Smoky, an accelerant detection canine (better known as an arson dog), will be retired by the Ohio Department of Commerce on Wednesday, July 30th at 9:45 a.m. at the State Fire Marshal's Office, 8895 East Main Street in Reynoldsburg.

Smoky is a nine-year-old Labrador retriever who, along with four-year-old Carla, has investigated fire scenes for the State Fire Marshal's Arson Bureau since 1993. He is an official law enforcement officer and has worked more than 200 fire scenes across the state from June 1, 1993 to June 30, 1997.

Smoky's work as an arson dog has helped lead to the arrest and conviction of arsonists. He has also performed more than 75 arson dog demonstrations serving as an educational tool and deterrent at fire departments, arson schools, seminars, and civic events during his time of service.

Smoky and his handler, Dennis Cummings, an arson investigator for the Division of State Fire Marshal, will be presented with several gifts including a retirement badge, proclamation from the Governor, and retirement cake. Director of Commerce Donna Owens and State Fire Marshal James McNamee will be on hand for the presentation.

At the conclusion of the retirement ceremony, Smoky will do one last brief demonstration followed by a demonstration by Harvey, his two-year-old replacement, who will be commissioned as a part of the festivities.

During the demonstration, Investigator Cummings will show how Smoky and Harvey can, due to their scent discriminating abilities, sniff out ignitable liquid accelerants used in 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 ignitable liquids at a fire scene and providing more accurate samples for laboratory analysis.

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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, auctioneers, and unclaimed funds, among others. The former Department of Liquor Control joined the Department on July 1, 1997 as the Division of Liquor Control.