b'58 MIA SECURITYFACTS AND FIGURESPilot Project: Deploying COVID-19 Detection Dogs Location: Miami Intl AirportAirport Operator: Miami-DadeAviation Dept.Scope: 60-day pilot at employee checkpointMiami Intl is First Airport in North to test suitability of detection dogs in airport settingAmerica to Dispatch COVID-19Cost: $500/hour for 2 dogs & 2 handlers Funding: Miami-Dade Aviation Dept. Detection Dogs Researcher/Dog Training Partner:BY BROOKE MASTERFlorida Intl UniversityWhen the novel coronavirus enteredeven passengers if trial results are promising Airline Partner: American Airlines the scene in early 2020, hardly anyoneenough. Interest is high, as the trial also has the Timeline: March 2021 - Miami Dade Countycould imagine the long-lasting effectspotential to help legitimize this type of screening Board directed county mayor to procure COVIDit would have on everyday life. Nearly two yearsat airports throughout the industry. That said, detection dogs for deployment at MIA, Port oflater, variants, masks, booster vaccines andcanine COVID detection is not yet recognized by Miami & other select county facilities; trials at airport ran from Aug. 23-Oct. 22, 2021testing are still the norm. the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Key Benefits: Added layer of COVID-19For some employees at Miami InternationalThe two dogs used at MIAa Belgian protection for employees & passengers theyAirport (MIA), the changes have included a newMalinois and a Dutch Shepherdwere trained to serve; screening takes seconds & requiresscreening procedure when they report for workalert to the scent of volatile organic compounds minimal human contact each day. Specially trained dogs led by handlers(VOCs) excreted in the breath and sweat of Accuracy Rate: 97.5% (average fromsniffed their facemasks for chemical markerspeople with COVID-19. The VOCs are common previous double-blind trials) of COVID-19 during a 60-day pilot programfor all infected individuals, regardless of each Next Step: Depending on pilot results,that ended on Oct. 22, 2021. The study,persons unique natural scents. canine screening may be extended to busierconducted with American Airlines employees employee checkpoints & possibly passengerWorkers in line at two of MIAs seven checkpoints who volunteered to participate in the research,employee checkpoints, simply held their masks For More Information: go.fiu.edu/ may prompt MIA officials to extend the screeningdown over a waist-high partition for the dogs to COVIDCanineStudy program to other airport employees and possiblysniff. If the dogs detected the scent associated January | February 2022AirportImprovement.com'