Union County seeking specially trained fire dog from ATF

Union County is looking to become the only county in the Charlotte area with a specially-trained fire dog that can improve investigations and make them safer.

In the next few days, the county will finalize its application to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for an accelerant detection canine, Fire Marshal Kevin Rigoli said.

“It’s another tool to help us put the pieces of the puzzle together,” he said.

The dogs in the ATF program, Labrador retrievers, are trained to detect liquids that could be used to start a fire. They help in many ways, Rigoli said.

For instance, they can aid in determining the presence of gas, kerosene or other flammable or combustible liquids at a fire scene, which enables investigators to handle other work on the site.

Rigoli recalled one arson case in Union County where a large house had burned down. Officials used an accelerant detection canine from another department, and the dog was able to find different areas where the accelerant had run, helping investigators pinpoint that path despite the rubble.

The dogs can also survey large areas in half the time it would take their human counterparts, according to the ATF.

And at fire scenes where respirators are required, officials won’t have to remove their equipment to try to detect ignitable liquids. The dogs, with their highly developed sense of smell, can handle those duties, Rigoli said.

He hopes to hear from the ATF by early September.

The ATF began training accelerant detection canines in 1986, and about 50 departments across the country that participate in the program.

Around $50,000 is invested in each dog, the ATF said, costs that include locating and vetting dogs, equipment and training. The dog’s local handlers also need to attend a training program run by the ATF.

Last year, the agency received about 40 applications for the dogs. Gerod King, an ATF spokesman in Charlotte, declined to say how many applications were approved.

In North Carolina, departments in Wilmington, Raleigh and Asheville are using accelerant detection canines.

Charlotte’s fire department had one, but it was retired about 1 1/2 years ago, according to Rigoli. He said he felt “it was our time to step up” and will also make the dog available to other agencies in the region.

“I don’t like seeing people who have been burned out of their house and shrugging my shoulders and saying, ‘I don’t know’ ” what happened, Rigoli said. “Whether it’s a criminal act or an accident, the dog helps with that.”

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Union County seeking specially trained fire dog from ATF."