• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

K-9's patrol with hospital security

Healthcare Security Weekly, January 21, 2008

Two canines named Kilo and Achilles are part of the security force at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest, CA.

The German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois patrol the grounds and halls with their handlers throughout the night, reported channel Fox6 San Diego. The hospital started the K-9 program in 1993, when crime in San Diego started spilling into the hospital, and the dogs are now a vital part of the security staff, the television station reported.

The dogs and their handlers train with the Oceanside and Carlsbad police departments once a week. Since the dogs interact with the public on a day-to-day basis, obedience is vitally important, Anthony Roman, the hospital's security manager, told the station.
The program is not inexpensive to run, as each of the dogs cost about $12,000 per year.

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive