Two accelerant detection canines (better known as arson dogs) demonstrated their skills at sniffing out ignitable liquids used in arson fires today at the State Fire Academy, 8895 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg. The event coincided with Arson Awareness Week (May 4-10), a time dedicated to educating Ohioans on arson issues.

"We are here during Arson Awareness Week to showcase two members of Ohio's comprehensive arson fighting team," said Director of Commerce Donna Owens. "Our arson dogs, Smoky and Carla, are quickly showing that man's best friend can be an arsonist's worst nightmare."

Today's demonstration was sponsored by the Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of State Fire Marshal. During the demonstration, Dennis Cummings, an arson investigator for the Division of State Fire Marshal, led the two Labrador retrievers he handles. Investigator Cummings showed how four-year old Carla and nine-year-old Smoky can 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 samples that are found by Smoky and Carla are then sent to an arson crime lab, usually the Ohio Arson Crime Laboratory. It is located at the Division of State Fire Marshal's facility in Reynoldsburg and is one of the nation's premier, state of the art arson crime labs.

"I am extremely proud of our arson crime laboratory," said Director Owens. "Its staff is consistently looked to for analysis, testimony, and leadership in the field of arson investigation."

In 1996 alone, lab personnel at the Ohio Arson Crime Laboratory conducted 6071 scientific tests and were subpoenaed 44 times for court testimony. The laboratory has been a model for other states' arson teams to study fire related forensic chemistry and learn more about arson evidence analysis since the early 1980's.

After today's arson dog demonstration, members of the media were invited to take a tour of the Ohio Arson Crime Laboratory to learn how evidence collected from fire scenes is processed, examined, and analyzed.

Smoky and Carla are available at no charge to assist any Ohio fire department, arson task force or law enforcement agency.

"The State Fire Marshal's office is only one part of the arson fighting team here in Ohio," said State Fire Marshal James McNamee. "Diligent local officials are crucial to our success in prevention, education, and criminal prosecution."

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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.