It’s a dog’s world at a new purpose-built training facility for Corrective Services’ elite corrections dogs and their handlers following the official opening of a new Dog Squad Training Unit at Wacol.
According to the Minister for Corrective Services Mark Ryan, the first participants to use the new facility also graduated from their courses on the same day.
“The Queensland Corrective Services’ dog squad is highly-skilled, ranks among the best in the world and is an integral part of keeping our correctional centres safe and secure,” Mr Ryan said.
“Our general duties dogs are deployed to de-escalate emergency situations and provide the highest security and response capability in our prisons, while passive alert dogs detect and prevent the entry of contraband and identify drug use.”
He said the new customised dog squad training centre was a first for Queensland Corrective Services.
“This is a standalone facility which brings training together on one site, ensuring that the Agency can continue to produce detection dogs of the highest calibre,” Mr Ryan said.
The Minister congratulated the five corrections officers and their canine counterparts who successfully completed the General Purpose and Passive Alert Drug Detection courses.
He said a rigorous three-month training course had prepared the graduates for any challenges they may face on the job.
“The dog squad training course is second-to-none and covers core practical competencies in obedience, agility, searching and bite work, as well as theory such as legislation, first aid, tracking and principles of dog training,” Mr Ryan said.
The Minister also presented Dog Squad Manager Alan Swann with a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for his 30 years of service with the front-line public safety agency.
The graduating dogs and their handlers are to be posted to a number of correctional centres including:
* CS Dog Jack and handler Christopher to Borallon Training and Correctional Centre;
* CS Dog Ace and handler Nathan to Southern Queensland Correctional Centre;
* CS Dog Bruiser and handler Scott to Wolston Correctional Centre;
* CS Dog Luka and handler Nicole to Wolston Correctional Centre; and
* CS Dog River and handler Shaun to Maryborough Correctional Centre.
