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Mercer County Sheriff Doug Timmerman and Deputy Haiden Stidam discuss the new K-9 they plan to acquire in August from Von der haus Gill Kennel in Wapakoneta. The chosen dog and Stidam will then undergo training for several weeks.
CELINA - Deputy Haiden Stidam has been selected as the Mercer County Sheriff's Office next K-9 handler, an assignment that will find the officer-dog duo working, playing and living side-by-side, hopefully for many years to come.
Mercer County Sheriff Doug Timmerman plans to acquire a dog, likely a German Shepherd because of its suitable demeanor, sometime in August from Von der haus Gill Kennel in Wapakoneta. The chosen dog and Stidam will then undergo training for several weeks.
"We've had dogs from there in the past," Timmerman pointed out. "They've been well-trained, good-quality dogs. If we've ever had a problem, they stand behind it. So that's always beneficial."
This will be a dual purpose dog - "serving in tracking, searches, handler protection, drug work, those kinds of things," Timmerman noted.
Estimated at about $14,000, the purchase and training of the K-9 will be bankrolled with a donation presented to the sheriff's office this week by Bob Hibner on behalf of the Red, White and Blue Celebration organization that puts on a free concert and community event each summer in Coldwater Memorial Park in support of first responders.
"This dog is not possible without donations like this. … I feel like if we provide a good service from the sheriff's office, we get such good feedback from the community," Timmerman said. "When people like Bob and other people have stepped forward and donated, that's a sign of respect for us … that they appreciate the service we're giving them."
Hibner, who is also the chair of the Mercer County Republican Party, said the Red, White and Blue Celebration has steadfastly provided financial assistance to law enforcement and other first responder agencies for about six years.
"We've donated to various causes the last several years, with the proceeds of the Red, White and Blue. This will be the sixth annual (event this summer)," Hibner said. "We try to target the fire, police or law enforcement, and EMS services here in the county."
Hibner said it came to his attention that there was a need for funds to purchase and train a dog. Thanks to the Mercer County Commissioners, the sheriff's office will have a cruiser and necessary equipment to accommodate the four-legged officer when he's ready to hit the road with Stidam and carry out search warrants, assist in investigations, sniff out drugs and conduct rescue missions.
"There was a need for some money for the K-9. I was surprised just how expensive it is, between the car and equipment and training of the dog and the coordination and making sure the dog's safe and all of those things," Hibner said.
Stidam was selected from a pool of five deputies interested in partnering and essentially sharing their life with the sheriff's office's next K-9 officer.
"All five of them would have done a fantastic job, but I know Haiden will do a very good job with it," Timmerman said. "'This is yours (Haiden's), you make this thing succeed. And you know, we want that for all of the dogs in the county, to be successful, and they work together well as a team."
A sheriff's office K-9 handler and a previous K-9 handler from the Auglaize County Sheriff's Office were brought in to conduct interviews and make a recommendation to Timmerman.
"I will tell you that they struggled with it for a few days because … everybody did well," Timmerman said. "Obviously, you've got four disappointed people and one, I'm assuming, very happy person. A lot of deputies want to be K-9 handlers."
The sheriff's office currently has one dog assigned to patrol, Hex, who is partnered with Deputy Spencer Heinl.
"I've spent a lot of time talking to him about his dog and being around his dog, and it really kind of piqued my interest for the past year or so, working around him and seeing what he can do," Stidam told The Daily Standard.
He said he's excited to get to partner with a K-9.
"My main goal with the dog is to get into narcotics, drug work, that type of thing," Stidam said. "The dog will allow us to be better equipped to find drugs, and be able to get into cars."
As for the Red, White and Blue Celebration, the organization is gearing up for a huge year. It's partnering with the Village of Coldwater America-250 committee to throw a massive party in Coldwater Memorial Park on July 4 featuring three bands - Exploit Deluxe, That 70's Rock Show and Garth Brooks tribute act Fresh Horses -- multiple food trucks, a display of emergency vehicles and other activities.
"It kind of makes sense," said Coldwater America-250 commitee chairman Brad Niekamp. "Fourth of July signing of the Declaration of Independence - a huge year for us to celebrate that. And for the past few years, Bob's had the Red, White and Blue Celebration going on out there. So we really wanted Red, White and Blue to be a part of whatever we did for 250th."
The two entities share close ties and look forward to putting on a mega celebration this year.
"Bob and I have worked really closely on this. Bob sits in on the 250th commitee with us, so any decisions that we have as far as the 250th, he's part of it," Niekamp said. "We're talking about Red, White and Blue, every year Bob and I have kind of worked on different parts of that. So it's just kind of something that's already kind of been there. We're just putting a little bit more into it this year."
