ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today joined Department of Fire and Rescue Services (DFRS) Chief Louis Winston to swear-in the department’s newest investigative member, Beacon. A two-year-old black Labrador Retriever, Beacon is the fifth arson accelerant detection canine to serve in Howard County and second to accompany handler Captain Craig Matthews with the Department’s Office of the Fire Marshal. Photos from the event can be found on the County’s Flickr website.
Like his four-legged friends before him, Beacon is a vital DFRS team member, helping our investigators more accurately and rapidly determine if a fire was intentionally set thanks to his superior sense of smell. This not only leads to more efficient investigations and better use of departmental resources, but also ensures our investigators are able to successfully stop, catch, and prosecute arsonists. I wish Beacon and Captain Matthews the best of luck in the road ahead and look forward to hearing about all the good and effective work they are doing for the residents of Howard County and beyond.
This past August, Beacon and Captain Matthews completed the canine-accelerant detection program hosted by Maine State Police. Together, Captain Matthews and Beacon will respond to an average of 80 fires a year throughout the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area and as far out as western Maryland, as there are only a handful of arson dogs in the region. Arson dogs assist investigators at fire scenes by locating evidence of any accelerant used, such as gasoline, lighter fluid, or kerosene, which is then collected and tested and confirmed in a lab. Since his graduation, Beacon has already worked on several fire scenes.
As one of the few arson dogs in Maryland, Beacon is a tremendous asset – not only to our fire investigation team at DFRS, but to the entire region. Beacon can identify potential signs of a suspicious fire within seconds or minutes – work that might otherwise take investigators hours or even days to complete.
While most fires in Howard County are accidental, many are preventable. Common causes include:
- Unattended food left on the stove or in the oven;
- Improper use of space heaters;
- Failing to clean and maintain home chimneys before using; and
- Improper disposal of ashes from fireplaces and bonfires.
As kitchen fires remain the leading cause of fires both locally and nationwide, DFRS reminds residents to always stay in the kitchen while cooking with heat, whether they are using the stove, oven, microwave, air fryer, toaster, etc.
Beacon’s certification training was funded through a donation to the nonprofit International Fire Dogs by the local emergency restoration company Platinum Emergency Services. He follows in the pawprints of the department’s previous arson dog, Sowell, who retired in August and now lives at home with Captain Matthews, his family, and his new friend Beacon.