Vapor Wake is an innovative and highly sophisticated technology in explosive detection canine services based on the light breeze of air or ‘vapor wake’ that follows a person when walking. A specially trained Vapor Wake canine is trained to be continuously alert to airborne odors emitted by explosive materials and to track the scent of explosives to its source. Whether the explosives are stationary, for example in a bag located under a bench, or mobile, such as being carried by a person or worn on the body in the manner of a suicide bomber, the Vapor Wake canine will detect and alert to the odor and will follow the scent to the source of the explosives.
Researchers at Auburn University’s Animal Health and Performance program and its Canine Detection Research Institute (CDRI) began developing Vapor Wake services in 2004 after a significant spike in suicide bombings occurred in Iraq. As a deterrent to would-be terrorists and to interrupt efforts by suicide bombers, a Vapor Wake Explosive Detection Canine (EDC) Team can evaluate crowded pedestrian areas and detect explosives from a distance, without having to search individual persons or items, such as bags or packages. In practice, a Vapor Wake EDC Team on patrol in crowded pedestrian areas outside of a building or facility can detect explosives carried by a suicide bomber from a distance and take action to interrupt or thwart the bomber before the explosives are brought into the complex.
Vapor Wake canines are specifically bred and prepared for Vapor Wake EDC services. Each canine undergoes rigorous training at Auburn University’s Canine Detection Training Center before a handler is assigned. The handler and canine then enter as a team into a comprehensive and multi-faceted Explosives Detection training program. Upon completion, the team then receives additional and ongoing training in an operational environment to replicate urban environments and real life scenarios. This training is vital to the Vapor Wake EDC Team’s continued success.
Until now, this innovative and proven approach to combating terrorism and suicide bombers has been available only to law enforcement, the military and government agencies. T&M, in partnership with Camp Frontline LTD., whose President is Mike Stapleton, a pioneer and recognized expert in the specialized training and handling of explosive detection canines, is the first and only private security firm in the United States to offer this revolutionary advancement in explosive detection.
Advantages of Vapor Wake EDC Services
- The Vapor Wake canine is continuously working to detect airborne odors of explosives and the Vapor Wake handler and canine are trained to manage incidents of multiple explosives detection alerts
- Vapor Wake explosive detection is unobtrusive and highly mobile – the Vapor Wake EDC Team is sampling odors in the air, as opposed to persons or items, and can easily maneuver to evaluate crowded areas
- Explosives that have passed through an area leave a lingering odor that can be detected for a period of time by a Vapor Wake canine, enabling detection to occur even if the explosives are not immediately present
For more information, please contact:
Rocco De Benedetto
Vice President
Special Operations
direct 212.514.4523
rdebenedetto@tmprotection.com
