The Fire Investigation Search Dog is called out to fires where arson is suspected. The dog searches the fire scene once the fire is out and the scene is cold.

• The vapour given off by an ignitable liquid ( eg. Petrol, paraffin, diesel etc. ) is tracked down at speed by the dog.
• The dog indicates the location of the substance to the handler. This is done in many different ways, but the most common is a stop and stair at the spot where the substance is.
• The dog is then rewarded by the handler for a successful ‘find’ and a sample is removed for laboratory examination.
• Success is based on highly skilled training plus the respect, trust and bonding between dog and handler.

The Advantages Of Using Dogs For Fire Investigation

• Canines can detect the presence of ignitable liquids with greater sensitivity and accuracy than electronic field equipment so increasing the detection of accelerated fire scenes.
• Canines can differentiate between natural hydrocarbons produced during combustion and hydrocarbons introduced in illegal fire setting.
• Canines can reduce the time an investigator spends on excavation and debris sampling.
• Canines reduce the number of samples that require expensive forensic testing