By Ethan Thomas
Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — One of the most dependable employees of the Utah State Fire Marshals Office will celebrate the end of a successful first year on the job in December, and all she is asking in return is a doggy treat or two.
Cindy, a black Labrador retriever, started working for the Fire Marshals office last December after receiving her training from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Since joining the office as an accelerant K-9, Cindy has worked close to 120 fires over the past 12 months.
“One thing that makes Cindy so important is that she can cover so much ground in a short period of time,” deputy Stan Robins of the Utah State Fire Marshal’s Office said. “She saves investigators hours because her instinct is to look for ignitable liquids. I can take her into a warehouse and tell her to ‘seek,’ and right away she will determine whether there is something there or not.”
Cindy, who will be 3 years old next month, is trained to detect 21 ignitable agents, which not only helps the fire marshals determine the cause of many fires but has helped in the conviction of several offenders.
Cindy and Robins are certified by the ATF as a K-9 team and spend nearly all of their waking hours together. The two arrive after a fire has taken place. Robins makes sure it is safe for the dog to enter the building and they begin their search. Every time she detects an accelerant, she sits and points her nose to the area and receives dog food for her efforts. A sample of the area is taken to the lab to determine what type of accelerant was used.
“She is a hard-working dog, and she likes to work because she knows she will get fed,” Robins said.
As an accelerant K-9, Cindy has a 98 percent accuracy rating and is used to “testify” in many court cases. As they’re a certified team, Robins testifies for the dog as to what exactly happened before and during the fire investigation.
Cindy was born in New York and raised in New Jersey by a family of puppy raisers before entering guide-dog training. After six months there, Cindy changed careers and entered the ATF program.
Once the Fire Marshals office was approved to get an ATF dog, they chose Robins to be the handler and he received six weeks of training after a specific dog was chosen for him.
“They interviewed (Robins), went to his house, looked over his yard and talked to us to get a feel for his demeanor,” State Fire Marshal Ron Morris said. “Then when Stan went back there they had a dog picked out that fit Stan. It was amazing because each dog fits each handler unbelievably well.”
Robins has brought Cindy into his home as part of his position as her handler, and when they leave home each morning, Cindy is riding in the passenger seat on their way to work. To comply with ATF standards, Cindy must sleep inside, ride in a climate-controlled vehicle and in the event of flying, she gets to walk right on the plane.
There are two other accelerant dogs in the state but Cindy is the only one who works statewide. Because of the strong friendship already forged between the two, Robins plans to adopt Cindy once she retires so she can remain a part of his family.
“If I go somewhere and don’t take her she is a nervous wreck at home,” Robins said. “She has to know where I am at all times. If I leave the room she is right behind me. So I don’t get very far without her.”
Copyright 2008 The Deseret News Publishing Co.