25th anniversary of fire dog sponsorship hailed as ‘paw-some’

FI dogs are specially trained to detect substances which can start fires, such as petrol, white spirit and lighter fluid. With their superior sense of smell and donned in their protective boots they search fire scenes, looking for any remaining traces to indicate that a fire was started deliberately.

In assisting fire investigators to establish the origin and cause of fires they provide vital evidence that is crucial in securing conviction rates in arson cases.

With over 1,370 incidents attended by the specially trained canines, the FI dogs have been involved in a number of high-profile investigations, including fatal fires, murder and attempted murder investigations. Work undertaken by FI dog Reqs alone resulted in a combined total of over 250 years of imprisonment for convicted offenders.

Sponsorship ensures the FI dogs receive regular continuation training in order to maintain their skills. Part of that training involves teaching the dogs to ignore everyday distractions that may compromise their performance whilst searching the scene of a fire, and with Labradors being very well known for their huge appetites, food distraction training is important!

Cllr Ajanta Hilton, Executive Member for Community Safety at Hertfordshire County Council said: “Our fire investigation dogs are a vital tool when it comes to detecting the source of fires that are started deliberately, and their role cannot be underestimated.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support from Computacenter over the last 25 years, it is simply ‘pawsome’. Our dogs are a huge asset to the Fire Service and our communities, and we are extremely privileged and honoured to have a FI dog within Hertfordshire.

“Our dogs work in challenging conditions, sometimes for long periods of time, yet they still exert the same levels of enthusiasm and energy into each and every search that they undertake. Without them, investigations would take longer and there would be limitations in locating evidence.”

Mike Norris, CEO Computacenter said: “We are delighted to support such an innovative and worthy cause for such a long time and hope it continues well into the future”