Companies donate to sheriff’s K-9 fund
Representatives from California Alarm Association present Madera Sheriff Jay Varney, center, and Madera Chief Civil Deputy Mike Motz, far right, wiith a check for $2,500 for the Sheriff’s K-9 fund. (Wendy Alexander)
Members of the California Alarm Association have made the latest donation to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office for their new K-9 Unit.
The check, which was worth $2,500, was presented to Madera County Sheriff Jay Varney at the Sheriff’s Office’s headquarters at 2725 Falcon Dr. on Tuesday. Among those presenting the check were California Alarm Association board member Michael Matson, the co-founder and vice president of Matson Alarm Co. Inc. in Fresno, and Mike Tarin, the president of Diamond Communications Inc. of Madera, along with employees and representatives from their companies.
“We’re very concerned about the industry we’re in, in regards to first responders, so we keep communications going with police departments, sheriff’s departments, fire departments- any type of first responder,” said Tarin. “Because it’s our industry, since we’re in the alarm business.”
In addition to leading Diamond Communications, Tarin is also president for the Mid-Cal Alarm Association, the regional chapter of the California Alarm Association.
“The way that we found out about the need here was we have a golf tournament every year, and we send out fliers to find out the needs of the various responders,” Tarin said. “And the Sheriff’s Department came up with the need for a K-9 Unit.”
The California Alarm Association also runs a scholarship for first responders, which, according to Matson, has raised $300,000 in scholarships so far.
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office’s new K-9 Unit was approved of back in April by the Madera County Board of Supervisors, at which point, they had already raised $57,000. Since then, they have brought that total up to $101,000 for the unit, including the latest contribution by the California Alarm Association. They had originally raised funds for two dogs, but due to their success, they are now planning on adding two or more dogs to this original quota.
“I think we’re where we need to be at this point,” Varney said. “We’ve actually raised enough that we may consider putting on a fifth dog.”
According to Varney, the second dog was placed on Tuesday, and training for them will begin next week.
