# K9 killed by heat in car - MI



## Craig Snyder (May 7, 2012)

Didn't see this one until today.

http://www.sunherald.com/2012/08/24/4144554/jackson-county-drug-dog-dies-of.html

It seems once again, several different things contributed to this dogs death.

Brand new 2012 Tahoe, all new equipment
Mechanic said gas tank ran empty even though gauge indicated a half full tank. Ran out of gas shutting down the engine and of course the AC
Secondly, the cooling fan was rendered inoperable and fuse blew
Third, they claim that the alarm system to notify the officer had "inconsistent range in the remote alert device" which I take it to mean the officeer was out-of-range for some reason due to the transmitter/receiver. Maybe a basement? Extra thick walls? Bad equipment?

A question for LEO's: Do these devices have a range testing/communication function in them? I work with computers and electronics. I would think these devices would have a closed loop feedback system where they constantly "ping" every 5 minutes or so to make sure they have a good communication channel. If they lose communication the officer's remote goes off immediately. This is a cheap, cheap thing to design and implement. They have invisible fence systems that work this way. I would also think there would be a test function on these that would be used at the begining of every shift as part of a check out process. Do LEO's do a vehicle check out at the begining of every shift? Should they? Should a K9 officer?

Craig


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