K9
Crusader
South Fayette Boy Scout raises more than $ 5,000 for Scott Township police dog .
By Paul Glasser
A fter Pittsburgh Police K-9 Officer
Rocco died in the line of duty in 2014 ,
Noah Magdich wanted to do what he could to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again . The man who stabbed Rocco was sentenced to serve between three and a half and seven years in prison .
“ I have always been a dog person ,” says Noah , whose family has a 2-year-old boxergreyhound mix named Banjo . “ It really affected me to see Rocco killed .”
A junior at South Fayette High School , Noah is a member of Boy Scout Troop 248 in Oakdale and last year he organized a fundraiser as part of his Eagle Scout project . He collected more than $ 5,000 and used the money to purchase a protective vest for Lord , a K-9 officer at the Scott Township Police Department . Lord is an 8-year-old German shepherd who is trained to detect narcotics . The vest only cost about $ 800 so Noah also purchased a temperature control unit for about $ 2,100 that will alert Lord ’ s partner , Officer Shane McGrath , when it gets too hot in the patrol car . McGrath ’ s cruiser already had a control system , but the new equipment was an upgrade because it will send a text to McGrath ’ s cell phone and open the doors so that Lord can get out in an emergency . Even after buying the additional equipment , Noah still had about $ 2,200 left over , which he donated to the Scott Township Police Department to make additional K-9 equipment purchases in the future .
It took about a year to complete the project . The temperature control unit was installed in March , and in May , Lord received the vest , which will help protect him from being stabbed or shot . Noah hosted a pancake breakfast at St . Barbara Roman Catholic Church in Bridgeville last year and recruited volunteers to help cook pancakes . About 250 people attended and the event collected about $ 2,700 . He raised the rest of the money by creating an online fundraiser at gofundme . com . He also posted fliers advertising his fundraiser at his church and other locations . “ I was expecting some support , but not this much ,” Noah says .
He has stayed in contact with Lord and McGrath and says Lord wears the protective vest whenever he enters a dangerous situation .
“ I was expecting some support , but not this much .”
Noah also participated in the Scott Township Public Safety Day in June and helped demonstrate how K-9 officers neutralize suspects . He wore a bulky suit , which was hot and heavy , but protected him from Lord ’ s powerful bite .
“ I was very nervous but excited ,” he says . “ Officer McGrath knows grown men who wouldn ’ t put the bite suit on . When Lord latched on , I could feel the pressure of his bite on my arm but no pain .”
Noah expected to complete all the requirements to become an Eagle Scout by October . He became a Boy Scout in the first grade and has wanted to become an Eagle Scout since he watched a friend ’ s induction several years ago . Scouting has taught him a lot of practical skills , such as survival and automotive maintenance . Noah also served as senior patrol leader and learned how to be patient when he was supervising younger scouts .
“ Scouting is very beneficial for helping you learn and grow ,” Noah says . In addition to his passion for scouting , he is also interested in martial arts and being a firefighter . He ’ s been studying at the House of Martial Arts Karate Academy in Oakdale for two years and recently became a second-degree green belt . He plans to join the Marine Corps after graduating high school and wants to become a black belt before enlisting , then become a martial arts instructor in the Marine Corps .
Noah would also like to continue the family legacy of working as a firefighter after his enlistment in the Marine Corps is over . In April , he became a junior firefighter at the Presto Volunteer Fire Department . His greatgrandfather helped found the department in 1947 , his father is a captain and his uncle is an assistant chief . As a junior firefighter , he has attended more than a dozen calls , including a two-car accident near Trader Jack ’ s Flea Market on July 4 . Noah helped direct traffic , carry tools and clean up debris .
“ It ’ s an amazing rush when you get that call and you are going down the road with blue lights and everyone is moving out of the way ,” he says . “ You know you are going to help someone . It ’ s something I ’ ve wanted to do since I was six years old .” n
West Allegheny | Winter 2016 | icmags . com 13