Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / DAFF's National Lead of Detector Dog Training Jeff Smith says more biosecurity dog handlers are needed in Darwin

Transcript

DAFF's National Lead of Detector Dog Training Jeff Smith says more biosecurity dog handlers are needed in Darwin · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Now Biosecurity.
• 0:01
  Speaker 2: There is currently a Biosecurity Detected Dog program. They're recruiting
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: new biosecurity detected dog handlers. Applications are now open and
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: joining me on the line to tell us a little
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: bit more about this is the national lead Detected Dog
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: Training and Innovation at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
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  Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Jeff Smith.
• 0:25
  Speaker 3: Well, good morning Katie, thanks for having me.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Lovely to have you on the show.
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: Jeff, tell us a little bit more about these job
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  Speaker 2: opportunities for biosecurity detect a dog handlers.
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  Speaker 3: Look, I think it's a really exciting opportunity. We're got
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  Speaker 3: a national recruitment going at the moment and it's of
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  Speaker 3: which Darwin is a part of that. So we're really
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  Speaker 3: keen to hear from people that are interested in working
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  Speaker 3: with animals and with dogs more specifically. In the past
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: we've in recent times at least we've only opened these
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: opportunities up to people that were already by security officers.
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: We now have a really good Bye Scurity Foundation training program.
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: Let us open it up to the broader public. So
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  Speaker 3: it's a really exciting time for us.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it sounds like it's very exciting and potentially an
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  Speaker 2: amazing opportunity for territorians out there listening today. Do you
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: need any sort of background with dogs or you know,
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  Speaker 2: what are the requirements?
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  Speaker 3: Look, we're lucky enough we've got a world class training
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  Speaker 3: program for our detected dog handlers. But what we are
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  Speaker 3: looking for is people that have got a real desire
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  Speaker 3: and maybe some prior experience if they do, but just
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  Speaker 3: a real desire and a willingness to be able to
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  Speaker 3: work with dogs. And alongside that they need to also
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  Speaker 3: bring some skills and capability around being curious confident in questioning,
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  Speaker 3: which will help them to also be a bi security
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  Speaker 3: officer because it is a complete role, not just working
• 1:46
  Speaker 3: with dogs.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, right, and so how does it work?
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  Speaker 2: Then you've already got those dogs, but obviously you need
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: then to get the handlers and they've got to be
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: really specifically trained to be able to look after those dogs.
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: Correct. Yeah, So we run a it's about a twelve
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: week development program for our detected dog handlers, and four
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  Speaker 3: weeks of that is actually an intensive on site program
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  Speaker 3: down in Brisbane where we teach you how to handle
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  Speaker 3: our dogs and not only to handle them to make
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: sure that they're effective and develop their training and also
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: look after their welfare. And then that's also supported by
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: a Bisecurity Foundation training which is more around the general
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: bi security officer's skill set.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: Okay, and then what's it like on the job?
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  Speaker 2: You know, I guess it sounds like a lot of
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  Speaker 2: fun being a dog handler, but I would imagine that
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  Speaker 2: it can be fairly challenging.
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  Speaker 3: Look it is. I was lucky enough to start my
• 2:37
  Speaker 3: career with the department as a dog handler way back
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  Speaker 3: in two thousand and two. And everyone says, oh, you
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: get to play with your dog all day, and that's
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: true to a point, but it is a very challenging role.
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  Speaker 3: You're responsible for that dog's welfare and that dog's performance,
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  Speaker 3: so you know, you really need to bring your a
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  Speaker 3: game every day to make sure you're doing the best
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  Speaker 3: thing by that dog to get the best detection outcome.
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  Speaker 3: So it's not without its challenge, but that's a big
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: part of what makes it so rewarding.
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  Speaker 2: And Jeff, what are some of those sort of daily
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  Speaker 2: jobs that you know that the general punter would see
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  Speaker 2: the biosecurity dogs and their handlers doing.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, so the big thing and hopefully your listeners will
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  Speaker 3: have heard about Inter in Darwin at the moment. She's
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  Speaker 3: just been up there the last month or two. Detect
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  Speaker 3: the dogs. Inter we've largely screening passengers international passengers on
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  Speaker 3: arrival at the airport as they come in. In addition,
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  Speaker 3: will also be screening passengers dish embarking cruise ships, that
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  Speaker 3: type of thing. They're probably the public view roles. And
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  Speaker 3: then there's the back end of it is where handlers
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  Speaker 3: spent a fair bit of time doing maintenance, training, grooming
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  Speaker 3: the dog, making sure it's doing health checks and those
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: types of things.
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  Speaker 1: Awesome.
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  Speaker 2: I'd love to meet one of the dogs one day
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  Speaker 2: if they're ever around and want to come into the
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  Speaker 2: studio for a visit. We always we always like meeting
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: the various working dogs around the territory. We've met the
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  Speaker 2: police dogs and yet it's always good, you know, to
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: see them in.
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  Speaker 1: Action as well.
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: Yeah, they're great, certainly great to watch and very I
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  Speaker 3: guess impressive with the things that they can smell and
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: then tell us that they've found it.
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  Speaker 2: Now I understand as well that Zinta was the one
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  Speaker 2: that found the macas the McDonald's in somebody's in the
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  Speaker 2: passenger's luggage when they're coming back from Balley.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, that's correct, expensive hamburger.
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  Speaker 2: What'sn't it? Just Zinta saved the day by the sounds
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  Speaker 2: of things.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, look, and I know we have a little bit
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  Speaker 3: of a giggle about that, but the reality is, with
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  Speaker 3: threads of foot and mouth disease, African swine fever, etc.
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  Speaker 3: That being compliant and thinking about what we bring back
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  Speaker 3: into the country is more and more important every day,
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  Speaker 3: and at the moment, with international travel coming back in
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  Speaker 3: large numbers, it's important that not only do we share
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  Speaker 3: with the public importance of complying with biosecurity requirements, but
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  Speaker 3: also that we have the right people at the border
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  Speaker 3: to meet people as they return. And that's a part
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  Speaker 3: of what this recruitments about, is making sure we have
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: enough people on the front line.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely so, Jeff, across the nation. How many handlers are
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  Speaker 2: you looking for? Do you have a specific number or
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  Speaker 2: is it just sort.
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  Speaker 3: Of waiting the total number in front of me? But
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  Speaker 3: we do have panel positions nationally, so we're probably up
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  Speaker 3: around that twenty to thirty mark, I would imagine, so, and.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: If there is recruitment, yeah, it does sound that way.
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  Speaker 2: If there is any territory in listening this morning, who's
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  Speaker 2: thinking I would love to have a go at that.
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  Speaker 2: What's the best way for them to find out some
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  Speaker 2: further detail.
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  Speaker 3: We'd love you to jump onto our website or our
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: social media pages to have a look at whether the
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: jobs are advertised. You'll find a bit more information there.
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  Speaker 3: Have a read through the criteria and the requirements that
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: we expect that people will do. If you think you
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: fit the bill, pop your application in and we'd love
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  Speaker 3: to talk to you well.
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: Jeff Smith, the National Lead Detective Dog Training and Innovation
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: at the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries and Forestry.
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: We really appreciate your time this morning. Thanks for having
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  Speaker 1: a chat with us.
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: Excellent, Thanks so much, Datie Cure