TSA At Logan Looking For Volunteers To Test Bomb-Sniffing Dog Unit
BOSTON (CBS) - For a floppy-eared dog, named Ficko, fun consists of running after his ball and playing hide and go seek. But, what the German Short-Haired Pointer does not realize is that his play time is a first line of defense for the Transportation Security Administration at Logan Airport.
Ficko is one of a handful of bomb-sniffing dogs that work at Logan for the TSA. His primary job is to detect the odor of explosives and alert his handler, Travis.
"Our canines are PSC dogs. That's passenger screening canines. They're capable of screening moving passengers as well as stationary objects," Travis, a canine supervisor for the TSA said.
Before Ficko and Travis do their work, they go through a test run. The TSA deploys decoys, volunteers carrying fake bombs, to security checkpoints where Ficko is charged with sniffing them out. And, if Ficko successfully detects a bomb, he is rewarded with a little play time with his ball.
The decoy ritual is one each bomb-sniffing dog goes through daily. That is why the TSA is looking for more volunteers to help keep their dogs sharp. For more information, contact BostonK9@tsa.dhs.gov.