Western Maryland is welcoming its first accelerant detection K-9 in more than 20 years.
K-9 “Quinn” and his handler, Senior Deputy State Fire Marshal Adam Rounds, graduated Friday from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ National Canine Training Center in Virginia.
The Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal said the pair is ready to help investigators determine the causes of fires and find evidence more efficiently across the region.
Quinn, a black Labrador retriever, was initially trained through the Puppies Behind Bars program, which provides service dogs for law enforcement and first responders.
Of the eight teams that graduated, Quinn was one of five littermates, all selected by the ATF for specialized accelerant detection training. The rigorous 12-week certification program focuses on fire scene investigation, scent detection, fire chemistry and safety procedures.
