COM M U N I T Y
BY: PAIGE UHR
Playing it Safe
Moore Schools to be First in State to Establish Canine Program
A
fter experiencing a heightened period of bomb threats a few years ago and witnessing the uptick in school shootings around the country, Moore Public Schools will be the first district in Oklahoma to use a weapon detecting canine to protect its students and facilities. In other words, a bomb dog and its handler will be walking through the district’s hallways within a matter of months, school officials say. Dustin Horstkoetter, director of security and safety at Moore Public Schools, has been developing the program for about a year. Acquiring a weapons dog is not uncommon, he said. They are widely used by school districts in Texas, Nevada and California, just to name a few. Horstkoetter connected with the Hous16 | November 2019
ton K9 Academy, an agency that specializes in acquiring and training canines for law enforcement, military and private security. Shortly after that, he and district leadership made the decision to move forward with his plan. “Our leadership team is next level, and we made a next level decision,” Horstkoetter said. “Dr. Romines is constantly moving the bar forward, and I’m so thankful for his forward thinking.” Originally, the district selected Horstkoetter to serve as the canine handler, and he was scheduled to begin training with a dog in August. However, district officials determined the responsibilities of a dog handler would need to be a full-time job, so the project was briefly put on hold until the district’s board of directors could approve a new position at a meeting this fall.
