Fire Services Canine Unit

Since 2007, the Fire Services Department has introduced two types of working dogs to enhance the capabilities of fire investigation personnel in collecting evidence at fire scenes, and of rescue teams in locating missing persons across various environments.

 

Search and Rescue Dogs

Search and rescue dogs are deployed in incidents involving landslides, collapsed structures, and remote terrain to locate individuals who may be trapped or missing. At present, the Department maintains a team of five search and rescue dogs, all of which are English Springer Spaniels. This breed is selected for its compact build, agility, and exceptional olfactory sensitivity, enabling effective navigation through complex environments. By detecting human scent, these dogs assist rescue personnel in swiftly narrowing down search areas or directly identifying the location of missing persons.

 

Fire Investigation Dogs

Fire investigation dogs play a pivotal role in assisting investigators to determine the presence of accelerants at fire scenes. With their acute sense of smell and agile movement, they are capable of conducting rapid and comprehensive searches across extensive fire-affected areas. This facilitates the timely collection of fire debris and accelerant samples, thereby expediting the investigation process. Currently, the Department has two fire investigation dogs, one Labrador Retriever and one Golden Retriever. These dogs have completed specialized training and are capable of detecting six commonly used accelerants in suspected arson cases, namely petrol,diesel, kerosene, turpentine, thinner, and white spirit.