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Travelers flying in and out of the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport can rest easier - Officer Barney is on the job.
As the centerpiece of the airport’s new canine explosive detection program, Officer Barney and his handler, officer Michael Turturro, were introduced at Wednesday’s meeting of the Savannah Airport Commission board.
Barney, who is trained to sniff out explosives, is a two-year-old German Shepard. He was born in the Netherlands and purchased by South Coast K9 Inc. of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., where he received his initial training.
He received his advanced training and was certified by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office Regional K-9 Resource Team. He is partnered with Turturro, who joined the airport police department a year ago.
Passengers will spot Officer Barney
- who has his own real passport - on patrol throughout the airport, putting his nose to the test and responding to suspicious items.
“Prior to acquiring this dog, the airport had to rely exclusively on the generous support of other law enforcement agencies in the community,” said airport executive director Greg Kelly.
“This will provide the airport with its own internal capability to respond to incidents in a more timely manner.”
