BUILDING BRIDGES ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY

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1 CITY OF RICHMOND DEPARTMENT OF FIRE & EMERGENCY BUSINESS NAME SERVICES DECEMBER ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY In honor of our 157th anniversary we honored department personnel and their families recognizing those among us who truly distinguished themselves in serving those who live and work in this amazing City. We in turn also had a number of local citizens put themselves in harm s way to save a life, helping neighbors they knew and those they had never met. We were honored to have retired Firefighter Bernard Lewis and his wife Patricia in attendance that evening to help us acknowledge and celebrate his role as one of the first African American Firefighters of our Department. I graciously thank retired Fire Chief Larry Tunstall for being our guest speaker. Giving back is just one of the many reasons we hold this ceremony every year. What you train for, work hard at, and dedicate your lives to does not go unnoticed by those of us who support you and our mission to serve the community. That was evident when you looked around the room to see all who joined us that evening. This year we would also like to take a moment to recognize those who have so selflessly served in our Armed Forces, both active and retired, and we remember our brothers and sisters and their family members who have passed away. Even after these past 10 years as your Fire Chief I continue to be amazed at the lengths you will go to, the carefully measured risks you will take, and the gratitude and teamwork you show to one another, as well as the dedication you demonstrate to the neighbors you watch over. All of this and the exemplary stories we celebrate tonight are what make me most proud to be your leader. Fire Chief, Robert A. Creecy INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 2015 ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY ELLIE S RETIREMENT CELEBRATION FIREHOUSE SUBS MURAL K9 - PEARL 4 THE NOSE KNOWS: STATE FARM S ARSON 7 9/11 STAIR CLIMB 6 FIRE RECRUIT GRAD- UATION - CLASS Continues on Page 2

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3 PAGE 3 ELLIE S RETIREMENT CELEBRATION After 5 years of faithful and exceptional service to the City of Richmond and surrounding counties, the Richmond Department of Fire and Emergency Services LT Ellie, a female black Labrador (partner Firefighter Lin Archer) has retired from active service. LT Ellie was the Department s second Accelerant Detection Canine and has been replaced by a three year old female Golden or (half lab/half Golden retriever) named Pearl (partner Lieutenant Brian Dalrymple). This recognition ceremony took place October 6th at Richmond Fire Department Headquarters. Both K-9 s and their partners completed arson dog training in Alfred, Maine in 2010 and 2015 respectively. Historically, the Richmond Fire Department s holds the only Arson Detection team in Central Virginia. Since inception, all department teams are sponsored by the State Farm Arson Dog Program, which eliminates a huge financial burden for departments and localities. Ellie and Pearl are two of the more than 350 arson dog teams in the United States and Canada sponsored by State Farm and trained by Maine Specialty Dogs. These arson investigation teams assist local and state law enforcement officers investigate fires. As a tradition in the fire service no firefighter can leave until their relief arrives and LT Ellie is no exception.

4 PAGE 4 FIREHOUSE SUBS MURAL I went to the Firehouse Subs on Sheila Lane in Richmond for dinner and had the chance to take a picture of the amazing mural hanging in the restaurant. The mural is incredible, it maintains the Richmond Fire Department theme of the restaurant yet perfectly incorporates the City of Richmond. The artist responsible for every mural inside a Firehouse Subs restaurant is Joe Puskas. Artist Joe Puskas didn't always start out painting murals. Originally, he began doing T-shirt designs with only one mural and zero art classes under his belt. However, one mural was all it took. Puskas' work was discovered by Firehouse Subs Co-founder Robin Sorensen behind a Tom and Betty's Restaurant. Since then, Puskas' iconic career as a Firehouse muralist began. K9 - PEARL The Richmond Fire Department proudly announces the arrival of a new member of the Fire Investigation Team; K9 Pearl. She is a three year old Labrador obtained through the State Farm Arson Dog Program. K9 Pearl and her handler, Lieutenant Brian Dalrymple, just completed a month long certification program at the Maine State Criminal Justice Academy K9 Training Facility. This intense seven day a week training enabled K9 Pearl to go to work immediately as part of the team. K9 Pearl takes over after K9 Ellie retired officially in September. She is a member of the Central Virginia Arson Task Force and as such will respond to assist our regional partners with their fire investigations. The first week on the job K9 Pearl and Lieutenant Dalrymple broke the ice by responding to Prince George County to assist them with a fire investigation. She worked the scene in an outstanding and professional manner. PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE!

5 PAGE 5 THE NOSE KNOWS: STATE FARM S ARSON DOG PROGRAM The State Farm Arson Dog Program was established with direction from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. There are only two ways to become a certified Arson Dog. One is through the State Farm program in Maine and the other is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). From State Farm, To help combat arson fraud and increase community awareness of the problem, State Farm has been providing financial support for the acquisition and training of an arsonist s worst nightmare: accelerant detection canines, better known as the arson dog. Since 1993, the State Farm Arson Dog Program has put more than 300 dogs and their partners to work in 44 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces. Arson dogs are trained to sniff out minute traces of accelerants (gasoline, lighter fluid, etc.) that may have been used to start a fire. Each arson dog works and lives with their handler, a law enforcement officer or firefighter trained to investigate fire scenes. The canines and handlers are required to complete four weeks of training in Maine, training every day during those four weeks. The intensive training school is led by Paul Gallagher, Owner and Head Trainer of Maine Specialty Dogs. Arson dogs are fast: The teams can work an entire scene in less than 30 minutes. It can take humans days to do what a dog does in minutes. Arson dogs are accurate: At best, humans can make educated guesses about possible accelerant use and will need to collect an average of 20 samples to send off to a lab for testing. With an arson dog, their nose narrows down the guess work and they wind up taking 3 samples on average. Arson dogs save time and money: Fewer (but better) samples saves money at the lab. The dog s work speeds up investigations and provides for a higher conviction rate. Often, arson dog teams are brought in to rule out an arson. This allows the claim process to move forward more quickly. Arson dogs know how to work a crowd: At a fire scene, the dogs are encouraged to mingle with the crowds and give them a good sniff. If the arsonist is in the crowd watching (a common phenomenon, especially with kids aka firebugs ), the arson dogs will alert to smell the accelerant on their clothes, shoes, or body. The dogs may be brought in during a suspect s questioning to do a sniff as well. And the dogs also make appearances in courtrooms when their handlers present evidence (which may include the dog s training, experience, and the procedure followed at the incident in question). Arson dogs are unbiased: The dogs just stick to the truth. If there s an accelerant present, they alert. The dogs are simply communicating that something is there (or not there), without any personal basis or judgment. Arson dogs are valued members of their communities: Besides their fire scene work Arson Dog teams head out into their community to teach fire safety and play a big part in public relations. The handlers love working with their dogs: Being a part of an Arson Dog team is no small commitment. Once an arson dog is certified and placed with a handler, he or she works every day of the year and must be recertified annually. Handlers make a five year commitment to working with their dogs. Most of them stick around a lot longer! Just like in an amateur nose works class, the handler doesn t direct the dog they don t pull on the leash they let the dogs do the work. The handlers might tap on the walls or floor to engage the dogs, but they never tap the evidence itself. The handlers keep their feet moving, watch the body language of their dogs, and allow the dogs time to work.

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