As the timer elapses every second can count when search-ing for an explosive device in unfamiliar surroundings.

To help protect victims and officers, a German sheperd named Tapico, a bomb dog, will speed up search time.

The dog has joined Calhoun police department, and is now training to become bomb certified. He understands com-mands in three langages: English, Dutch and Czech.

Tapico will allow officers to cut down their search time significantly.

“It’s very time-consuming to search a building and go through it. We, at the police department, aren’t familiar with the building,” said Chief Garry Moss of the Calhoun Police.

“An officer would go in at the school and have to go through so much … the book bags, lockers and it’s very time consuming,” he added.

The dog’s only job is locating a bomb.

In Calhoun, seven to eight bomb threats are reported a year, including in factories and schools, officials stated.

Moss said that no bombs have ever been set off in Calhoun.

While, the dog will help speed up response time, it will also serve the police sacrificially.

“We have a lot of bomb threats, and it’s cheaper to replace a dog than a human being,” said Moss.

The bomb dog and his handler, Calhoun police officer An-thony Penson, will pair up and go inside of a building before several police officers. Previously, they would send several officers at once, then disperse inside of the building.

“We’re working to get the dog certified,” said Moss. “We hope to have him fully certified by December.”

“He can find the explosive now, but he needs some tuning up,” he added.

Tapico, came to Calhoun from Iraq. He was purchased through a contract company through the federal government, Moss said.