Canines in the Fire & Rescue Services, Part 1
By Brett Martinez

Author’s Note: The following article is the first in a series of articles on canines in the fire and rescue services. Part 1 discusses the types of K-9 teams currently deployed in the field. Parts 2 and 3 will discuss where to employ K-9 teams within our industry, how the fire and rescue services can work better with K-9 teams to ensure future capabilities, how to become a canine handler, what to look for in a prospective K-9 team and how to host a canine certification.

For most people, “man’s best friend” is also thought to be closely tied to law enforcement (K-9 units) and as a partner to the military. What is not as well known is that this “best friend” has also been one of the fire and rescue services’ most dedicated assets since the early 1900s.

Although common with paid and some volunteer departments, Dalmatians didn’t undergo any formal training or certification during their career. As a result, for many years, fire service canines were thought of as local heroes who received only local training and recognition. In fact, only in the last three decades did fire and rescue service canines begin to achieve national recognition and certification. This was due to the ability to transport canine teams nationwide along with specialized units, such as the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Response Team and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams.

But even with this recognition, the capabilities of K-9 teams aren’t truly understood. In this article, I’ll clear up some of the misunderstandings about canine assets.

Canines vs. Technology
As with other K-9 teams, such as those used in law enforcement, the fire service has a direct connection with search and rescue canines (SAR K-9s), urban search and rescue canines (USAR K-9s) and accelerant detection canines (ADCs), because their sense of smell, which is far superior to the human ability to detect odors and scents, helps us perform field operations. It is this ability that places the canine far ahead of any other odor detection resource available.

Unlike patrol or sentry canines, the No. 1 task for the majority of fire service canines is odor recognition. To better understand the canine’s ability, consider this: Most humans have approximately 8 million cells inside their nose dedicated to smell. Canines have approximately 120–200 million cells dedicated to smell.

Today’s canine is a highly trained and highly skilled resource that has improved not only through decades of breeding, but also because of our increased knowledge of dogs’ overall abilities. And unlike certain technological advances in scent detection, the canine’s ability to detect odor has been well proven and documented.

Some in the scientific community have inferred that modern technology has made the fire service’s use of the canine obsolete and irrelevant; however, the Canine Research Institute at Auburn University has determined that the canine olfactory system can detect odor at a level in the parts per quadrillion. Current manmade technology can detect odor in the parts per million (or ppm) only.

And although manmade technology is becoming smaller, and therefore more portable, field-deployed technology is not as accurate as sophisticated forensic laboratory equipment such as gas chromatographs and mass spectrometers. If laboratory-quality technology, which is what most canines are compared with, were deployed in the field, it would require 4–6 personnel to move gently into position (under optimal conditions), set up for analysis, calibrate and operate. Set-up and calibration alone would take 30–40 minutes. Important: This process doesn’t refer to searching large areas, only conducting the analysis of evidence such as flammable liquid, explosive residue or human remains. It also doesn’t factor in highly hazardous conditions, such as collapse, foul weather or cross-contamination issues, such as pyrolysis (smoke) byproducts. A trained K-9 team will easily adapt to and overcome all these challenges. The trained canine meets or exceeds military specification for hardware (MIL-SPEC) out of the box, and will search a vast area in seconds to minutes after being deployed.

Note: Some fire and rescue service canines are required to work in environments unique to our industry; therefore, even though canines have an exceptional, innate ability to detect odor, they must train to work in extremely hostile environments, just as we do.

The K-9 team must also constantly train and/or operate with other personnel who may be tasks to function on the fire/rescue ground alongside the team. Furthermore, K-9 teams must constantly update their training aides and/or odors as needed. Depending on the K-9 team’s tasks, it may take months or years for the team to be mission capable.

Canine Training
Now that I’ve discussed canines’ olfactory ability, I’ll break down the different types of training that K-9 units undergo. By understanding the canine’s training, fire/rescue personnel will be better equipped to evaluate search operations performed by the K-9 team when on scene.

• Tracking: This involves conducting scent discrimination, but the canine only tracks an individual or odor they’re commanded or trained to find (or detect). Usually these canines work on a leash, or what’s known as a “lead,” and a harness. The canines are usually calibrated with the exact or similar odor, and the calibration is usually done on the border of or just outside the search area. Some canines go to the last known location of the individual and then follow their scent or exact path by putting their nose close to or on the ground. Other canines work backward, tracking the smallest hint of odor back to its source.

• Air scenting: During this task, the canine is trained to follow any scent (usually human) in the area. They are usually detached from the leash, which is known as “working off lead,” and followed by their handler. The K-9 team will search in a grid pattern to find either the scent or the individual. This will allow the canine to determine if any person or scent is or is not in an area. These canine teams usually work in conjunction with a search manager to contain search efforts to specific areas.

