CoxHealth adding K-9s to Springfield security teams
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Dec 6 2020 CoxHealth is adding two new officers to its Springfield security team.
The project to bring on K-9′s for CoxHealth campuses in Springfield started about a year ago. The dogs, their training and the special K-9 unit vehicles, all cost about $158,000.
That money came from the CoxHealth Foundation. The handlers and hospital officials say additional security is priceless.
After five years as a security guard for CoxHealth, Josh Wentler is getting a new title, K-9 handler.
“I’ve always had a passion with dogs,” Wentler said.
He and his new partner Hugo went through six weeks of tests and training in Ohio, alongside fellow guard Montana Millican and K-9 Ackley. Both dogs are registered German Shepherds.
“I think they’re a huge tool that gets under-utilized in a lot of police departments, health care systems,” Wentler said.
Millican said nearly 75% of all workplace assaults happen in healthcare settings.
“We’re trying to reduce the number of assaults for the CoxHealth systems. We’re hoping he can provide that,” Millican said.
He said studies show, simply having a K-9 can decrease that by 30-40%.
“A lot of people, just having a dog present, we’re hoping will deescalate the situation,” Millican said.
David Taylor, Corporate Vice President for CoxHealth, said in the last two years, workplace violence events are up by 19%.
“Day in and day out, if you look at our facilities, we’ve limited access. So our staff that are at the doors are telling people they can’t come in and visit, that creates issues for us. It creates additional stress for them and their families,” Taylor said.
Taylor said while having K-9′s on campus could help, Springfield police would still be called if an arrest is necessary.
Millican said the K-9s are trained to sniff and search if someone goes missing.
“He can track a patient through whatever floor she goes through, a stairwell, if she goes outside,” Millican said.
He said his dog, Ackley can also identify 21 different types of bombs.
“We recently had a bomb threat in Barton County. If we would’ve had him present, we could’ve sent him out to validate the bomb threat, whether or not there’s a bomb present,” Millican said.
Millican said he’s been hoping to be a handler since he started working security.
“Now I’m blessed to have him and it’s been amazing. He’s been living with me. I’m blessed to be here,” he said.
Hugo and Ackley will continue training every day while living at home with their handlers. They’ll be starting patrols at Cox South and Cox North in the coming weeks.
Taylor predicted the program will continue for years to come.
The cost to keep the K-9s every year is about $100,000, including salaries for the handlers.
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