The Port Authority Police Department welcomed three new members of the force in the form of K-9 officers. These new officers were all named for fallen Port Authority police officers.

The new members were introduced at a special ceremony on Friday.

The dogs are all trained to detect explosives and will work at area airports, bridges and tunnels, as well as in the PATH system.

K-9 Officer Vinny is named after Sgt. Vincent Oliva, who died from 9/11-related cancer. K-9 Perry is named for Officer William Perry, who was shot in the line of duty in 1980. K-9 Cirri is named for Lt. Robert Cirri, who died in the Sept. 11 attacks while trying to save a woman in the north tower of the World Trade Center.

“I was 13 when my father passed away,” says Anthony Cirri. “The Port Authority hasn’t forgotten the fallen members who passed away, for their department.”

Anthony Cirri says that the department has honored and remembered his father in numerous ways over the years. This honor, though, has a special meaning.

“It’s a total honor that my dad's legacy of being a hero on 9/11 gets to continue with a K-9 that's going to protect our tri-state area with all our ports, airports and bus terminals,” Anthony Cirri says.

Each K-9 was purchased from a vendor in the tri-state area. They spend about four months training with their human partners. They will live with them and work with them for their entire careers.