LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A state fire investigator K9 is likely looking forward to unlimited belly rubs now that he's retiring. But it’s not a loss to the department, as a new recruit is coming to that same agency after successfully completing training.
Officials from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), a division of the Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS), recently announced they were celebrating the hard work and legacy of K9 ROTC, who served as a fire investigator K9 starting in 2020, and who is now retiring from the force.
“During his service ROTC’s laser trained nose helped investigate more than 180 fires collecting evidence and holding arsonists accountable, with an accuracy rate of 94.2%, keeping Coloradans and our communities safe,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement, in which he wished the K9 “a restful retirement full of treats, walks in Colorado’s iconic outdoors, long naps in the sun, and countless tummy rubs.”
Though K9 ROTC is leaving some big paws to fill, the agency is also welcoming its newest Accelerant Detection Canine named Waffle.
Waffle, pictured below, recently completed training through the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) National Canine Division’s prestigious Accelerant Detection Canine (ADC) program, according to state officials.
“This program is critical to ATF’s mission of combatting violent crime and supporting our local law enforcement partners which significantly enhances public safety for all. I congratulate Investigator Brian Eberle and ADC K-9 Waffle on their recent graduation and welcome them home to Colorado where they will serve,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers.
The program, established in 1986, has become a model for scientifically based accelerant and explosives detection. The teams, composed of a handler and a K9 partner, are trained to “detect a variety of ignitable liquids that may be used to start fires, and they must commit to a five-year memorandum of agreement while undergoing annual recertification”
There are currently only about 50 accelerant detection K9 teams serving across the country, which highlights “the significance of Waffle’s placement” in the state.
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