Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West’s military working dog handlers assisted Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Key West Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with inspections of floats and the staging area for the Fantasy Fest Parade in Key West, Florida, Oct. 25.
Master-at-Arms Seaman Geraldo Martinez, of Ontario, California, and newest member to NAS Key West’s K-9 Kennel, said:
It was nice to interact with other departments, not just military.
It was good to see how they work as a team.
With the military working dogs’ trained skills and keen sense of smell, the combined security agencies inspected over 40 Fantasy Fest entries before the floats, marchers and vehicles paraded down Duval Street.
Military working dogs are bred and live for the sole purpose of assisting civilian and military law enforcement in the detection and deterrence of aggressors, drugs and improvised explosive devices. According to NAS Key West K-9 Kennel Master Master-at-Arms 1st Class Gabriel Salinas, the inspection was conducted with zero incidents and negative search results for any explosives.
NAS Key West’s K-9 Kennel trains their dogs year-round, running obedience and detection courses and obtaining security certifications in order to provide public safety for the military services and local community.
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Press release, Image: US Navy