For more than a decade, North Carolina-based K2 Solutions Inc. has been providing law enforcement and military customers with trained K-9s for patrol and other critical operations.

These days much of K2's customer demand is for explosion detection K-9s. Accordingly, the company has all necessary ATF licenses required for making, handling, selling, and destroying explosives. The ability to make, handle, and store explosives on site, as well as to transport them locally and across state lines, is critical for K2's on-site trainers working to teach dogs to recognize the scent of explosive materials. It is equally important for ensuring the proper training of law enforcement explosive detection dog handlers, especially those working with K2's person-borne explosive detection canines, which are trained to detect explosives odor emanating from moving objects, including people, and to trail that odor. (See " Training the Bomb Hunters," POLICE, November 2018)

K2's bomb dogs, including the person-borne explosive detection dogs, are valuable assets that law enforcement agencies and other K2 customers are using to safeguard arenas, stadiums, and other public venues against terror attacks. They are highly trained, but their skills are perishable if not properly maintained. "Even though the dogs are trained, you still have to have training aids so that you can continue to reinforce the dog's training," says K2 explosives expert James Gruzeski.

See the Training K-9 Bomb Hunters Photo Gallery

That's why K2 decided to launch a new product for K-9 handlers and trainers: the Canine Scent Kit. The Canine Scent Kit contains a wide variety of explosives and explosive precursors such as chlorates so that K-9 handlers and trainers can maintain and sharpen the skills of their animals. The standard kit includes such common explosives as black powder, smokeless powders, dynamite, Pyrodex, C-4, Semtex, TNT, RDX, PETN, detonating cords, and many others. However, the kits can also be customized to meet a customer's specific needs. "We are offering a little bit of everything you need to train with your K-9s," Gruzeski says.

The Canine Scent Kit is certified for transport over the highways by the Department of Transportation, and it is available now from K2.

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Photo: K2 Solutions

K2 has, for several years, sold explosives to its law enforcement customers so they can train their K-9s, and some of these customers are very knowledgeable regarding their needs. "They will give me a list of exactly what they want," Gruzeski says. Other customers are not sure what material they need for training. "Sometimes I'll get officers ordering product from us who really do not know what they need or want," he adds. That's why K2's Canine Scent Kit comes in a standard version but is also customizable to meet the specific needs of some customers. "Customers can tell us what they want in the kit," Gruzeski explains.

K2 usually ships its training explosives to its law enforcement customers in boxes with the material packed inside in anti-static bags. The Canine Scent Kit is considerably more sophisticated. It consists of a specially customized hard case with the material packed in designated areas. The materials come in one-pound increments (detonating cords come in 50-foot increments) and are contained in clearly labeled jars with some packed in anti-static bags inside the jars.

Gruzeski says buyers should handle the materials in the Canine Scent Kit with care, but there are no blasting caps included and none of the materials are drop sensitive. When it comes to safety, "you just have to have some common sense," he says. You also have to store it according to ATF requirements.

The Canine Scent Kit is certified for transport over the highways by the Department of Transportation, and it is available now from K2. Pricing varies based on number ordered and materials requested. Contact K2 Solutions Inc. for more information.

www.K2si.com

David Griffith is the editor of POLICE Magazine and PoliceMag.com.