[x_out86]

http://wbay.com/2015/08/13/brown-county-k9-dies-news-conference-at-345/

Handler was working the PGA event with his dog. Left the dog in the car with the AC on and with heat alert system going. Being reported that he came back to his squad and the AC unit stopped working with the heat alarm never going off either.

I've got a few k9 contacts over that way and it sounds like the handler is completely grief stricken. Understandably so. Their Facebook page is being lit up by a bunch of morons calling for the guys head, because "it must be a cover-up story" since the car was brand new.

RIP Wix.

 

[AZ Husker]

Our K9 handlers were paid extra for their duties. Why not keep your partner with you?

 

[OLY-M4gery]

Our K9 handlers were paid extra for their duties. Why not keep your partner with you?

If it is 85 F out, and 75% humidity, is it better to be outside, or inside an air conditioned car?

 

[TBO]

RIP.

Tragic when it happens. We had one fail a while back, thankfully w/o injury to the K9. Digging into the system showed a part failure, with no dark history to the part or the system. It can happen, nothing is 100%.

 

[sarhog]

In addition to obviously running the A/C and using a heat alarm that lowered the rear windows, our policy is to leave the rear windows at least halfway down whenever the handler is not in the car, specifically to address the remote possibility that the A/C (or engine) fails AND the heat alarm fails.

We haven't lost a dog yet.

 

[AZ Husker]

If it is 85 F out, and 75% humidity, is it better to be outside, or inside an air conditioned car?

Absolutely outside with the handler after reading all the reports of dogs dying in cars that malfunctioned for whatever reason. We've had two in the last year in Phoenix. First I'd ask is this really a K9 shift that the dog was even needed? Another post had the officer working off duty at a golf tournament yet his dog died in the car. Why wasn't the dog left home?

 

[x_out86]

Absolutely outside with the handler after reading all the reports of dogs dying in cars that malfunctioned for whatever reason. We've had two in the last year in Phoenix. First I'd ask is this really a K9 shift that the dog was even needed? Another post had the officer working off duty at a golf tournament yet his dog died in the car. Why wasn't the dog left home?

It is my understanding that the handler was working mutual aid for the event. His dog was brought in for explosive detection work and he was on duty.

 

[sarhog]

There's a multitude of reasons a handler has to leave his K9 in a vehicle. The majority of calls I work are not "K9" calls, I can't take the dog with me in someone's house while investigating a domestic violence call, for instance.

 

[merlynusn]

Tragic. They also said the handler would check on the dog periodically.

Sounds like a good idea to keep the windows partly down even with the ac on.

 

[ray9898]

Sad situation....I bet the handler is devastated. It sucks that the system that is counted on the protect the dog failed when it was needed most.

 

[AZ Husker]

The responsibility lies solely with the handler. No matter if there is a vehicle malfunction that dog should be checked on and let out at least every half hour. Would you justify it if it were a child left in the car to die?

 

[golls17]

Would you justify it if it were a child left in the car to die?

Apples to oranges. Most people (no one I've seen) traveling with children don't have the fancy equipment the K9 cars do. Nor is it part of the "job description", if you will, to stay in the car.

I suppose we could blame the weather man for underestimating the temperature? Maybe the PGA for scheduling this event during such heat. The golfers for taking too long?

My point is, sometimes accidents happen and nobody is to blame. It's just a bad situation all around.

 

[OLY-M4gery]

If it's 90 F out, and you leave your dog in your house with the A/C on, should you be required to go home every 1/2 hour to make sure the A/C is still working?

The dog wasn't left in the car "to die". It was in a running car, with the A/C on, and a temperature monitoring system.

Not having a K9 IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE is the same as not having it, if there is a need for it.

Brown County includes the City of Green Bay. It's the smallest market for any NFL team. During Packer games, GBPD has ALL of their staff working on game day, plus officers from other agencies. It is not "off duty" or voluntary. The PGA tournament is huge, and goes several days. There are 3,400 volunteers working that event. I kinda doubt that officers working that event really had a choice of not working it.

 

[sarhog]

The responsibility lies solely with the handler. No matter if there is a vehicle malfunction that dog should be checked on and let out at least every half hour.

Every half hour?? You're not a handler are you? My department expects me do things OTHER than walk my dog, what, 20 times a shift???

 

[AZ Husker]

And that's why dogs die. Two here in Phoenix so far this year. This was an officer working off duty as security. Why did he even need the dog there? I can understand a sweep of the area if it's a bomb dog, but if it's a patrol dog it never should have left home to guard a golf tournament. Sheesh!

 

[OLY-M4gery]

And that's why dogs die. Two here in Phoenix so far this year. This was an officer working off duty as security. Why did he even need the dog there? I can understand a sweep of the area if it's a bomb dog, but if it's a patrol dog it never should have left home to guard a golf tournament. Sheesh!

If they need officers at an event, why wouldn't they need a K9?

What if the parking booth gets robbed? Would it be a good idea to send the K9 LEO home to get his dog, taking 30-45-60 minutes, or walk to his car and be ready to start a track?

What if 5 minutes away, completely unrelated to the golf tournament a stop and rob gets hit, and the clerk is shot. Would it make sense to not have that K9 immediately available?

A better plan is to make sure K9 cars have working A/C, and properly installed heat monitoring systems, that are properly installed, preferably with battery back up, and a system failure alarm.

But what your arguing is like saying that since police officers get injured and killed every year in car crashes, police should stop driving, and go back to foot patrol.

What is surprising to me, in thinking about this, fire departments can go to NFPA, they have all types of codes and standards to stop fires from starting, detect fires once they start, and put them out. They print standards for all types of issues related to fire fighting, sprinkler design standards, fire truck emergency equipment standards, how much water a fire truck should carry, how much water it can pump, the size and amount of hoses on each type of fire truck etc etc.

If you look at the police side, there are lots of organizations related to police issues, administration, NAPO, Fraternal Order of Police, IACP, NIJ, CALEA NAPWDA etc. etc. I can go to some of those and find model policies.

I bet I can't find any of them that have a detailed "best practices" regarding the minimum equipment standards for a K9 vehicle.

 

[Ero-Sennin]

And that's why dogs die. Two here in Phoenix so far this year. This was an officer working off duty as security. Why did he even need the dog there? I can understand a sweep of the area if it's a bomb dog, but if it's a patrol dog it never should have left home to guard a golf tournament. Sheesh!

...

Sheriff’s officials say on Wednesday, August 12th, Wix and his partner were on special assignment at the PGA Championship in Kohler.

The deputy and Wix, who specialized in explosive detection, were contracted to assist with site security.
!

Too many times this year...

 

[mj9mm]

Sad story, not my plce to judge