A hero dog is helping firefighters catch arsonists thanks to her highly trained nose and high-tech heat-resistant boots. Cocker spaniel Giddy has joined the Fire Investigation and Prevention Section to sniff out dangerous flammables and accelerants.
The 11-month-old pooch is the next generation of dog investigators at West Midlands Fire Service. The service hope Giddy will also catch arsonists by picking up the trail of firestarters near blazes.
Giddy is trained to search for signs of accelerants in burnt-out buildings. She's been equipped with a special canine protective kit and heat-resistant boots to protect her paws from treading on hot ashes.
Giddy spent six weeks training with her handler Watch Commander Alex Daw and now lives with him full-time. Alex said: "Giddy will identify evidence at fire scenes. She will help to bring to justice criminals who deliberately start fires.
“She has an amazing temperament - so relaxed and docile. Although our children have now grown up, we’re all really excited to have her at home. She started out as a working dog, so a priority will be teaching her how to be a pet when she’s ‘off duty’.”
Giddy is the latest generation of fire investigator dogs at West Midlands Fire Service after her predecessor Kai died last month. Station Commander Matt Ling, who heads our Fire Investigation and Prevention
Section, said: “Kai served our communities amazingly and is very much missed, but Giddy is already showing that she’ll be a valuable member of the team. Working alongside our expert human fire investigators, she will help to make sense of what can often be very challenging and complex scenes.”
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Regional Fire Investigation Dog Handler, Dave Coss, of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, oversaw the Giddy's and her handlers training. He said: “It was a learning curve from start to finish for both Giddy and Alex. They’ve done a lot of work to get to this point. Now, a bit like after passing your driving test, they’ll continue to learn whilst they’re out in the field.”
