Newest Hanford site security officers have 4 legs. Here’s what they’ll be doing

Tri-City Herald

Dee and Freda have joined the Hanford nuclear reservation site security team in Eastern Washington.

They are K-9 police dogs specially trained to sniff out explosives.

“We consider Dee and Freda crucial members of the Hanford Patrol family,” said Patrol Chief Lorin Cyr.

They replace retiring K-9s Martha and Chance, who have been at Hanford for the past nine years.

The new police dogs have met Hanford standards for health certification and training.

Both have passed the Washington State Patrol Canine Association test for explosive-detecting dog, said Department of Energy contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions.

The dogs are working with Hanford Patrol officers Manny Rodriguez and Dave Donovan.

Rodriguez and Donovan have undergone a two-week training with their new four-legged partners, followed by site certification and then Washington State Patrol Canine Association certification as a K-9 team.

The 580-square-mile Hanford nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington was used to produce plutonium for the nation’s nuclear weapons program from World War II to the Cold War. Cleanup of radioactive waste and contamination continues.

Most of the site remains off limits to the public, with workers entering through security checkpoints to control threats to the federal complex.