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CDCS - EXPLOSIVES DETECTOR DOG PROGRAM
Contraband Detection Canine Services (CDCS) is pleased to announce its Explosives Detector Dog (EDD) Program. Our program is designed to support public and private sector entities in the screening for explosive devices in nearly any environment. Our EDD handler/dog team is certified by the International Detection Canine Foundation and Highland Detector Dog K-9 Training Facility. We are the ONLY private sector licensed, insured and certified EDD team in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
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Our pre-emptive services now include the availability of handler team Mike Canaan and EDD Franko. Franko, our Belgian Malinois, recently completed an extensive training curriculum in explosive detection. The Belgian Malinois, though not commonly known, are widely used world-wide as explosive detector dogs. EDD Franko joins our other Contraband Detector Dogs, Cash and Chee.
We know from experience that terroristic and malicious acts affect all facets of our lives. Whether it be disruption of business or malicious revenge, the human or financial costs are unfathomable. We know that law enforcement agencies do not always respond to bomb threats, let alone have an EDD team available. Further, law enforcement EDD’s are not always available for, or will not perform pre-emptive explosive screenings at public or private venues. We can and will fill those needs.
In support of public policy, we assist corporations, public and private venues, shopping malls, educators, manufacturing, refineries and pipe lines, persons-at-risk, and numerous other entities with a specific, proactive tool designed to minimize the potential of dangerous environments or situations. We must seek new approaches and methodologies that are efficient yet cost effective. Our EDD program provides this capability.
Since law enforcement generally may respond, a decision must be reached at some point to allow the staff to re-enter a "safe" building. Even if they do respond, they will not make the decision for you that the area is safe to re-enter. The dilemma thus remains. Is my building safe to re-enter. As a further incentive to make a quick decision, what is your per-hour loss of revenue or potential earnings when you are not operating?
Here are some other issues for you to consider:
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Who would the on-site supervisor direct or ask to go back into a building to do the search? It may be difficult to find a "volunteer" or two or more, where those persons are competent at this very dangerous work to the level where they would not blow themselves or others up. Let alone one or your building or vessels. Further, for safety reasons you would want to team one or more other employees with each of the designated "searchers". All to often, when a device has been accidentally or intentionally detonated, there are secondary or tertiary devices accidentally or intentionally detonated which were meant for the responders. This is a very dangerous business.
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Management should honestly ask themselves, would they be satisfied with humans doing an explosive device search and then making the decision based upon the results of that search to allow your employees to re-entered your facility?
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Who at your company is technically trained to accurately and effectively search for an explosive device? The honest answer is likely, no one. The reality is that even a highly trained and experienced trained bomb squad technician cannot accurately, effectively and efficiently search any of your facilities. The operative words are "accurately", "effectively", "efficiently" and "search". Besides, how would the police officer or bomb tech know what is unusual or out of place? That point leads to this question: does any one or two people within your company truly know all that does or does not belong throughout the entire facility where they work? Is it OK simply to gloss over an area and omit others? Or, if two hours pass and there was not an explosion like the caller promised, is it then safe to call an all-clear? These are tough questions to answer. The answer is an EDD.
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Let's say a suspicious object is found. I use the term "object" because one would likely never find the proverbial bundle of sticks of dynamite taped together with black electrical tape and the alarm clock, similar to the one we had our nightstand as children, ticking away at the top of the bundle. The device will likely be disguised and not easily distinguishable as opposed to the one which we read about in the ATF materials on how to identify a bomb. You know, the box with the exposed wires, grease stains and excessive packing tape on the outside. How does one determine if there are explosives in the object? Well, that's also not our job. It could take a bomb squad technician 30 minutes or an hour of more to determine if it is an explosive device. An EDD would generally scan the item in less than a few seconds.
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OSHA and WSHA may not permit an employer to send an employee into a building in that it's a potentially dangerous situation. We work with several guard companies who will not allow their security guard employees to do an explosive device search where the request for a search was initiated by a bomb threat.
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There are not any more accurate, effective or efficient tools available than a competent and capable EDD. Science still has not created a better odor detection device than a well-trained detector dog.
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Hand-held "sniffers" are generally unreliable and often give false-positive responses. They also do not have the odor detecting range which canines possess. Meaning that they do not detect all of the odors which all of the 19,000+ commonly known military and commercial explosives off-gas. Their batteries run out faster than a dogs. They constantly need to be calibrated and cleaned. They simply have a very limited capability. It would likely cost $45,000 - $65,000 (the price of the "better" devices) to learn this lesson. Post 9-11, I discovered that several clients of ours had impulse-purchased these devices, where for all intents and purposes they look like battery-powered handheld shop-vac's, to inspect their mail, deliveries and shipping. They found that these devices were not what they were advertised to be and/or that the salesperson failed to tell them the whole story! Now their fancy battery powered devices are sitting on the shelf collecting dust.
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Just as with burglar alarms, law enforcement (especially the bomb squad), will (unofficially) give a company or caller one, maybe two responses to a "suspicious package" before they slow or even stop responding due to the false alarms. You would not want to use up these opportunities due to inadequate capabilities or tools.
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To assist you in determining your response needs, you may wish to conduct this test scenario: Have one or two persons whom you might designate and utilize as "bomb threat response searchers" thoroughly tour any one of your facilities and make a list of objects, boxes, pallets, vehicles, packages and items that they do not know the contents. The objective of this test is to determine in an honest and realistic manner how many individual items they can generate on a list. To make this test realistic, the "searchers" cannot inquire to anyone else in the area as to what the contents of these items are. After all, in a bomb threat scenario, the building is clear of people and there likely would be no one to ask. In your bomb threat plan you could assign a digital camera (do not used the flash) to each searcher where the images could be reviewed outside of your facility by others on a laptop or PC at the incident command post. That would likely somewhat reduce the overall length of the list. If the test is conducted honestly, you may be shocked as to how long your list is. A bomb squad technician will not want to see a list.
- There are no more accurate, effective and efficient tools available that an EDD.
- We are the only licensed, certified and insured EDD team in the Pacific Northwest.
- We undergo rigorous third-party assessments and certification.
- We regularly attend professional canine association training seminars.
- We conduct on-going realistic maintenance training.
- We are generally available 24/7.
- Even if a law enforcement EDD were to respond, we can also respond and assist and support that team in clearing a large facility or vessel. Again, time is money. One has to weigh the immediate and long term costs of being out of operation vs. the cost of having a dog team search the facility or vessel. The dogs are not machines and depending on the environmental conditions, have a limited duration before needing breaks or extended rest. Whereas, one dog team may not be physically be able to search the entire facility or vessel without, for practical reasons, bypassing important areas. The decision to deploy two or more EDD teams is of course, situational
We also know
from experience that terroristic and malicious acts affect all facets of our
lives. Whether it be disruption of business or malicious revenge, the human
or financial costs are unfathomable. Our
timely response to your location can save you money, and perhaps lives.
Shown to the left is our
K-9 Unit with custom canine insert.
Where do our dogs work? Select your
area of interest for further information:
Our explosives canines are trained and certified to detect odors of the following contraband items:
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Explosive Powders: Smokeless, black and flash powders typically found in ammunition, guns, fireworks, and many explosive devices. Firearms--Whether clean or dirty, all firearms are contaminated by gunpowder.
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Commercial and Military Explosives: There are an estimated 19,000 explosive compounds or formulas contained in five explosive groups known worldwide. Our Explosive Detector Dog is trained and certified to detect odors commonly used in the combinations, compounds, and mixtures of commercial and military explosives in each of these chemical groupings.
Typically, the canine will indicate that they have detected an odor by sitting as near as possible to the source and/or greatest concentration. Sometimes the canine “indicates” at a seemingly explosives-free area, but in fact, is detecting a site whereon an explosives odor previously rested or was present. The canine is able to detect these residual odors for a long period of time after the explosive has been removed.
EDD Franko is dual-certified to find explosives as well as a Patrol/Protection Dog (PPD).
Pricing and Value. Of real concern to us are our clients' perception of pricing and service. What are you paying for? As you know, a service is an intangible item. When you solicit for a service you hope to receive certain results. We always strive to not only meet, but exceed your expectations. A service pays for itself. The real test should never be the price, but the value. Future and existing clients may view or download our fee schedule in the Client Area. Please call for access codes to this area.
All handlers, canines, and inspectors are Licensed and Insured. We maintain extensive General Liability and Errors and Omissions coverage.
Our handler/dog teams are certified by the International Detection Canine Foundation. We are charter members of the International Explosive Detection Dog Association. Mike Canaan is a Certifying Official with the International Detection Canine Foundation.
You have questions? ...well, we have answers. Visit our Contraband Detection Canine Services Explosives Frequently Asked Questions page.
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