Over the course of the last eight months, a yellow Labrador retriever named
“Apollo,” has been in training to become Hall County Fire Rescue’s (HCFR) first
Accelerant Detection Canine (ADC) and a “key piece” in establishing the department’s Arson Dog
Program.
HCFR NEWS RELEASE:
This program will promote an increased awareness of the crime of
arson, as well as assist the Hall County Fire Marshal’s Office in fire
investigations with faster scene processing and detecting samples more
accurately, and will contribute to the community through fire safety and fire
prevention education.
“Having an accelerant detection canine can greatly assist fire investigators in
locating the origin of the fires that were ignited using accelerants such a
gasoline,” said Fire Marshal Chief Michael Vieira. “This will aid in evidence
collection, and in determining if arson was the cause of the fire.”
Investigator/Inspector, Lt. Cacey Henderson, volunteered to be Apollo’s
primary handler for the canine’s duration with Hall County. Lt. Henderson was
required to become a certified handler through the Canine Accelerant
Detection Association (CADA) and underwent thorough training to effectively
apply Apollo’s skill set to a fire scene. Two back-up handlers have also been put
in place for operational readiness.
Apollo went through months of intense preparation, including investigating
over 100 fires, officially becoming a certified CADA accelerant detector and he
is now eligible to take on the full-time role as an investigator…”