Bomb Sniffing Dog Patrol

The next time passengers will travel through International Airport Montello, it's not just security guards with beeping metal detectors, surveilance camera operators, automated x-ray machines and grounded Air Marshals that will be inspecting, searching and observing them. Junior and Sweetie, two new bomb-sniffing dogs are now part of the airport's Security Department. Computer Ed, (“IAM's Employee of the Month of April”) handles and feeds the orange vest wearing quadrupedes.

From passengers' bags, to baggage carousels, ticket counters, cars, trash cans to decorative containers growing plastic plants, the dog's trained noses are sniffing out every inch of the airport.

“We climb on cranes, we get on vehicles, we go into the terminals, we check on THAT place, we search the bar, we run to the cell phone booth, we hike the mountains, we brush the sage, we comb the dust. There's not a place in the airport we don't go.”

“I've had her off of an odor about 30 feet, and she's picked it up,” Computer Ed could have said, if the quote wouldn't just have been copied from another website.

“The dogs are so well-trained they've been able to pick up fertilizer on my boots, fertilizer being one of the compounds that can be used to make explosives,” said an air-cowboy who sometimes helps out at the nearby ranch and got “picked up” by sweetie during after hours in the Transit Lounge.

Having the sniffing dogs around saves precious time when something suspicious turns up. No more waiting for explosives to blow up before other dogs arrive from outside agencies. Junior and Sweetie are always right here at the airport, ready to root out danger.

If they smell an explosive device, anything they've been trained on, they will immediately sit straight down. Then, they count until 12, get up again and then look at Ed, who usually uses a “jerkus rope” to handle suspicious devices or packages.
(A “Jerkus Rope” is exactly what it sounds like. It is a long piece of rope that a the bomb technician loops around a suspicious package. The rope is stretched out and then “jerked” to see if the package explodes. Computer Ed mentioned instances, in the past, where he attached one end of “Jerkus Rope” to the suspicious package and tied the other end to the rear bumper of the Airport Shuttle Van. When passenger flow was kind of low, Junior and Sweetie would jump on the back seat and Ed would hit the accelerator.)

But, even though Ed is brave and inventive in facing the task to disarm bombs the hope is, even before that can happen, the mere presence of Junior and Sweetie will deter would-be bombers, pyromaniacs, smugglers, terrorists, wholesalers, contrabandists, guerrillas or commando forces from even trying to attack.

“Just the idea of it, I think it's a good idea,” said a traveler being on an extended lay over at the airport. “I think it will make a lot of people feel a lot safer. I know it does for me.”

This is a toy model of the truck that hit Sweety.

Say a Prayer for Sweety
Today Thursday May 11, 2006, Sweety the small half of the International Airport Montello Drug and Bomb sniffing team was seriously injured. While preparing to preform her duties sniffing baggage she was hit by a Jelly Belly Jelly Bean Truck. It is a miracle she did not lose her life. She is in serious but, stable condition at this time. There appears to be no broken bones or internal bleeding. We can only wait now and pray that she recovers.

Get better soon Sweety we love you!

A PRAYER FOR SWEETY

God the Father Almighty… We your humble servants ask in the name of Thee Christ, Jesus Son of Mary. We ask that you may look down with mercy upon one of your creatures and that your sustaining grace may carry her through these troubled times. We ask that your Will be Done… Sweety is a good dog and she is our friend and companion. God please bless this poor little creation of yours. She is a good dog…

The Chapel Staff.

5/12/06
Was up half the night being nurse. Sweety seems much better this morning. In fact I just went and looked and she got up and is outside laying in the sun. I only hope there is no internal bleeding. She went to the bathroom. There doesn't seem to be any blood in it so that is good sign. Sorry, probably to much info…ha ha ha…

5/15/06
I think Sweetie is proof that miracles do happen. She is getting better everyday! Yesterday evening we even took a long walk all around the place. She is still pretty slow. But, getting faster. I was a little worried about her bladder. I try to watch but didn't see much. This morning I did. Nothing wrong. Makes me very happy. I think all that is needed now it to make sure that a couple of large wounds she has do not get infected. Both wounds are where she can reach them so that will really help.

5/16/06
The results of the accident investigation indicated that the driver of the Jelly Belly Jelly Bean Truck was not at fault. The good name of Jelly Belly remains.

Security

Junior, Sweety and I just returned from Desert Golf. Sweety could not run real fast but, ran along with me and Junior the whole way. She was a little slow coming back from the last hole. Sweety is fine. In another Day or Two she will be as good as new and can return to work Drug and Bomb Sniffing! Thank you everyone for your prayers. I know that is one reason why she has made such a speedy recovery!
— Ed 2006/05/16 18:18