• Trailing:This task requires the canine to use a combination of tracking and air scenting. After calibration, the canine searches by placing its nose in the area where the scent is the strongest, whether it’s in the air or on the ground. They usually start off with air scenting and then transfer to the ground as they get closer and the odor or individual’s scent becomes stronger. The canine may “short cut” to objects, such as a personal belonging of the individual that they may have dropped. Alerting to these items or belongings indicates to the search managers that they should scrutinize the area carefully. Trailing canines can be worked off lead or on and are scent discriminatory.

Important: There are no all-encompassing canines (no Rin Tin Tin or Lassie) in our industry. Our canines are single-purpose canines trained to perform specific tasks; they don’t cross-train. For example, a “bomb dog” won’t conduct water-rescue operations, and a certified “arson dog” won’t deploy to avalanche rescues.

Canine Team Categories
One of the oldest types of operational K-9 teams, and one of the largest disciplines of fire/rescue canines, is the search and rescue K-9 (SAR K-9) team. The SAR K-9 team performs the largest variety of searches and uses the widest variety of canine breeds.

The exact history of SAR canines is not known. During the late 1800s, the first known, organized, life-saving canine work was conducted by the Saint Bernard breed, which started their rescue work at Saint Bernard Pass of the Swiss Alps. For 150 years, these canines were known for finding travelers buried in snow. Although Saint Bernards don’t perform search ops anymore, their legacy lives on in the Avalanche SAR K-9 team.

Avalanche SAR K-9 teams work in the extreme cold-weather conditions and over vast search areas. Canines trained for this deployment predominantly come from the sporting breeds, and all must be able to deal with extreme weather. They’re usually trained for air scenting, but can also be trained for tracking, although this is unusual due to the large search areas. The teams are predominately found in mountainous regions with high snowfall rates. The canines are usually assigned to mountain rescue and SAR team members.

FEMA uses multiple categories of SAR K-9 teams. Although some of these K-9 teams may have variants of their discipline, the scent or odor that they are trained to find (human scent) will not vary. I’ll discuss each type of team individually to limit any confusion.

USAR K-9 Team
The urban search and rescue canines (USAR K-9) are trained to search for victims trapped in damaged structures after a disaster, both natural and manmade, that involves building collapse and cave-in conditions. There are two sub-types of K-9 team: live search and cadaver.

The majority of USAR canines are trained in air scenting, but some also have trailing capability. The breed of canine will vary, but most come from the sporting breeds. USAR K-9 teams work directly with USAR task forces; the canines are assigned to local fire and EMS personnel who are on the task force.

Water SAR K-9 Team
Water SAR K-9 teams are trained in water-rescue disciplines. The teams are trained to work under varied sea or water conditions, and each team will vary in their capabilities, depending on the conditions usually encountered in their jurisdiction. Some water-rescue K-9 teams are able to locate bodies at depths of 35 feet. Some are able to search for victims up to 48 hours after they’re reported missing. Others are trained as air-scenting and trailing canines. But most water-rescue canines like to swim and can swim well, although swimming ability isn’t always required.

The majority of these teams operate independently, but some are assigned to fire and EMS personnel who serve as lifeguards or in water-rescue units and swiftwater SAR task forces.

Wildland SAR K-9 Team
The last type of SAR K-9 team is one of the most popular. This may be due to the higher rate of victims lost as compared to other incidents. In some jurisdictions, the wilderness and/or wildland SAR K-9 team is simply referred to as the SAR K-9 team, but they specialize in wilderness and open field searches. The majority of their day-to-day work involves training to find lost and missing individuals in open spaces. These teams have also been deployed to search for victims in and around outlying areas of a tornado zone or other severe weather events.

The breed of canine may vary, but like the other teams, the majority come from the sporting breeds. Most are trained in air scenting, but some can also be trained for trailing.

These K-9 teams vary in their affiliation, but some will work directly for the fire/ rescue services, assigned to specific fire or EMS personnel.

Arson Canines & ADC Teams

The arson K-9 and the accelerant detection K-9 (ADC) teams are two distinct teams. The arson K-9 team is specifically trained and deployed to find persons of interest in wildland arson settings. These teams were developed approximately 20 years ago by park service personnel in Virginia, and are now deployed in rural regions, particularly in the Southeastern United States. The canines used stem exclusively from the bloodhound breed. Most of these teams are employed by wildland firefighting units and fire investigation units.

