Lorenzo is a Technical Supervisor in the department’s Detector Dog Program. Alongside his colleagues, Lorenzo plays a critical role in ensuring detector dog teams operate effectively to intercept biosecurity risk material at Australia’s border.
Technical Supervisors work closely with handlers, providing expert guidance on training, deployment standards and operational skills. By observing teams in both training and operational environments, they deliver timely technical feedback and coaching that supports handler learning and development. This approach encourages handlers to develop their own problem-solving skills while receiving appropriate guidance for continuous improvement, helping detector dog teams deploy with confidence in high‑pressure operational settings.
They also work hands‑on with handlers to ensure detector dogs remain proficient across all target odour groups. Training is ongoing and designed to simulate real-world scenarios, ensuring detector dogs remain ready to screen effectively across a range of operational locations.
Caring for detector dog welfare is another key responsibility. Technical Supervisors monitor the health and wellbeing of detector dogs, ensuring routine health checks are completed, and appropriate veterinary care is provided. This helps keep detector dogs fit, healthy and ready for deployment.
Beyond working with their teams, Technical Supervisors collaborate with operational areas to ensure detector dog teams are deployed to high-risk biosecurity areas, where their capabilities can be used efficiently, maximising operational delivery and impact.
Through their technical expertise, hands-on coaching and strong collaboration, Technical Supervisors like Lorenzo help ensure detector dog teams remain a highly effective frontline defence against biosecurity risks.
Hi my name’s Lorenzo Russo, and I’m one of the Technical Supervisors for detector dog operations in Sydney.
What does a Technical Supervisor do?
I oversee the daily training, deployment, and operational readiness of detector dog teams.
Technical Supervisors ensure detector dog teams maintain their proficiency and performance, by providing technical advice and direction in training scenarios and operational deployments.
We conduct verification activities to ensure handler’s meet the deployment standards and to ensure detector dogs recognise and respond to target odours.
We ensure the health and welfare of the detector dogs.
We make sure they are ready to be deployed, and we focus on the daily operations of the team, across multiple pathway locations.
What does a typical day with your detector dog teams look like?
A typical day, the day is broken up into two areas, we focus on scent detection work, I review the statistics and data and work out where I can deploy the dogs for operational needs – to detect Biosecurity risk material and intercept it at the border.
How do you support new detector dog handlers transition into operations?
Well this is a really important part of my role. I make sure that all handlers and dogs are supported.
From the beginning, from when they transition into the field, throughout their whole career.
I have a strong focus on training, instructing novice handlers on how to develop and implement training and ensuring training is completed effectively.
Novice handlers are also buddied with a mentor to assist with their development.
I support the development of novice dogs by providing technical advice and direction to handlers to ensure progression towards operational proficiency. As a Technical Supervisor, I ensure that handlers and dogs are supported.
How do you deploy detector dogs effectively and efficiently?
As a Technical Supervisor, I coordinate detector dog deployments to areas of high biosecurity risk and operational need, ensuring teams are utilised efficiently.
A key focus of mine is strengthening handler capability through continuous maintenance training, coaching and performance feedback.
This ensures dog teams maintain a high level of operational readiness and effectiveness.
My team works cohesively together to deliver an important detection capability –intercepting biosecurity risks every day to protect Australia from exotic pests and diseases.
