Riverside

Last Saturday’s Hero Hunt in Riverside brought together many current and former police officers, along with sponsors who helped make the event possible. Among those sponsors was Sniff Industries.

Owner and founder Paul Curtis attended wearing his Tennessee Volunteers hat. A native and current resident of Loudon, Tennessee, Curtis traveled to Riverside and arrived Thursday night. Coming to Iowa on the first Saturday of October has become a tradition for him.

Curtis enjoys attending the Hero Hunt each year.

“Just blessed to be here.” He continued, “we’re here to support any way we can.”

Sniff Industries

Sniff Industries specializes in manufacturing and developing canine detection training equipment. The company is best known for its patented CORT System, or K9 Odor Recognition Training System.

Curtis founded the company after spending 22 years in law enforcement. Upon retiring, he wanted to remain involved in the field in a different capacity.

“I enjoyed my career, but at the same time, didn't have any problems leaving.”

He also wanted to remain active and continue giving back.

“How am I going to stay relevant? Continue to give back.”

That desire led him to focus fully on Sniff Industries.

Police departments across the country

According to Curtis, the company works with departments across the country, including those in Iowa, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, California, Florida and Wisconsin.

Texas, California and Florida account for a significant amount of the company’s business.

“We do a lot of business in Texas and California. Florida is really heavy for us too.”

Paul Curtis, owner and founder

When Curtis retired in 2019, he decided to start his own company and continue working with police officers in a different capacity.

During his 22 years in law enforcement, Curtis trained dogs and served in a canine unit. While working as a handler, he developed the detection training system that many police departments use today.

“The system itself has been out for a long time. We developed it in the late 2000s, and then we used it for our own training groups and people that we would train locally.”

Products

Curtis brought three products to the event: the Tactical Acuity Board, the Retrievable Odor Imprinting Device (ROID) and the Dopamine Box. While demonstrating the equipment, he noted that the Tactical Acuity Board and ROID were patented.

The Tactical Acuity Board features a letter-and-number grid that helps dogs already trained in odor detection locate small amounts of a target odor precisely. It also allows handlers to verify the location where the odor is hidden.

Curtis explained that the board helps trainers sharpen a trained canine’s ability to detect an odor in very small quantities. During his demonstration, he used half a gram of training odor as an example.

The dog searches the board’s holes and is expected to give a precise alert at the hole containing the target odor. The grid allows the handler to identify the hole’s location, check the dog’s response and record details such as the substance and amount used.

The Retrievable Odor Imprinting Device is used for odor-imprinting exercises. At last year’s Hero Hunt, Washington County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Nolan Burke brought his canine, Dzamal, and the crowd watched him use the device.

Curtis also brought the Dopamine Box, a training tool with several applications, including environmental training.

Sniff Industries is based in Loudon, Tennessee, where Curtis lives.

Prior to starting Sniff Industries

Before launching his business, Curtis spent 22 years working as a deputy sheriff. However, law enforcement was not his first career.

After college, he worked in the nuclear materials industry in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. His role was in operations, where he worked closely with engineering groups and handled project management responsibilities. He compared the type of work to the field associated with people like Elon Musk, though he acknowledged it was not quite the same.

“I worked in the nuclear materials industry where we managed nuclear materials, and I was an operations guy. I was commonly attached to engineering groups, a lot of project management stuff.”

One of his relatives, who was also a deputy, encouraged him to go on a few ride-alongs. Those experiences sparked his interest in law enforcement and led him to change careers in his 20s.

As Curtis explained, “You don’t always pick your path”.

He spent nearly a year preparing financially for the change, knowing it would mean a substantial pay cut.

“I spent almost a year preparing myself financially. One day I quit what I was doing. When I became a deputy sheriff, I took a 60% pay cut and never regretted it for a second.”

Curtis’ son followed in his footsteps and became a police officer, continuing the family’s connection to law enforcement.

Business

Running a business can be stressful, and Curtis said that while he enjoys his work, some days leave him ready to call it a day.

Fishing gives him a way to unwind.

“I like to bass fish, and we have major lakes where I live.” He continued and said that "it's a good way to just escape.”

To learn more about Sniff Industries, visit www.k9sniff.com or find the company on Instagram and Facebook.