President | Gunner Fulmer
I started my career in Law Enforcement for the city of Walla Walla in 2008, after serving 13 years as a Paramedic/Firefighter for the same city. I was awarded my first canine partner in 2009, K9 Rev. I worked K9 Rev as a narcotics canine on patrol, serving 6 different cities, FBI, DEA and Washington State Penitentiary. In 2015, I retired K9 Rev and received K9 Pick. In 2015, I was assigned to a special teams unit, assisting departments in and around Walla Walla, FBI, DEA, Washington State Penitentiary and other task forces in our region.
In 2018 I was promoted to patrol sergeant but continued to work my dog until the beginning of 2020. K9 Pick was retired in February of 2020. In February of 2020, I was promoted to administrative sergeant within my department. I retired from the department in December of 2022. I now serve as an elected Walla Walla County Commissioner for District 3.
I have been part of PNWK9 since 2009, I helped establish the regional training group in South Eastern Washington and North Eastern Oregon. I have helped instruct handlers since 2015 and have been certifying canine teams since 2018. I have testified in several large federal narcotic cases as an expert witness to canine behavior, training, and certifying handlers. I was asked to serve as president of PNWK9 in 2022. I look forward to many more years of providing great training, instruction, and guidance to our canine teams in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and British Columbia.
President Emeritus | Fred Helfers
Fred Helfers started training and handling detection canines in 1982 while working with the Everett Police department. Fred trained and worked two drug detection canines during his 28 years in law enforcement. Over the past 40 years Fred has expanded his knowledge of detection canines by training canines and handlers in the fields of drug detection, insect detection, natural gas detection and accelerant detection.
Further, for over 20 years Fred operated a professional detection dog training kennel and training facility for police officers, training drug detection and accelerant detection canines and their handlers. Fred’s passion and recognized expertise in training detection canine teams has led him to conduct training seminars and classes throughout United States, Canada, Australia, Sweden, and Brazil.
Fred is a past president of the Washington State Police Canine Association (1986 -1990) and the founding President – President Emeritus of the Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog Association (PNWK9). Fred’s recognized expertise in the training of detection canines and handlers led to Fred being appointed as a founding member of the Scientific Working Group on Dog and Orthogonal Factors (SWGDOG 2005 -2012) and recently as a member of Organization of Scientific Area Committee (OSAC – Dogs and Sensors sub-committee). During his career, Fred Helfers has trained literally hundreds of professional canines and their handlers. Along with being recognized as a master trainer in detection canines, Fred is a certified Nose Work Instructor for NACSW.
Vice President (International) | Gord McGuinness
Gord McGuinness is currently a member of the Metro Vancouver Transit Police (MVTP) in British Columbia, Canada. Gord is the Sergeant in charge of the MVTP explosive detection dog canine unit where he manages and is responsible for the basic and in-service training of their 8 single purpose explosive detection dogs.
This assignment follows a 34 year career with the Vancouver Police Department. Prior to his retirement from the VPD, Gord spent 19 of 34 years as canine handler and worked five police service dogs during his time in the VPD Canine Unit.
For more than a decade Gord held the position of Head Trainer in the Canine Unit where he was responsible for implementing the first single purpose, narcotic and explosive detection dog teams in the history of the Vancouver Police Department. His responsibilities also included the acquisition and training of 51 general duty, and 4 detection dog teams as well as the basic training for other police canine units both in Canada and the United States. Throughout his time in the Canine Unit, Gord also worked his own general duty and explosive detection dogs.
In addition to his policing career, Gord operates a private consulting business in which he trains patrol, narcotic and explosive detection dogs for the private security industry. He has worked closely with Fred Helfers, over the past 24 years and is a co-founder of the Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog
Vice President | Mike Barclay
Mike Barclay is a retired Chief Deputy from the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office in Mountain Home, Idaho. Mike has 25 years of Law Enforcement experience. He has over 17 years of Narcotic’s K-9 Handling experience and applications and has supervised multiple K9 units over the years between his time with the Mountain Home Police Department and the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office.
Mike started his Law Enforcement career in 1986. He served four in the US Air Force. Mike joined the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve Deputy in 1991. In 1994 he was hired by Mountain Home Police as a Patrol Officer. In 1996 Mike became the first Mountain Home Police K-9 Officer for the department. Mike was assigned a Narcotics / Personal Protection K-9. At the time of implementing the K-9 program, Mike was responsible for drafting and writing the department’s K9 policy and procedures. After 2 years of showing the value and demand for a narcotic’s K9, Mike was able to obtain a grant to add a second Dual Purpose K-9 to the department. In 2000 Mike was appointed K-9 supervisor to supervise the MHPD K-9 program until he transferred agency and went to work for the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office in 2002 Mike was able to transfer his K9 partner with him to the Sheriff’s Office. Mike promoted to position of Captain of the Detectives with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office working Narcotics and Major Crimes while still handling a K9.
In December of 2012 he was promoted to Chief Deputy where he was able to implement a strong K9 program with 4 Narcotics K9 teams. In December of 2016, retired as the Chief Deputy. He eventually returned to work in patrol under a new sheriff. During his tenure with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Mike was Narcotics instructor for Concealment Techniques and Drug recognition and has directed and commanded several multi- agency Interdiction Efforts along the corridor of Interstate I-84 in Elmore County, Idaho.
Mike’s training includes but is not limited to several K-9 schools that were directed at concealments techniques to defeat K-9 applications, K-9 selection, K-9 Handler selection, Supervision and Responsibilities of K-9’s programs, Training Applications of K-9’s and K-9 legal updates just to name a few. He has attended the Idaho K-9 Evaluator/ Training class.
Mike competed in the 2008 World Police Games with his previous K9, Maggie. He has been a certifying official for PNWK9 since 2011. Mike is a firm believer that training and training hard only makes for exceptional K-9 teams. I believe that K-9s are a true asset to any department.
Mike Retired from Law Enforcement in 2019 and remains very active and dedicated with the Pacific Northwest Police Detection Dog Association – PNWK9.
Secretary/Treasurer | Diane Barclay
Diane Barclay worked for the City of Mountain Home Police Department for 5 years, then moved a company involved with public safety for almost 17 years. She attended the PNWK9 Conferences with her husband Mike where she became more involved with the program and eventually took over as Secretary/Treasurer.