Today, Beckstrand is a proud canine handler for MSA Security®, an Allied Universal® Company. Beckstrand’s canine Bane is a four-year-old German Shepherd trained to sniff out firearms. 

During the first three months of this year, Transportation Security Administration agents intercepted 1,508 firearms in carry-on luggage at airport security checkpoints throughout the country. This is a 10.3% rise over the same time frame in 2022. Of the firearms intercepted, more than 93% were loaded. During the same first quarter of the year, Gun Violence Archive reports 131 active shooter incidents, resulting in the deaths of 195 people. Incidents occurred across 29 states.

Following his high school graduation, on his 18th birthday, Nate Beckstrand joined his local fire company. He was a firefighter for five years in Nevada and Utah and considered it a privilege to serve the families in those communities. During that time, Nate had an opportunity to collaborate with the arson team for a first-hand look at the incredible sniffing capabilities of a canine. “Looking back, this was when I first became interested in canine handling.

With Hurricane Ian approaching the coast, Allied Universal’s operations team in Florida needed to quickly recruit a large number of security professionals for “on deck” hurricane deployment duty. 

Healthcare security officers are vital members of a healthcare’s patient care support team and frequently find themselves in the position of initial responders to traumatic and sometimes dangerous events.