Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- There is a secret weapon in the fight again arson crime and he has four legs and a super nose. This new four-legged member of the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office has a nose up on arsonists and uses those skills to sniff out accelerants at fire scenes. This special investigator is K9 Rowan, an accelerant detection canine (K-9) who partnered with Special Agent Kyle Rentfrow during a four-week canine training school. The two graduated from Class No. 55 of the program and are the seventh certified team for the State Fire Marshal’s Office currently in service. All were provided by the State Farm Arson Dog program.
The program is funded by State Farm and is available to fire departments and law enforcement agencies across the United States. For 30 years, the State Farm Arson Dog Program has placed more than 450 dogs in 46 states, three Canadian provinces, and the District of Columbia. All arson dog teams are trained by Maine Specialty Dogs and certified by the Maine State Police.
The estimated value of the canine and training made by State Farm is $25,000 per team. The grant from State Farm paid for training for both handler and canine, travel expenses there and back along with food and lodging.
Special Agent Kyle Rentfrow and K9 Rowan will be introduced to the media on Friday, May 12 at 10:00 a.m. at the Effingham Fire Department (505 W. Fayette St in Effingham, IL). Special Agent Rentfrow and K9 Rowan will complete a demonstration of their skills and be available for interview and photos.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, an estimated 280,000 intentional fires are reported to U.S. fire departments each year, with associated annual losses of 420 civilian deaths, 1,360 civilian injuries, and $1.3 billion in direct property damage. The actual number of arson fires and the amount of property damage is likely much higher, as arson is an underreported crime. Arson dogs played a crucial role in determining the cause of many of these fires.
Accelerant detection canines, commonly called arson dogs, are trained law enforcement dogs that are used to sniff out accelerants at fire scenes. These canine heroes work alongside their human handler, assisting them to help determine the origin of home or business fires, assisting in cold crime cases, and uncovering potential evidence in homicides.
“We feel law enforcement officials should have every tool possible to combat this costly — and sometimes deadly — crime,” said Heather Paul, National Arson Dog Program Coordinator for State Farm. “These K-9s enable investigators to do their job more efficiently and effectively. The scope of arson goes beyond impacting insurance companies – it affects the personal and financial well-being of us all. Training dogs to detect accelerants at fire scenes saves time and money in arson investigations.”
There are currently 95 active and certified teams in North America trained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program, including Special Agent Rentfrow and K9 Rowan.
This new team of K9 Rowan and Special Agent Kyle Rentfrow will investigate fires throughout the Effingham and southern IL region. K9 Rowan is a 2-year-old male yellow Labrador retriever mix. He was raised by Paws with a Cause in Wayland, MI to be a disability service dog but his strong work drive did not make him a good service dog. Instead, he will be serving the State of Illinois, finding evidence of the existence of accelerants at fire scenes.
For more information about the Arson Dog Program visit www.arsondog.org.
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