Search and Rescue Handlers

Matthew Dixon

“I am the dog handler for West Midlands Fire Service and have recently changed my 2 dogs over to your feeds. They love it!! My dogs are maintained at the Brigades (and ultimately the tax payers) cost and I am well chuffed to have found a quality food at a fantastic price. Having tried various feeds, in CSJ I have discovered a range of feeds that are truly fit for purpose.”

The first ever Fire Investigation dog was in the US in 1985, the first in the UK was in 1995, the Black Labrador Star, who was employed by the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service.

Matthew has worked as a Fire Investigation (FI) Dog Handler for West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service since 2005.

The ‘rewards' ......

Matthew says, “There is nothing more rewarding than the dog indicating the presence of a flammable liquid in a scene that would otherwise not have been located, this is magnified when it results in an arsonist being convicted. The dogs are undoubtedly the best resource available to us to perform this task and every success we have goes some way to convincing the sceptics (particularly a small number of Forensic Scientists) of the benefits of the dogs.”

Matthew's dogs ......

Matthew has 2 dogs - Ellie, an 8year old ¾ Labrador/ ¼ Springer Spaniel and Peppa, a 9month old German Shorthaired Pointer.

Most memorable ......

Asked for his most memorable success, Matthew says that every ‘find' is a success. On a personal note however he says the first time Peppa indicated a flammable liquid was a massive relief, her training is still on-going but it was a massive jump in the right direction.

How Does A Fire Investigation Search Dog Work?

• The Fire Investigation Search Dog is called out to fires where arson is suspected. The dog searches the fire scene once the fire is out and the scene is cold.
• The vapour given off by an ignitable liquid ( eg. Petrol, paraffin, diesel etc. ) is tracked down at speed by the dog.
• The dog indicates the location of the substance to the handler. This is done in many different ways, but the most common is a stop and stare at the spot where the substance is. (Passive Indication)
• A sample can then be removed for laboratory examination.
• Success is based on highly skilled training plus the respect, trust and bonding between dog and handler.

The Advantages Of Using Dogs For Fire Investigation

• Canines can detect the presence of ignitable liquids with greater sensitivity and accuracy than electronic field equipment so increasing the detection of accelerated fire scenes.
• Canines can differentiate between natural hydrocarbons produced during combustion and hydrocarbons introduced in illegal fire setting.
• Canines can reduce the time an investigator spends on excavation and debris sampling.
• Canines reduce the number of samples that require expensive forensic testing

Matthew can be contacted at: matthew.dixon@wmfs.net

Mat Dixon,
Fire Investigation Dog Handler,
Oldbury Fire Station,
Fire Safety Centre,
Old Park Lane,
Oldbury,
B69 4PU

Ellie in action

Matthew and dogs

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Matthew Dixon

Fire Investigation (FI) Dog Handler for West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service.
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