Nevada City, Calif. April 26, 2017 – Imagine a scenario where a K9 team is called to respond to an alarm at a home or business and, after making a K9 announcement, the K9 officer is sent inside to conduct a building search. It’s important for the human partner to know what the dog is seeing. Is the person inside a child or one with diminished capacity, requiring the K9 officer to be called off? Is there an armed assailant? What if the K9 begins barking and the human officer outside then hears shots fired?
When a K9 Officer is deployed to search a building their human partner needs to know what the dog is seeing, in order to protect the public and the police officers.
The Nevada County Law Enforcement and Fire Protection Council, along with the Rüdiger Foundation, have collaborated to purchase a state-of-the-art video camera system for Nevada City Police Department’s K9 Officer Rüdiger. This advanced camera technology consists of a camera which attaches to Rüdiger’s bullet resistant vest, as well as a video monitor worn on the forearm of his human partner, Officer Scott Goin. The actual view Rüdiger is seeing is transmitted in real time to the monitor, allowing Officer Goin to issue appropriate commands to his highly trained K9 partner.
“This is some pretty impressive technology”, Officer Goin explains. “It’s not like attaching a GoPro to a collar. I’m able to communicate with Rüdiger and he can be called off or instructed in other ways, as appropriate.” Officer Goin says Rüdiger is appreciative of the generous contribution being made by the Nevada County Law Enforcement and Fire Protection Council in filling the funding gap to make possible this invaluable piece of equipment. “It’s all about keeping our community and our officers safer, and the Council is always supportive of that.”
Rüdiger was born in the Czech Republic and purchased in 2015 through the generosity of the community. As a small town with budgetary constraints, Nevada City Police Department did not have the funds to support a K9 Officer. Understanding the value of a K9, both to community safety and the safety of officers, the community raised and provided the necessary $71,000 to acquire and train the dog, and to purchase the specially equipped K9 vehicle.
Annually, the Nevada City K9 Program is estimated to cost approximately $28,000. This includes ongoing training as well as food, kenneling, handler stipend, safety equipment, maintenance, upkeep and fuel on the special vehicle required to keep Rüdiger safe.
Rüdiger is 100% community funded. The community supports Rüdiger through contributions made by businesses, private donors, and community-based fundraising events. The Rüdiger Foundation was formed to provide ongoing support to the Nevada City K9 Program and to provide K9 resources to other local agencies. 100% of all donations go to fund the local K9 program.
Note: Save the date for the Paw and Order Dinner, which is being planned at the Miner’s Foundry in Nevada City on Friday, September 22, 2017 at 6:00pm. Tickets are $100 per person and are available by contacting the Rüdiger Foundation at joey@RudigerFoundation.org or by texting 530-210-1748. Please provide your name, contact information and the number of seats you would like to reserve.
To remain abreast of all Rüdiger happenings you are invited to visit his Facebook page: Rüdiger Fan Club