The development of ADC began in 1984 with the testing by the ATF. ADCs were used to detect flammable liquids, or accelerants, such as gasoline, lighter fluid and kerosene, that are used to expedite ignition of materials.

Nellie, a yellow Labrador Retriever, was the pilot or prototype for the ATF program. Nellie helped to show the canine’s olfactory system was more sensitive than field detection instruments. As mentioned earlier, these instruments can’t discriminate between accelerants and products of pyrolysis (similar chemical gases present at fire scenes). However, the canine’s olfactory system can easily make the distinction.

The results of the pilot program were submitted to the American Academy of Forensic Scientists for analysis and discussion. Based on the findings, the ATF began a formal canine training program. In 1985, the first ADC, Mattie, went into service with the Connecticut State Police.

The sole functions of the ADC team are to detect and track the source of an accelerant. Used exclusively in the post-fire-suppression operation or investigation phase, these canines have been highly successful in detecting products used by arsonists to set intentional fires.

The Labrador Retriever is the breed exclusively trained for this type of deployment. Most of these K-9 units are assigned to personnel in the arson and explosive investigation units of the fire/rescue services.

Explosive Detection Canine Teams
Bomb dogs, officially known as explosive detection canines (EDC), don’t perform a primary function of fire/rescue services; however, the EDC team is one of most active K-9 teams. These canines are primarily used to detect explosive material before detonation, but they’ve also been deployed to find post-blast material, similar to how ADCs are deployed.

As with ADCs, the EDC team is trained to detect and track specific products found in explosive materials, such TNT, gun powder and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The type of breed used will vary, but the majority are German Sheppards and Labrador Retrievers. Most EDC teams are assigned to personnel in the arson and explosive investigation units of the fire/rescue services.

Educational Specialist Canine Teams
The educational specialist canine (ESC) team is the newest team to join the ranks. These teams also vary in breed of canine employed, but they all have a great disposition around people, especially children. These canines are also very good with large crowds in public-assembly situations.

These teams’ primary function is to train civilians on fire prevention and fire-escape techniques. Because ESC teams are relatively new to our industry, their assignments vary, but it’s safe to assume that they usually work with fire-prevention units.

Although they aren’t required to have any of the traits their fellow canines have related to odor recognition and tracking capability, ESCs provide a tremendous service to our industry and will be at the forefront of future fire-prevention programs.

What the Future Holds
K-9 teams (specifically ADCs) have the potential to become part of a counter-terrorism deployment to detect improvised ignitable liquid devices (IID) during mass gatherings and at limited-access transportation centers where large crowds assemble. Detecting and thwarting terrorist threats are viable capabilities for ADCs due to their training to search people and large crowds.

Additionally, as hybrid or “green” vehicles become more popular, our industry will see an increase in the installation, transportation and distribution of various gas products, as well as an increase in gas leaks. Although current manmade detection technology is good, it cannot yet detect underground pipeline leaks. Canines, with their superior olfactory senses, could conceivably help detect and track the leaks to the point of failure for a wide range of products.

This is not as far-fetched as it may seem. Currently, canines are being deployed along above-ground natural gas pipelines in Canada to detect minor leaks, which can cost gas companies thousands of dollars over a long period of time. How and when these types of K-9 teams deploy require further study, but the potential for these types of teams is very possible. The bottom line: Until manmade technology becomes as compact, agile and efficient as the canine, our industry will be deploying K-9 teams into the foreseeable future.

In my next article, I’ll discuss situations that involve both fire/rescue personnel and K-9 teams, and how you’ll know whether the K-9 team that arrives at your incident can fulfill the search requirements.

Brett Martinez has been certified by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as an accelerant detection canine handler since 1991. He has been a fire marshal with the Suffolk County (N.Y.) Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services for 20 years. He has also been a firefighter with the Hauppauge Fire Department since 1983. Martinez holds a bachelor’s degree in fire science and is a certified peace officer, Level II fire investigator and Level I fire instructor with New York State. He is also the coordinator of the Suffolk County Arson Task Force and a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council in New York.


Bibliography
Blumberg, J. “A Brief History of the St. Bernard Rescue Dog: The canine’s evolution from hospice hound to household companion.” Smithsonian.com, Jan. 1, 2008.

“Newfoundland Water Rescue Water Dog & Water Rescue Dog Regulations.” Newfoundland Club of America, 1999.

“Why are Dalmations Firehouse Dogs? Here’s the Answer in Black & White.”
Reminisce magazine, May/June 1992.

Ruffin, F.E. “Water Rescue Dogs.” Bearport Publishing Company, Inc., 2006.

Copyright © Elsevier Inc., a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. SUBSCRIBE to FIRERESCUE