Increased Calls For Bomb Dogs Across Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad responds to dozens of calls each month. In fact, just last year, its canine unit did 140 searches for hidden explosive devices alone. And with an increase in terror attacks worldwide, these bomb sniffing dogs are ready to go at a moment's notice.

Schools, courthouses, bus stations, none of these places are immune from bomb threats. But some Oklahoma K9s are on the front lines to sniff it out.

"If one is out there, we just can't afford to miss it," said Lt. Mike Norman with the OHP Bomb Squad.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol started using bomb detection dogs after 9-11, in the fight against terror.

"With the number of calls increasing every year as terrorism has become what it has the increased need for these dogs have been tremendous," Norman said.

They average three calls a week to sweep everything from schools to dignitary visits including President Obama's visit to El Reno in 2015. The dogs also make sure all home games for the Thunder, OU and OSU are free from explosives. That's why they train on a daily basis alongside other law enforcement K9 teams, including the Oklahoma City Police Department.

When News 9 visited one of their trainings, it was at the Fine Arts Auditorium in Yukon. Troopers used a basic set of odors with which all explosives originate.

"These are real explosives, you know, we train on the real deal because we're looking for the real deal," said Norman.

During the drill, they hid the object in the arm rest of one of the auditorium seats. Then the dogs went to work.

"They can cover over 600 of these seats that we see in here in five minutes," said Norman.

The handler knows when their K9 has discovered the source, through what they call a passive response.

"Different dogs do different things," said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper John Wheeler. "Some of them will stare, some of them wag their tail, and they become excited."

Knowing a reward will follow, they patiently wait. In this case, a red rubber chew toy. Only 10 percent of traditional bomb-sniffing dogs have the additional skill set of detecting vapors on moving targets, like suicide bombers, and it takes years of specialized training.  In Los Angeles, its dogs are training to do just that.

"It's safe to say that, if it's being used out there operationally by a terrorist organization, that we are training for that here operationally at the LAPD," said Officer Tom Deluccia, LAPD Canine Unit.

The Transportation Security Administration uses vapor wake dogs at more than a hundred airports in the country to detect explosives on passengers and checked baggage. They were used at Will Rogers World Airport in OKC until TSA reassigned them to larger airports earlier this year.

For now, OHP's bomb dogs are not being trained to detect vapors on moving targets. However, they will stay on the scent, scouring more than a hundred locations across the state so far this year, even though, in the majority of their searches, nothing turns up.

"We have no idea what tomorrow brings so we have to have these dogs ready to go, that's why we train every day, who knows what's coming," said Norman.

Right now, OHP has four full time bomb dogs and cover calls across the state. Meanwhile, Will Rogers World Airport officials are working with TSA to get new K9 teams assigned here.