant officer.

"I think it's something that people should take comfort in, in that we have law enforcement officers out there. We've got trained individuals that are looking for those kinds of things that could be, terrorist activities," said Mason Whitney, director of the state agency.

The Emergency Operations Center in the south metro area will be staffed 24 hours a day by federal, state and local law enforcers in late August.

"I think it's only prudent to be more aware and probably be looking for those kinds of activities as we get closer to the DNC," Whitney said.

Over the past year, roughly 200 Colorado police officers, sheriff's deputies and others have taken a three-day Terrorist Liaison Officer class, learning about critical infrastructure areas -- including highway bridges -- that must be protected.

"It's fairly new," Whitney said.

The Douglas County deputy had not taken that class, but, like so many others across Colorado, receives constant threat assessments as part of her daily routine.

"Well it's unfortunate that we have to be more suspicious since 9/11 but I think that since that incident we had to rethink and relook at what's out there," Heyden said.

In fact, Heyden encourages citizens to follow the same approach; if you see something, say something.

"Cars driving around in neighborhoods more than once. Whether people are looking for open garage doors, looking for the routine of a bank employee, looking for the routine of a convenience store clerk. Deputies are trained to look for those things normal citizens aren't," Heyden said.

If asked to identify yourself while taking pictures outside, Heyden recommends calmly explaining why you're there and slowly providing identification.