Norwegian search dogs will search for explosives during the Olympics in Paris: – The need for security searches is great

Search dog Robben (7) arrives at a warehouse outside Oslo. Purposefully, the experienced English springer spaniel begins sniffing around the large room.

After a few minutes of searching, there is one box in particular that catches Robben’s attention. Patiently, he sits down next to it and looks up at his handler.

It is a sign that Robben has found explosives. And then he is rewarded with a tennis ball and candy.

– The best thing it knows is to get a reward, that is the whole motivation for the job, says the bomb technician.

Robben himself will not travel to Paris, but his four-legged colleagues will assist the French authorities in securing athletes and spectators once morest explosives and dangerous chemicals. It is the first time that this Norwegian police capacity has assisted in a similar event outside the Nordic region.

– Formidable

– The dogs have the ability to search for and mark different types of explosives. It is their job to act as a sensor for bomb technicians. It is quite formidable, says leader Lars Zeiner in the police’s bomb squad.

He says that Norwegian bomb technicians and sniffer dogs will be part of the security regime that the French authorities have established during the Olympics in Paris this summer. They will search for dangerous explosives and chemicals in places where both performers and large crowds gather. The assistance has been granted by the Norwegian Police Directorate at the request of the French authorities.

– The need for security searches is great, and the French authorities have considered it necessary to request reinforcements in order to solve such a large mission, compressed in a short time, says Zeiner.

Before the mission, they have specially prepared the crew and the dogs to work in a challenging climate with high temperatures over time.

High threat level

– This is an exciting assignment. What is special is that it is a very high-profile event, and the assessment related to the threat is set high by the French authorities, says Zeiner.

The Olympics in Paris start on 26 July and last until 11 August. More than 10,000 athletes will participate, as well as several hundred thousand spectators. In total, around 15 million people will visit the French capital during the Summer Games. At the same time, preparedness in France has been stepped up to the highest threat level.

In April, it was announced that around 2,000 foreign police officers and soldiers will be present during the Olympics.

– The personnel we send can carry out independent field analyzes and support the French authorities in a very appropriate way. They will probably benefit from the crews we send there, but it is the French authorities who lead the mission and decide how they want to use the resources, says Zeiner.

Pointing in

Amund Haarstad, head of the Norwegian Armed Forces dog school, says that the Norwegian Armed Forces will also contribute with search dogs and dog handlers in the preparations leading up to the Olympics and partly during the event to secure the arena and facilities at the request of the French authorities.

He says that the dogs have been trained to smell specific substances that are used in familiar environments in France.

– We train dogs on a number of basics, and then we sharpen their skills for specific tasks. Based on the threat picture, we focus on specific threats.

– We have a lot of technology around us that is getting better and better and manages to uncover a lot, but biological resources such as humans and dogs have not completely gone out of fashion yet, says Haarstad.

– Very exciting

It is also the first time the Norwegian Armed Forces have participated in such a mission. Haarstad says that the dog school sees the mission positively.

– We think that is very exciting, and it is great that Nato stands together, and that such inquiries come from member states. It has quickly become clear that Norway also needs to ask for support for similar events in the future, so I think it’s an incredibly nice thing, says Haarstad.

– For all practical purposes, the experience also brings a lot of experience to my professional field, while at the same time we contribute to the NATO commonwealth, he adds.