New Arrivals Give Added Bite to JWA Security

John Wayne Airport’s latest security measures arrived Tuesday amid much fanfare. Their names are Rex and Ali.

Airport officials, along with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Transportation Security Administration, introduced the two bomb-sniffing dogs, the first time dogs and their handlers will be assigned permanently to John Wayne.

“The teams add another security option,” airport Director Alan Murphy said. “It’s another step in our continuing effort to provide safety and security for our patrons.”

Rex is a 2 1/2-year-old Belgian Malinois handled by Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Nadeau; 2-year-old Ali, a Czech Shepherd, is handled by Deputy Dave Ray. Both dogs wagged their tails as their handlers pinned their police badges on their harnesses.

The new security teams will make regular patrols and checks of the airport throughout the day. A third dog-and-handler team is expected to arrive by the end of the year, airport officials said. A grant of $120,000 from the Transportation Security Administration pays for the three dogs’ care, airport officials said. The federal agency also reimburses the Sheriff’s Department for part of the deputies’ salaries.

Before John Wayne was assigned its bomb-detecting dogs, any suspicious packages had to be investigated by the Sheriff’s Department’s Hazardous Devices Squad. But that meant a delay because the squad was not on-site.

The dogs, however, are essentially a “mobile detection device” and can be sent quickly to investigate any potential threat, Murphy said.

Rex and Ali and their handlers went through an intensive 10-week training program at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, which cemented a strong bond between the partners.

The handlers also are required to take the dogs home every night, and it’s expected that after their 10 to 12 years of service, the dogs will retire to a shady spot in their handlers’ backyards.

“I’ve owned dogs all of my life,” Nadeau said as he patted Rex’s back. “I like him a lot.”

Rex and Nadeau finished at the head of their class and were named “top dog and best handler.” Ray and Ali finished second.

While on duty, the dogs will be able to take their breaks in a specially equipped $400,000 kennel, which was paid for, in part, by airport funds. The facility, which is large enough to house six dogs, is connected to the airport’s sewer system for drainage, officials said.

The arrival of Rex and Ali also marked the 30th anniversary of the TSA Explosives Canine Team Program. The security agency plans to have 265 bomb-detecting teams in 64 airports nationwide by the end of the year, but the agency plans to increase that number to 325 by the end of 2003, said Skip Williams, John Wayne Airport federal security director.

“We will definitely benefit from these exceptional tools,” Murphy said. “The dogs are here to instill a sense of safety to the public.”

Airport security got another boost Tuesday when the county Board of Supervisors voted to spend $15 million to install a dozen bomb-detection machines in the terminal.

With the vote, county officials expressed confidence that they will be able to meet a federal year-end deadline to strengthen airport security measures.

The approval by supervisors comes as airports across the nation are questioning whether they will make the deadline set last year to screen all checked and carry-on baggage for explosives.

The detection equipment should cause passenger delays of no more than 15 minutes as bags are checked, John Wayne officials said. Without the equipment, passengers would have to wait up to 10 hours to board flights while their bags were searched by hand--as would be required under the federal rules.

The county will seek a federal reimbursement for the money it is spending on the new equipment.