Two accelerant detection canines (better known as arson dogs) will demonstrate their skills on Monday, May 5 at 2 p.m. at the Cincinnati Fire Department’s central station, 430 Central Avenue. The event coincides with Arson Awareness Week (May 4-10), a time dedicated to educating Ohioans on arson issues.

Donna Owens, Director of the Ohio Department of Commerce, will introduce Dennis Cummings, an arson investigator for the Division of State Fire Marshal, and the two labrador retrievers he handles. State Fire Marshal James McNamee will also be in attendance. Investigator Cummings will show how four-year-old Carla and nine-year-old Smoky can sniff out ignitable liquids used in arson fires.

Due to their scent discriminating abilities, these dogs have been trained to sniff out ignitable liquid accelerants used to start arson fires. When one of the dogs locates an ignitable liquid’s presence at the fire scene, Investigator Cummings rewards them with food.

The dogs enhance law enforcement’s ability to prosecute arsonists by saving arson investigators time by pinpointing accelerants at a fire scene and providing more accurate samples for laboratory analysis.

# # #

The Division of State Fire Marshal is part of the Ohio Department of Commerce. The Fire Marshal’s Office trains firefighters, enforces the Ohio Fire Code, investigates the cause and origins of fires and explosions, provides fire prevention programs, and performs other services. Other Commerce divisions enforce regulations regarding industrial compliance, financial institutions, real estate, securities, and unclaimed funds among others.