June 2, 2009 – Bailey, an 18-month-old yellow lab, was introduced as the newest member of the Knoxville Fire Department during a brief demonstration today at the Knoxville Fire Training Center.
Bailey will serve as an accelerant detection canine with the KFD’s Fire Investigation Unit and will partner with KFD Capt. Travis Kincaid. Bailey and Kincaid recently completed a comprehensive training course at the Maine State Criminal Academy.
Kincaid was honored in May as Fire Investigator of the Year for 2008-2009 by the Tennessee Advisory Committee on Arson.
“This is a big deal for us,” said Assistant Chief Danny Beeler, who leads the Fire Investigation Unit. “We’ve been waiting a long time for an accelerant detecting canine.”
Bailey can quickly detect the presence of an accelerant at a fire site and indicate to her partner exactly where it is located. It’s up to investigators to determine whether that accelerant was the cause of the fire and/or if it was used to set a fire.
Bailey arrived in Knoxville through the efforts of State Farm Insurance which sponsored her through the training process as part of a program to combat arson in the United States.
State Farm’s Arson Dog Program has provided the funding for extensive training for more than 250 dogs and their human partners since 1993 and those teams have served in 43 states, three Canadian provinces and the District of Columbia.
Phil Nichols with State Farm said the company underwrites the effort because arson is a major problem resulting in the loss of life and billions of dollars property every year. He said the company is committed to helping provide law enforcement officers – like those in Knoxville’s Fire Investigation Unit – the tools they need to better investigate fires.
Bailey provided a glimpse of what she can do during a brief demonstration that included showing how she indicates to her partner that an accelerant is present and where exactly it’s located. She also found a small amount of accelerant hidden in a can.
Bailey will live with Captain Kincaid and his family when she is not working.
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