There is a secret weapon in the fight against arson crime and she has four legs and a super nose. This new four-legged member of Portland Fire & Rescue has a nose up on arsonists and uses those skills to sniff out the causes of fires. This special investigator is K9 Kiki, an accelerant detection canine who partnered with Lt. Jason Andersen during a four-week canine-training school. The duo will complete a demonstration of their skills and be available for interviews and photos.
The program is funded by State Farm and is available to fire departments and law enforcement agencies across the United States. Since its beginning in 1993, the State Farm Arson Dog Program has placed more than 435 dogs in 46 states, three Canadian provinces, and the District of Columbia. All arson dog teams are trained by Maine Specialty Dogs and certified by the Maine State Police.
Accelerant detection canines, commonly called arson dogs, are trained law enforcement dogs that are used to sniff out evidence at fire scenes. These canine heroes work alongside their human handlers, identifying the cause of home or business fires, assisting in cold crime cases, and uncovering potential evidence in homicides.
“We feel law enforcement officials should have every tool possible to combat this costly — and sometimes deadly — crime,” said Amy Harris, spokesperson for State Farm. “These K-9s enable investigators to do their job more efficiently and effectively. The scope of arson goes beyond impacting insurance companies – it affects the personal and financial well-being of us all. Training dogs to detect accelerants at fire scenes saves time and money in arson investigations.”
This is Lt. Andersen’s first K9 trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program. K9 Kiki is a 3-year-old female yellow Labrador Retriever raised by Southeastern Guide Dogs in Palmetto, FL.
