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It was the end of an era as monster truck enthusiasts spilled out of the Georgia Dome following the facility’s final event March 5. As the crowd headed to their vehicles, 12 members of the Explosive Detection Canine team wrapped up their final security sweep of the stadium.
For the past five years, EDC teams coordinated by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency have worked 106 events at the dome. With a capacity of 72,000 people and an average attendance of 45,000, the teams have successfully worked to keep approximately 4.7 million event attendees safe throughout the years.
The EDC team consists of law enforcement canine handlers and their dogs from jurisdictions around the state. GEMA/HS provides funding for 42 k-9 teams and coordinates the activities of the team, which included the security sweeps at the Georgia Dome.
The task of checking the dome was no small feat for the teams. Starting hours before any fans show up to an event and working throughout the day, teams had to check every level of the building, along with the exterior and parking areas directly across from the 1.6 million square foot facility. That means a lot of walking.
“I'll wear my Fitbit and on average, clock about eight miles walking around the building during an event," said Tod Keys, EDC Program Manager, GEMA/HS. "You definitely get a workout doing this."
The dogs had an additional workout for their highly trained noses as every trash can, bathroom stall and accessible area is checked. This means each dog is sniffing hundreds of items, looking for the faintest hint of the smell of explosives.
As the dogs were checking the club level, the air was thick with the smell of fresh popcorn and hot dogs. While the smell of food might be an irresistible distraction for many canines, the EDC dogs seemed to be singularly focused on what they were trained to do.
"He knows that when he gets here it's time to work," said Rockdale County Sheriff's Deputy Mason West of his dog Dusty. "He's a great partner and though he's starting to slow down a little bit, he loves working here."
Though their time at the dome has ended, the team will continue their mission of keeping the public safe when the new Mercedes Benz Stadium opens in July 2017. For a glimpse at what it takes to keep the public safe, check out the video on page 16.