TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- The Tucson Airport Authority's board of directors has accepted an offer from the federal transportation officials to provide three bomb-sniffing dogs to the airport.
The Transportation Security Administration also will train three airport police officers to handle the animals.
The board wants to enhance security at Tucson International Airport and at Ryan Airfield, which the authority also manages.
The security measures are necessary for airports in the post-9/11 world, said Tom Andrews, the authority's vice president of operations.
The dogs will begin patrolling the airport within six to nine months, according to Andrews.
The airport currently depends on the Pima County Sheriff's Department to send a bomb-sniffing dog and handler.
Andrews said the federal government will pay most of the program's costs, up to $120,000 a year.
The government funds the program at 84 other airports around the country.
