The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Port of Seattle are enlisted a K-9 team to help screen passengers during what TSA projects will be Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s (Sea-Tac) busiest month to date.
TSA projects that it will screen 2 million departing passengers during August at Sea-Tac, a record-breaking amount that is 7 percent higher than last August’s number.
Workers screened an average of 61,000 people per day in July at Sea-Tac and are expected to screen 63,000 per day on average in August. During the airport’s busiest times, daily outbound, inbound and connecting traffic is expected to reach 160,000.
K-9s are tethered to their handlers and work in security checkpoints in close proximity to passengers. The dogs can smell the scent of explosives and alert their handlers if they detect a possible threat. They often do this without the source noticing and can pinpoint the source of the smell even in large crowds.
K-9s also work at the Port of Seattle to support cruise ship operations. The Port of Seattle’s K-9 team has also provided security screening at Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California and recent presidential inaugural events in Washington, D.C.
TSA and Port of Seattle K-9 teams complete 12 weeks of training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Teams are regularly tested and must maintain certification.
Nearly 1,000 explosive detection K-9 teams work at airports, mass transit facilities and maritime locations nationwide.