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Cirri, Vinny and Penny will assist in searching for explosives at the agency’s facilities as part of the Port Authority’s counter-terrorism efforts, Port Authority Spokesperson Lenis Valens said.
The three K9 teams went through 14 weeks of explosives detection training and now join the PAPD K9 Unit, which protects the people of New York, New Jersey and the millions using Port Authority facilities daily.
“These K9 teams will perform their duties with the same selfless courage as their heroic namesakes,” the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association said following a graduation ceremony at Newark Airport on Friday, April 15.
The canines are named for three heroes:
- Lt. Robert Cirri, of Guttenberg, who died on 9/11 while carrying a disabled woman to safety;
- Sgt. Vincent J. Oliva, of Bayonne, who was killed in 2013 by cancer developed during the World Trade Center search and recovery efforts;
- Officer William Perry, of Piscataway, who was shot and killed in the line of duty on a PATH Train in 1980.
The canines are “trained by the PAPD from scratch,” Valens noted.
“They’re taught to detect 15 different odors,” she said. “The dogs are taught basic obedience, leash handling and agility skills. They offer different cues to their handler when they detect explosives, such as laying down flat, sitting down or raising a paw.
“The handlers are trained to notice the change in their dog’s behavior when they come across a potential explosive device or material.”
The graduation included the handlers: Officer Erik Brozek (with Cirri), Officer Kevin Duffy (with Perry) and Steven Paluzzi (Vinny).
This year’s training class also included a member the US Park Police Department who’s learning to become a trainer, Valens said.
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