Lehigh Valley Hospital Network, part of Jefferson Health, invited the media to a training session to introduce two of its newest staff members, Cisco and Dexter, March 31.

Administrator of Emergency Operations and Public Safety Ryan Hay and Director of Security John Christman welcomed the guests and handed the session to trainer Frank Reda, of Stapleton Security. Stapleton Security provides detection services across the United States and has its K-9 training facility in East Stroudsburg.

Reda, who has 30 years of experience in training K-9s, described how the dogs are trained to detect changes in behavior and are rewarded for locating objects and odors. He added the handlers are trained to recognize the changes in the dog’s behaviors. Reda selected Cisco and Dexter for the unit.

Cisco’s handler is Kasey O’Connell, and Dexter’s handler is Ed Mayer. Cisco and Dexter are independently certified by the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association in firearms scent detection. Both are working dogs, so if you see them, ask the handlers first if it is acceptable for you to pet the dogs.

Cisco and Dexter are part of the hospital’s security staff, working 40-hour weeks and going home with their handlers. There are no substitutes for the handlers. The dogs work when their handlers work.

They do rounds at each of the 14 hospitals once a week. Hospital staff, patients and visitors enjoy seeing the dogs.

While they are not therapy dogs, their presence at the hospitals is therapeutic for those who get to see them. Staff have reported feeling safer when they know the dogs are present. Patients and visitors report feeling happy to see the dogs on their rounds. The hospital expects them to work for them for at least eight years, maybe longer.

The dogs also participate in training seminars, community events and hideout training sessions.

A springer spaniel, Cisco is an 18-month-old female and one of LVHN’s first security canine officers. Cisco weighs about 34 pounds and will celebrate her second birthday in July. The name Cisco is “associated with being free and a lively spirit.” Cisco lives up to her name by being “super friendly and outgoing,” according to O’Connell. She enjoys spending her free time with her furry brothers, Geo and Oakley, by getting outdoors to play. O’Connell shared she likes to keep Cisco active by going on walks, visiting dog parks and participating in training sessions and demonstrations.

Cisco has been with O’Connell for three months. O’Connell shared Cisco is her first female dog and she could not ask for a better canine partner. O’Connell described Cisco as “eager to learn and eager to work.”

At first, O’Connell explained her two other dogs (who are not working dogs) could not figure out why Cisco got to leave with her each day and they did not get to go. However, now the dogs appear to understand that Cisco goes to work with O’Connell and that there are no issues between the three dogs. She added that Cisco is “not a morning dog” and sometimes needs more time to get going but by the afternoon, she is more than ready.

Weighing in at approximately 60 pounds, Dexter, or Dex, is a black Labrador retriever and also one of LVHN’s first security canine officers. He will turn 2 years old May 21. In his spare time, Dex enjoys training with Mayer, as well as playing with his sister Venus (a Chesapeake retriever) who is also a working dog. He enjoys giving and getting hugs and kisses. Dex displayed flirtatious behavior with the guests by exhibiting his affection with lots of hugs and kisses.

According to LVHN, the K-9 weapons detection program is a “leading-edge, proactive strategy that aims to increase the safety of patients, colleagues and the community.”

For the training demonstration, an unloaded gun was hidden in a bag at a table in the educational conference center room and an empty magazine hidden in a heating unit outside the room. In both drills, both Cisco and Dex were able to detect the hidden items within seconds.

Reda noted the dogs detect gunshot residue, which is found in every gun, even the new ones from the factory. The dogs are trained to detect guns even without casings. The dogs will ignore humans until their task is completed.