A new classmate joined some Nassau County students this school year, but this student has four legs. K9 Max, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office’s newest canine, was deployed within the Nassau County School District as part of NCSO’s partnership with the district.
K9 Max specializes in firearm detection and was introduced this school year as another layer of preventative security. The one-year-old Fox Red Lab specializes in sniffing out guns, but is also trained in human tracking and article search.
While class was out during summer break, K9 Max and his handler, School Resource Officer Brandon Griffith, have been busy training for the upcoming school year. This will be Deputy Griffith’s third year based at Yulee Middle School, but in his new role with K9 Max, he will visit the other Nassau County schools as well.
“As school resource officers, our primary duty is making sure the students and staff are safe and K9 Max is another tool in the arsenal,” Deputy Griffith said.
“Our main focus is to make sure that our teachers, students, and schools are as safe as possible,” Sheriff Bill Leeper said. “K9 Max will help ensure teachers can teach and students can learn in a safe environment.”
Max turned one-year-old in April. He comes to NCSO from West Virginia, but his country of origin is England. Beyond his training in firearm detection, he is a playful dog who loves working alongside the students and staff.
NCSO appreciates its longstanding partnership with the Nassau County School District and its emphasis on safety. As part of the partnership, the sheriff’s office provides school resource officers in the county’s middle and high schools outside Fernandina Beach.
