News: Mick and Marty - Part 6, week 9

Release Date: Friday, December 10 2010, 01:52 PM

Graduation is just two weeks away for the final National AFP Canine recruit class of 2010, and handler-canine teams are demonstrating comprehensive search and detection skills in a range of complex environments.

This week the teams have been conducting improvised explosive device sweeps at the Canberra Stadium, incorporating all but one of the target odours the dogs are required to be able to detect before deployment.
 
National AFP Canine Instructor David McCambridge said the exercise enabled the teams to demonstrate their abilities searching for concealed target odours in a completely new environment.

“We have the guys going through all of their search sequences now from the independent, their detailed, their high and their what’s high pass,” he said.

“It’s important for us to see how well the dogs and handlers work together in locations that are unfamiliar to them, and it keeps the work fresh and interesting for the dogs too.”

Federal Agent Mick Simmons said he was happy with his and Marty’s performance during the exercises.

“It was a fairly in-depth search of all areas and Marty did extremely well, based on the fact that he hasn’t been exposed to too many commercial premises,” he said.

“Nor have I, so we both worked well together.”

Next week the recruits will be deployed to the Sydney Airport for their final training exercises and assessment in the aviation environment where they will be deployed after graduation.

Federal Agent Simmons said he had enjoyed his time on the course and was looking forward to graduation.

“I’ve loved it, enjoyed every moment and I’ll be sorry to leave,” he said.

“The expectation of the course is something that you can’t quite comprehend until you actually do it, and I think there’s a sense of real achievement.”

You can follow Mick and Marty on their journey as they train to join the ranks of the National AFP Canine Unit.