Security is priority number one when it comes to hosting a major event like the Super Bowl, and it's not just people working hard to keep things safe.
Dozens of explosive detection K-9 teams from across the country landed in Phoenix weeks before the big game.
"TSA is working hard, just like everybody else here in Phoenix, to help secure not only the people who live here, but all the people who are coming in for the Super Bowl," said TSA spokesperson, Patricia Mancha.
Mancha says the dogs undergo an intensive 16-week training program in San Antonio before they are certified and placed with a handler. She says the dogs train with real explosive materials and must get re-certified each year.
The dogs are chosen from a variety of breeds based on temperament around crowds of people.
Mancha says they're rewarded with toys instead of treats during training to eliminate the need for food to be available in order to get them to work. She says the dogs are kept in peak physical condition and have their health closely monitored by veterinarians.
"We consider them the most elite athletes in the TSA," Mancha said. "We're happy to say that our elite athletes are working to support elite athletes at the Super Bowl and the Phoenix Open."
Mancha says the dogs live with their handlers, so they become more than just a team, they become family.
Handler Michelle Draeger is based out of Atlanta's Hartsfield/Jackson Airport and has been paired with her dog "Flint" for the past six years.
Flint is a German short-haired pointer, and the duo is working their third Super Bowl together.
“We’ve been all over the place. They sent us to different locations. We’ve been doing a lot of sweeps prior to the teams coming to whatever location they're going to be in,” Draeger said.
Handler Andy Tischner and his dog "Mango" are based at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and have been together for just three months.
"It's very serious work for us. For the dogs, they don't really work, they play," Tischner said.
"Of course it's fun for them," Draeger added. "To them it's a game. It's like hide and seek for them."
But make no mistake, the work they do is critical.
"Unlike most dogs around the country, these dogs can screen people and moving targets, so they're very special," Tischner said.
In fact, Mancha says, the TSA's explosive detection K-9 force is the second largest in the world, behind only the Department of Defense.
"These dogs are trying to detect explosives, and explosive materials only. They don't look for drugs, they don’t look for money, people or anything like that," Mancha said.
When you think about all the locations and masses of people in town this weekend, she says people should rest easier when they're on the job.
"The work that they're doing is critical because again, it’s an added layer of security that helps keep all of us safe," she said.
TSA officials say it's important, however, that people don't attempt to pet or feed one of the K-9s if they see them out in public, as it could distract and delay them from their all-important work.
"It’s ok to walk by and kind of say hi, and just keep moving," Tischner said. "But don’t stop and don’t try and directly address the dog and distract him from what he’s doing, because we need them to be totally focused on keeping you safe," he said.
TSA officials say the K-9 teams will remain in the Phoenix area well past Super Bowl Sunday to make sure all guests make it out of town safely.
