Canine Teams Hit Arden Hills For Super Bowl Training
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With Minnesota set to host the Super Bowl this February, state and federal law enforcement canine teams are training hard.
This week, some 40 officers and their dog partners from across the country began a three-day training in Arden Hills. The dogs are sniffing for up to 10 odors of chemicals that can be used in explosives.
The training leads to a certification in NORT, or National Odor Recognition Testing.
Cody Monday of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is leading dozens of dogs of different breeds in training to detect odors in explosive devices.
"Throughout the country there are dog teams on the front lines every day," Monday said. "We have teams here from all over the country and a couple from Canada."
Using practice circles in a large conference room, the teams come through and the dogs are exposed to the odors and must signal when a dangerous one is detected.
"If they have problems with it we train the dog to locate those new explosives and once we feel comfortable that they can take the test. We have our chemist who makes sure our explosives are contaminant-free administer the test," Monday said.
When they detect an odor that could be dangerous, the dogs are rewarded with treats or toys, showing their serious and sensitive sides.
The ATF says dozens of canine teams from across the country will fly into help with the big Super Bowl events. But the teams with dogs are often the first to enter into harm's way on a daily basis in many situations.
