TRI-CITIES, Wash. – The Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog Association is hosting a five-day conference in Pasco. The event brings together experts from the NYPD, the U.S. Secret Service and others to train K-9s in detecting drugs and explosives.
Gunner Fulmer, president of the association, highlighted the conference’s rigorous standards.
“Washington state has its own standard that these, dog teams have to meet. And the standard that we bring, with, PNW canine is a higher certification level,” Fulmer said.
Throughout the week, participants engage in a mix of classroom instruction and practical exercises. Officers and their K-9s rotate through various training sites across the Tri-Cities, including the Toyota Center, to test their detection skills in real-world scenarios.
Fulmer explained the training scenarios at the Toyota Center.
“What they do is they set up scenarios at the arena that would emulate something that would happen in real life,” Fulmer said. “Maybe somebody is going to sit in a certain area. Maybe it’s a threat that they’ve heard or have information on. Or maybe it’s just a general sweep of the arena.”
With public safety concerns and evolving threats, Fulmer emphasized the importance of high-level training.
“We want these handlers and these dogs at the top of their game all the time. I think that’s it. I think that’s what the public expects of these handlers. And so, our association really just kind of comes in to take them to the highest level that we can get them,” Fulmer said.
More information about the Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog Association can be found here.
