The Transportation Security Administration is expecting at least 133,000 travelers during the Fourth of July travel period at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. One of the ways they keep people safe is through the use of explosive-detection K-9s.
RDU uses K-9s that patrol the terminal, searching out explosives at random. Todd Voorhis, a K-9 handler with about 17 years of experience, currently works with a dog named Teeaa. He emphasized the unique relationship between the dog and its handler, stating, “I have to read her change of behavior while we’re moving through the airport to determine whether she’s actually detecting the explosive odor that we’re looking for.”
Voorhis noted that training takes place 24/7, often using decoys to set up scenarios that the dogs may encounter. He added, “We train every day. We’re training even when we’re at home and we’re off, we still are doing some obedience training with them.” The K-9s are especially important when travel picks up, as there is a higher risk of an explosive being brought into the terminal.
If you see a K-9 working at RDU, handlers ask that you do not pet or disrupt them, allowing the dogs to focus on their critical task of keeping travelers safe.
Original reporting: WRAL Raleigh — read the source article.
