SMKC's Contributions to Area Law
Enforcement K-9's
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Our project for 2001 was to provide bulletproof vests for all of the K-9 dogs in the counties that we serve. Two vests for Forsyth County, two vests for Lumpkin County, one vest for City of Jasper and one vest for Dawson County. SMKC is updating the needs of the various city police department and the county Sheriff’s offices.
So far, in 2004, we
have purchased training suits for Forsyth County for their officers and
others in N. GA to use for training purposes. We are providing
special ballistic and stab proof K-9 vests for the 2 bomb dogs in Hall
County (these cost double the amount of regular bullet-proof
vests). We are also providing regular bulletproof vests for City of
Gainesville, Counties of Habersham, White, Dawson, Cherokee, Lumpkin and
Pickens. Eleven vests in all.
What we learned ,when meeting with these officers and researching K-9 task
force problems, has prompted us to inquire now on the safety of the dogs
while in their vehicles. More dogs are dying from heat than from
bullets. Fortunately many of the police cars/SUVs are equipped with
heat monitoring equipment. However, one of the counties, Hall, did not
have such a device for one of their cars. SMKC has purchased an item
called a Hot-N-Pop, which has many sensors to sound alarms, roll windows
down, etc. when there is a malfunction in the vehicle. Another
feature is a remote button that the officer has with him and in case he is
down, he can push the remote and the dog’s crate door will open allowing
him to assist the downed officer.
One officer asked for a Cool Vest instead of a bulletproof vest for his dog. These vests have packs that can be refrigerated or dropped in a cooler for 30 minutes to activate. Eight of these Cool Vests have been distributed – one for each precinct as the vests are “one size” and can be used by any of the dogs when needed instead of customer sized as the bulletproof vests are. Another officer called to thank us again and let us know that his dog can work much longer tracking in the Georgia heat with the vest than without it. The Cool Vest can also be worn under a bulletproof vest if necessary. The officer asking for the Cool Vest was told that we would get him both and he said he could not believe we were so generous to help them. We have learned that these facilities have not budgeted for their K-9 force even though they are a big part now of protecting our counties, cities and towns in Georgia.
Shown below are pictures of some of the recipients of our efforts.
Lumpkin County
Lumpkin County Sheriff's Department officer, Branden Smith,and his working partner and family member, Gunner,
showing off Gunner's new Cool Vest which was donated by SMKC