Jefferson City Police Department cruisers fitted with special dog-cooling technology

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Jefferson detailed a new technology Jefferson City Police Department has equipped in both of its K9 vehicles in a Facebook post Wednesday.

"Our K9 vehicles are equipped with AceK9 heat alarms that monitor and manage the temperature, ensuring the K9s stay cool and safe in the summer heat," the post read.

The post comes after a K9 officer Savannah, Mo. died after being left in a hot police car over the weekend.

Lieutenant Jason Payne, of the Jefferson City Police department tells ABC 17 the department has had the AceK9 system since they first started their K9 program 15 years ago.

He says the system was first recommended to their department by trainers at the Boone County K9 Training Center.

"It is an overall consensus of all the trainers around what equipment to use in the cars.it is standardized and that was the best option. And we've been running with that for about 15 years," Payne said.

AceK9 calls its"'K9 Hot-N-Pop Pro" its most sophisticated combination of door opening and dog cooling technology.

AceK9 says the system includes "dual temperature sensors, an engine stall monitor and vehicle battery sentinel."

The system also automatically powers on when the ignition is turned on and requires the handler to manually turn the system off. 

If the handler turns off the ignition and exits the vehicle, the system stays on and keeps monitoring the interior environment for the dog. Rising temperatures inside the vehicle will cause an automatic response from the vehicle

Lieutenant Payne says their system is set to go off once the internal car temperature rises above 85 degrees.

"On hot days, they're constantly looking at that temperature to make sure it doesn't get too hot for the dog to be in the back of the car. If it gets too accelerated temperature above 85 and it drops the windows, set off a fan that's in the back of the car and it alerts with the siren and lights up," Payne said.

When the officer goes to shut down the system at the end of a shift, an audible and visual warning to remove the dog is given before the system shuts down.

Payne says JCPD officers are alerted on their smartphones with real-time updates. AceK9 refers to this as its "AceWatchDog" system.

"It is set at 85 degrees to send a text message, a phone call. And if they don't pick up the phone call, then it sends a voicemail to let them know," Payne said.

AceK9 says through this system officers receive warning notifications before the danger and alarm happen, multiple personnel have access to monitor multiple vehicles and the department can choose who receives "warnings" and who receives "full alarm" notifications.

Lieutenant Payne says the system cost the department around $1,800 for both K9 heat alarm systems and an additional $170 each year for the "AceWatchDog" system.