Profiles

Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog Association Board Members and Assisting Instructors

President
Fred Helfers, Police Detective with 21 years in law enforcement; approximately 16 of those years spent as a Narcotics Detective who actively worked two Narcotics Detection Canines.

	24 years experience as a Police Officer with City of Everett Police Department WA. (Retired 2004)
	20 years experience as a Detective in Narcotic Investigations.
	22 years experience handling and training Narcotic Detection Canines. Past president of the Washington State Police Canine Association, two terms 1986 through 1990.
	Author of Minimum Standards for Narcotic Detection Canines as recognized by WSPCA and the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.
	Recognized as Master Trainer for Detection Canines. (WSPCA 1986)
	Conducted training seminars on Detection Canines for Law Enforcement Agencies in United States, Canada, Australia and Brazil.
	Recognized as Canine Trainer for the Oregon State Police Narcotic Detection Canine Unit.
	Certified as an Instructor in Narcotic Detection Canines by the Academia Da Policia Civil, Florianopolis, State of Santa Catarina. Brazil. (1998)
	Developed, organized and conducted four week detection dog handler course for Brazilian government 2005. Certification standards adopted by Brazilian government.
	Court recognized expertise in Canine Detection in Federal and State courts.
	Established Police Canine Training Facility for Detection Canines and Handlers. (1984)
	Handler class recognized in Washington, Oregon and Idaho for Law Enforcement training credit.
	Founding President of the Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog Association. (1999)
	Personally trained over 300 Narcotic Detection Canine Teams for Law Enforcement Agencies throughout the Pacific Northwest.
	Trained Detection Canines for Insect Detection, Natural Gas Detection, and Accelerant Detection.

Vice President
Gord McGuinness, 20 years as a Police Officer in Vancouver British Columbia, with 13 years experience with the Vancouver police dog squad. Recognized Master Trainer for police service dogs, Instructed at training seminars for service dogs at Law Enforcement Agencies in British Columbia, Washington State, Orange County Florida, Las Vegas Nevada, and Ventura California. Head trainer for the Vancouver Police service dog squad.

In 1999 Gord apprenticed under Fred Helfers at Cedarhome Kennels Narcotic Detection Dog School. Gord was responsible for introducing the first single purpose narcotic detection team in the history of the Vancouver Police Department. He is recognized as Police Service Dog Expert in Canadian Courts.

Secretary/Treasurer
Brian Lehr, Brian has been employed by the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office since March of 1994. Prior to that Brian worked as a provisional reserve with Ferndale PD for 4 yrs. Brian has attended and completed a Narcotics Detection/K-9 Handler course conducted by Master Trainer Fred Helfers at Cedarhome Kennels and have been a K9 handler since September of 96. Brian has also attended Desert Snow Phase 4-Advanced Highway Drug Interdiction/Commercial Vehicles, Drug Enforcement for Patrol Officers, Operation Pipeline Highway Drug Interdiction with EPIC and DEA, W.S.P.C.A Narcotics Canine Training. Desert Snow Phase 1,2,and 3- Advanced Highway Drug Interdiction Training, Narcotic K-9 Interdiction Training-Florida Multi jurisdictional Drug Task Force.

Brian recently retired K9 “Nikki” from the sheriff’s office. Brian has assisted in teaching narcotic interdiction training courses for patrol officers, and coordinated the highway drug interdiction program for Skagit county along the I-5 corridor with the assistance of U.S. Customs, W.S.P. and Immigration Officers . Brian also maintained the school drug interdiction program throughout the county school system.