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

Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Computacenter’s sponsorship of fire investigation dogs in the county.

Fire investigation (FI) dogs are specially trained to detect substances which can start fires, such as petrol, white spirit and lighter fluid. Using their superior sense of smell, 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 and murder and attempted murder investigations.

Sponsorship from Computacenter, which has its HQ in Hatfield, 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, including food distraction training.

“We are delighted to support such an innovative and worthy cause for such a long time and hope it continues well into the future.”

Mike Norris, CEO of Computacenter

Work undertaken by FI dog Reqs, who holds the record for Britain’s longest-serving FI dog after he completed 11 years in the job, resulted in a combined total of over 250 years of imprisonment for convicted offenders.

Reqs’ service wasn’t just limited to fire investigation – he worked the cameras too. When the FI team was invited BBC Breakfast for an interview, Reqs took the opportunity to have a few gulps of tea from a tray outside the entrance to the studio, just before the team were due to go live on air. The mugs of tea belonged to the BBC Breakfast presenters Naga Munchetty and Ben Thompson – fortunately both presenters saw the funny side of what Reqs had done.

Current FI dog Loki has attended 136 incidents since he started with Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2022, and has also visited BBC Breakfast – getting “the zoomies” just a few minutes before he was due on camera. Luckily, he calmed down just in time to go live.

“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.”

Cllr Ajanta Hilton, Executive Member for Community Safety at Hertfordshire County Council

Check out our podcast episode with Alex Woodman, CFO at HFRS, and come along to the Emergency Services Show to hear him speak on the ‘Building resilient capabilities’ panel on the Protecting the Protectors stage, or as part of a lunch and learn in the Community Hub focusing on Local Resilience Forums.

We’re hosting some very special emergency services dog meet ups at the show – secure your ticket now to join in!