While the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers duke it out in today’s Super Bowl, Ostermann the bomb-sniffing dog from Denver will be behind the scenes keeping fans safe.
Special Agent Doug Lambert of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and K-9 partner Ostermann, a Labrador retriever, left for the Dallas area last week to conduct security sweeps.
The two will comb Cowboys Stadium and other venues close by for explosives, firearms or ammunition that could harm the masses of fans celebrating the game.
Lambert and Ostermann are one of 25 K-9 teams deployed for Super Bowl XLV.
Robert Champion, special agent in charge of the Dallas ATF office, said there are more than 100 trained personnel from the ATF, which is more resources provided by the agency than at previous Super Bowls.
ATF has used explosives-detecting canines at events such as the Republican and Democratic national conventions, the president’s inauguration, the Group of Eight summit, the World Series, NASCAR races and the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
In 1986, the ATF began training Labrador retrievers to conduct explosives-detection work.
Dogs such as Ostermann are supplied by Guiding Eyes for the Blind, the Guide Dog Foundation and Canine Companions for Independence.
Ostermann was trained during a 10-week course at the ATF National Canine Training and Operations Center in Virginia, and he keeps up his training daily with Lambert.
Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com
