CP Fire invites NWI’s only arson detection canine

CROWN POINT — Sophie breezed past the very first metal can previously securely planting herself in front of the 2nd.

“Good lady,” Todd Bennett informed the English Labrador retriever prior to offering the dog a treat.

At simply 2 years of ages, Sophie is already a member of the Crown Point Fire Department. With the main title of “accelerant detection canine,” Sophie went through 6 months of training to be able to ferret out proof at fire scenes.

Bennett, a Crown Point firefighter/paramedic and Sophie’s handler, led an arson detection presentation Thursday early morning. He had Sophie walk past a line of 3 metal cans. The second can included simply a couple of drops of thinned down vaporized gas. Sophie had the ability to find it immediately.

“She will not budge, you would need to physically pull her off of it without offering her a benefit,” Bennett informed the crowd.

Sophie is the just active accelerant detection canine in Northwest Indiana. Crown Point Fire and Rescue had the ability to  fund Sophie through a $25,000 grant from State Farm.

At the start of April, Bennett went to Maine for the State Farm Arson Dog training program. After a short interview procedure, he was matched with Sophie; the set trained together for a month, going through 12 and 14-hour days.

Bennett and Sophie are among 87 active and qualified groups in North America trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program.

“I ended up being a firemen to help others in requirement and dealing with K-9 Sophie takes that objective to a brand-new level. While our work is fire-related, we will have the ability to see both sides of the call. In addition to putting out fires, we can likewise help capture those accountable for purposefully setting fires. It’s a win-win,” Bennett said in a Crown Point press release.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, community fire departments in the United States reacted to a yearly average of 52,260 purposefully set structure fires from 2014-2018. The fires triggered an approximated 400 civilian deaths, 950 civilian injuries and $815 million in direct property damage each year.

Since 2019, Crown Point Fire Rescue has actually reacted to 204 structure fires, according to a city press release.

The Thursday early morning presentation was kept in part to emphasize Arson Awareness Week, which is from May 7 to May 13.

Crown Point Mayor Pete Land said Sophie will function as a “local tool.”

“Arson detection dogs are uncommon,” Land said. “Not just will K-9 Sophie and Fire Investigator Bennett help the residents of Crown Point, however we can help the Region.”

Bennett said Sophie and his poodle Tucker are already “buddies.” Sophie is Crown Point Fire and Rescue’s 2nd K-9. Eleven-year-old Jake, who focuses on search and rescue, signed up with the department in 2013.

“As a department, as a city and as a neighborhood we’re extremely enthusiastic about dogs and what their abilities are and Sophie contributes to that,” said Crown Point Fire Chief Mark Baumgardner Jr.