The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office has the distinct pleasure of having a unique weapon in detecting the use of ignitable fluids at fire scenes in the form of a Labrador Retriever.

Maine Specialty Dog / Maine State Police trained the canine used in New Hampshire by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The certification process is for both the handler and canine as a team and conducted by the Maine State Police and the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. The initial phase of training for this program is five weeks of training and testing for the canine and the handler. After successful completion, the handler maintains the canine seven days a week, year round. The team is required to re-certify yearly. At this time they are assessed and tested as a team for three days.

The Labrador retriever is used for this particular program due to its size, love for work, and drive to eat. The program used for these canines is a reward system based on food and praise. When not working at a fire scene, their handlers maintain them daily. This daily routine can be anything from working or practicing at a fire scene to performing a demonstration for public groups or working on scent discrimination. Of most importance is their off time. When not working, this Labrador enjoys the company and home life of the family with whom she lives.

The canine program has been, and continues to be, self-supporting through donations. State Farm Fire and Causality Insurance Company funded the initial training and certification for the present teams. The re-certification, veterinary care, food, and other support materials have been made possible through donations to the State Fire Marshal Canine account.

The Canine program, here in New Hampshire, began in the spring of 1990 with the certification of both handler and canine, Investigator John H. Southwell and Murphy, a Black Labrador Retriever. Murphy was replaced with Jade who lives with Investigator Southwell in the southern lakes region.

Ruth and Investigator Tom Norton were the second K-9 team to go into service for New Hampshire about a year later. Ruth and Tom have retired from the NH State Fire Marshal’s Office. Replacing Ruth, was our third K-9, Clancy. who lived with Investigator John Raymond in Hillsborough County. When Investigator Raymond was promoted, it was time to retire Clancy.