Energetic Labrador joins ranks of Columbia Fire Department as arson detection dog

Charles Dunlap, Columbia Daily Tribune
·4 min read
Columbia Fire Deparment Fire Marshal Battalion Chief Jim Pasley conducts an accelerant detection demonstration with Tony on Friday at the department's downtown headquarters. Tony is the department's new arson dog following the death of Izzo in 2021 after a sudden illness.
Columbia Fire Deparment Fire Marshal Battalion Chief Jim Pasley conducts an accelerant detection demonstration with Tony on Friday at the department's downtown headquarters. Tony is the department's new arson dog following the death of Izzo in 2021 after a sudden illness.

The Columbia Fire Department has regained a tool to investigate suspected arsons faster. It is not a piece of technology, but a four-legged friend.

After a roughly five-month training, Fire Marshal Division Battalion Chief Jim Pasley is once again handler for an accelerant detection dog. The department's new arson dog is named Tony, a black Labrador. A significant feature of Tony is his cropped tail, which happened when he was playing as a younger dog, Pasley said. Tony is 4 1/2 years old.

Pasley previously was handler of Izzo, who died May 2021, following a sudden illness. Pasley had a lot of conversations with his family, Fire Chief Clayton Farr Jr., and State Farm Insurance's arson dog program about the department bringing in a new dog.

More: Saying goodbye: Columbia Fire Department memorializes arson dog Izzo

"He's more energetic than (Izzo), who was more systematic, but he's a good dog," Pasley said. "He is a great tool for us. It is a great opportunity and we are still the only one, as of right now, in the state."

The job being an arson dog handler is a lot of work, but enjoyable, he added.

"It is another discipline and opportunity within the department and I figured I would do it one more time," Pasley said.

Columbia Fire Deparment Fire Marshal Battalion Chief Jim Pasley stands with the department's new accelerant detection go Tony on Friday at the department's downtown headquarters.
Columbia Fire Deparment Fire Marshal Battalion Chief Jim Pasley stands with the department's new accelerant detection go Tony on Friday at the department's downtown headquarters.

Since Tony is the only arson dog in the state, he and Pasley provide mutual aid to other departments, when requested. They may not receive the request for some smaller fires, but ones with loss of life or larger fires are more likely, Pasley said.

"I am already on the state registry with the Department of Fire Safety, so they know, and after today, it will remind them that I have another one," he said. "I did quite a few investigations with Izzo and (Tony) has done two, and those were local."

Tony started working at the department in September.

Pasley and Tony conduct multiple trainings daily, often with a 50% gasoline mix as it is similar enough to other accelerants like diesel fuel or kerosene, and each training instance is logged so a record is available if Pasley provides court testimony, he said.

During a demonstration Friday, a Q-tip was soaked with the gasoline solution and put in a paint can covered with a piece of paper. Whenever Tony smelled the gasoline he would sit next to the paint can indicating an accelerant source. A second demonstration placed three different pieces of paper with the Q-tip underneath one. Tony again detected the source in this different scenario.

The time it takes to conduct suspected arson investigations will be cut significantly through the aid of Tony, saving taxpayer dollars, said Ryan Kenney, with State Farm Insurance, which sponsors an arson dog program.

Tony, the Columbia Fire Department's new accelerant detection dog, takes part in a demonstration Friday at the department's downtown headquarters. Tony sits when he detects an accelerant, such as a solution of 50% gasoline soaked into a Q-tip hidden in one of the paint cans on the wheel.
Tony, the Columbia Fire Department's new accelerant detection dog, takes part in a demonstration Friday at the department's downtown headquarters. Tony sits when he detects an accelerant, such as a solution of 50% gasoline soaked into a Q-tip hidden in one of the paint cans on the wheel.

The department was able to get Tony through this program. The company provides the funds to get a dog and the related training and it has done this since 1993, Kenney said.

"It matches and trains handlers with accelerant detection canines to counter arson fraud, raise awareness and reduce future occurrences," he said.

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In the program's 30-year history, 450 dog/handler teams were trained in 46 states. Labradors are among the top arson dogs due to their extremely attuned sense of smell, Kenney said.

Arson dogs generally are those who are too energetic for a guide dog program and the process of detecting the upward of 60 accelerants is treated like a game with treats for successful detection. Dogs generally are sourced from shelters, rescues and other certified companion programs for training, Kenney said.

Dogs and handlers go through at least 200 hours of training, he added.

It is an honor for the Columbia Fire Department to participate in the arson dog program as a tool to solve crimes, get arsonists off the street and keep the city safe, Farr said.

"Tony is a very fun-loving black Lab, but his nose is all business," he said. "... His nose gives him the ability to smell one rotten apple among 2 million barrels of apples."

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia Fire Department welcomes new arson detection dog