Initiative includes
adding 27 bomb-sniffing dogs to N.J. bomb teams
will make N.J. safer
Initiative includes
adding 27 bomb-sniffing dogs to N.J. bomb teams
BY JOLENE HART
Staff Writer
SAYREVILLE — The Middlesex County Fire Academy played host to Gov. James E. McGreevey on Monday as he unveiled details of the state’s Detect and Render Safe Task Force.
With the newly established task force come improvements in the ability of law enforcement to respond to potential incidents involving explosives, achieved by linking bomb squads with bomb-detecting dogs and coordinating the response of the 10 bomb squads and 25 canine units across the state.
The hope is that efficiency and organization, along with a little help from the odor-tracking canines, will promote the safety of residents statewide in this counter-terrorism initiative.
McGreevey was joined at the Sayreville facility by state Attorney General Peter C. Harvey, Superintendent of NJ State Police Col. Rick Fuentes and dozens of state and county law enforcement officials, as well as several freshly trained canines that are now ready to enter explosive-detection units throughout the state.
"After 9/11, everyone in this room and across this nation understands how profoundly security changed," McGreevey said as he spoke of the initiative, developed by the Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force.
"In my opinion, New Jersey is at the forefront of working to do what we do best, that is, providing for the safety and security of families."
A demonstration by the dogs and their handlers illustrated the capabilities of the finely trained animals:
After a sweep of a small area, one of the canines identifies a suspicious package and sits — a signal for the bomb team to send in its robot response. A $160,000 mobile robot removes the suspected bomb from the public area and into a secure facility where it can be examined by the squad.
The majority of dogs used for the canine units are German shepherds or black Labrador retrievers, said Debbie Faiello of the state police.
"These animals have the energy, and the intelligence level of German shepherds is a cut above," she said.
According to Faiello, the state bomb teams used about 20 dogs before the start of the initiative, which will add 27 more. The plan uses part of a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The 27 dogs will join bomb-detecting canine units that have already been scheduled for use at this summer’s Republican National Convention, as well as on NJ Transit trains and at all Meadowlands sporting events and concerts.
State bomb squads receive about 250 calls each year, 175 of which require some confrontation with explosives, officials said.
According to Fuentes, the task force will build on training that every accredited bomb technician receives at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) facility in Alabama. The waiting list for the training is 18 months, and has increased with the need for the most up-to-date security standards.
The state bomb squads have all the necessary professionalism and expertise, but have not worked as a team until now, said McGreevey.
Prior to the development of the Detection and Render Safe Task Force, not all areas of the state had seamless operability — with equipment, communication and training standards that were comparable, Harvey explained.
In the event of a major emergency, response will be coordinated and all areas of the state will retain adequate coverage.
"Everyone in the state will be on the same page and at the same 24-hour readiness," explained McGreevey. "We are working toward the standardization of excellence across the state."