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New police canine to help ‘ensure our community’s safety’

Fiore Toyota donates $17,000 to Logan to add second dog to department roster

Mirror photo by Greg Bock / Logan Township Police Chief Tim Mercer speaks during a press conference Wednesday alongside Dan Fiore and his wife, Robin Fiore, at the Fiore Toyota dealership on Logan Boulevard.

Mirror photo by Greg Bock / Logan Township Police Chief Tim Mercer speaks during a press conference Wednesday alongside Dan Fiore and his wife, Robin Fiore, at the Fiore Toyota dealership on Logan Boulevard.

Fiore Toyota has donated $17,000 to Logan Township so its police department can add a second dog to its roster.

On Wednesday, Dan Fiore, his wife, Robin, and their children Katie and Chase, along with the employees of Fiore Toyota, hosted township officials at the Logan Boulevard car dealership to present a ceremonial check and talk about the donation that will bring a second police dog to the streets of the township in as many years.

“These canine greatly enhance our police department because of their heightened senses,” said Logan Township Police Chief Tim Mercer. “They have an impressive resume of helping us seize large amounts of illegal drugs before they can be dispersed within our community.”

Mercer said the dogs have been to every school in Blair County and are available to other departments.

They also provide officers with an advantage when dealing with uncooperative or violent suspects.

Dan Fiore said the people of Blair County have supported Fiore Toyota for the past 27 years, so it was their hope that they could return that support through the purchase of the dog.

“This canine will help further ensure our community’s safety by protecting our citizens, students and our police officers,” Fiore said, adding that, along with covering the $14,000 cost of the dog and six weeks of training for its handler, they also wanted to help cover some of the expenses that go along with maintaining the police dog.

Mercer said that, in addition to the $14,000 purchase and training expenses, it also costs about $6,000 to outfit a dedicated patrol vehicle with temperature control, a K-9 cage and quick deployment system.

The township’s supervisors, who Mercer said have provided “unwavering support for the canine program,” have committed to buying a new patrol vehicle to be outfitted for the new dog and its handler, which will cost about $43,000.

The upfront costs do not include the yearly food and veterinarian costs, which is why Fiore Toyota’s donation was more than the cost of obtaining the dog, Fiore said.

“It was important to us to not only purchase the canine but also help cover some of the costs of maintaining the police canine unit,” said Fiore, who noted they are “a big family of dog lovers.”

Township Supervisor James Patterson joined supervisors Joe Metzgar and Dave Rhoa, along with Township Manager Tim Brown, at the dealership Wednesday and said the money will be used efficiently and effectively.

Patterson thanked the Fiore family and said it was businesspeople like them who have always been a tremendous support to the community.

“They see a need to do something, and they step forward and support it,” Patterson said.

The township’s police department added Freddy, a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois, to the force last month, and Mercer said the selection process for the next officer dog handler will begin in the spring.

Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7458.

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