News

On 8-12 April, the service dogs training centre of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences in Muraste hosted an international team to conduct a pre-mission service dog trailing and search training led by Frontex. The trainers from Finland and Lithuania provided training sessions for participants from Austria, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Estonia.

The training included trailing and search demonstrations both in the Muraste training field and terrain. On Friday morning, 12 April, they drove to the forest about 20 km from Muraste to complete the final training session including the service dog trailing demonstration in terrain together with work with maps and giving first aid.

The aim of the training was to provide dog handlers with the skills and knowledge to use service dogs in guarding the EU external border.

A similar training is planned also at the end of May with another Frontex service dog instructor training scheduled for early September and December in Estonia.

The Frontex colleagues and other foreign cooperation partners also visited the new study complex of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences in Maarjamäe.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) was established in 2004 with the aim of assisting EU member states and Schengen area in protecting the external borders of the free movement in the EU. As an EU institution, Frontex is funded by the European Union budget and the Schengen Associated Countries. The Frontex headquarters is located in Warsaw, Poland. Frontex develops joint training standards for border guard institutions to harmonise border and coast guard education in the EU and Schengen countries. It is aimed at ensuring that wherever people cross the EU external border, they would be received by common border control standards. It also allows the border and coast guards of various countries to work together efficiently during Frontex operations.