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Fire House Dogs
Firehouse dogs, arson dogs, and "accelerant detection dogs," can be trained in as little as eight weeks at the Academy of Fire Science. Dogs bred with an exceptional sense of smell and tracking abilities are becoming outstanding members of the civil service community. Since the 1800s Dalmatians have been guarding fire wagon 'horses," but since 1988, The New York Office of Fire Prevention and Control has been using trained and talented dogs of varying breeds to identify flammable and combustible liquids, climb a fire truck's towering ladders, and help shuffle through the rubble in the aftermath of burned out buildings. Fire investigation dogs are becoming the new firehouse dog.
Firehouse dogs have been depicted for years, and rightly so, as Dalmatians. But as horses became a less popular choice as a mode of transportation from the firehouse - and automated transportation, technology and forensics grew at exponential rates - seeing-eye-dog rejects have become a popular choice for the fireman's friend.
State Farm Insurance estimates over a million fires happen every year, which results in billions of dollars of direct property loss. Many of these are due to arson, and cause yet another unnecessary burden for the already over-taxed taxpayer. Getting a handle on the cause of arson, is a significant part of the duties of the new firehouse dog.
A large portion of everyday normal household products are made from plastics, foam and petroleum-based products. A machine would detect the flammable properties in all of these, whereas a properly trained firehouse dog, arson dog, or accelerant detection dog would be able differentiate between the normal household composition and the evidence that is potentially explosive. Surveying a burned out house might take hours with a hydrocarbon detection device, but a good firehouse dog can find the evidence in minutes. The agile body of a good fire dog is able to delicately handle the terrain without interrupting the evidence. Insurance companies that pay by the hour love this, and the Courts have popularly accepted the testimony and evidence of a trained firehouse dog and its handler.
Labrador Retrievers are quickly becoming a popular firehouse dog; their smelling, tracking and retrieving abilities together with their intelligence and friendly disposition make them well suited for firehouse work. Dogs partaking in investigative duties must be certified. Today, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has around fifty arson dog teams around the nation and State Farm Insurance Company has close to a hundred. Similar to police dogs, firehouse dogs have a close relationship with their handler, and the mutual dedication grows long after they both retire from the firehouse.
Dalmatians still remain the firefighter's trusted companion, and do a superb job at guarding the costly firehouse supplies and modern day gas guzzling "horses." With Dalmatians and Labradors both serving the community, house fires can be put out safely, and arsonists are more likely to be put to a stop. Although Dalmatian and Labrador firehouse dogs can't fill out the paperwork yet, the popularity of firehouse dogs is sure to match those of their distant relatives fulfilling their civil services duties in the K-9 police force.
Matt 
