The History of the Ignitable Liquid Detection K9 Program
For more than thirty years, the insurance industry has funded the international ignitable liquid detection K9 program led by Paul Gallagher of Maine Specialty Dogs. Gallagher, a former Maine State Police K9 handler and trainer, built one of the most respected training programs in North America pairing specially trained Labradors with firefighters and law enforcement officers to locate ignitable liquids at fire scenes.
A Proven International Program
Beginning in the early 1990s, Gallagher and his team trained more than 400 K9 Teams across the U.S., Canada, and Costa Rica. The training was intensive, hands-on, and based on NFPA 921 and NFPA 1033 standards. Each K9 was imprinted on the odors of common ignitable liquids and rewarded through a food-based system that built precision and reliability. These K9s became essential to fire investigation units nationwide, reducing scene times, improving evidence collection, and helping investigators uncover the truth in complex fire scenes.
Funding Cut Without Warning
After three decades of steady partnership, the insurance industry abruptly ended its funding for the program with little notice. This decision left active ignitable liquid detection K9 teams without financial support for required annual recertifications, replacement dogs, or new handler training. Agencies that had relied on this partnership were left scrambling. Without continued training and certification, K9s risk losing their operational status, a major setback for arson investigation capabilities across the country.
International Fire Dogs Steps In
Recognizing what was at stake, International Fire Dogs stepped in immediately to partner with Paul Gallagher and Maine Specialty Dogs. Together, they are keeping the program alive by supporting annual recertification events, maintaining training standards, and developing new handler academies to place additional ignitable liquid detection K9s in service. This collaboration ensures that the decades of progress made under Gallagher’s leadership aren’t lost. It keeps trained teams working, certified, and ready to serve their communities.
Looking Ahead
The future of the ignitable liquid detection K9 program now depends on new partnerships and community support. International Fire Dogs continue to raise funds to train new teams, sustain annual recertifications, and uphold the standard of excellence established by Maine Specialty Dogs. These dogs and their handlers represent the highest level of commitment to public safety, and they deserve continued support.
The National Fire Dog Monument, titled “Ashes to Answers,” stands outside Engine Company 2 in Washington, D.C., honoring ignitable liquid detection K9s and their handlers who serve in fire investigation units across the United States. Created by firefighter-sculptor Austin Weishel and inspired by our very own founder and executive director - Colorado Fire Investigator Jerry Means, the life-size bronze statue depicts Means’ K9 partner Sadie, the 2011 Arson Dog of the Year. The monument traveled the country before its 2013 installation in D.C. It serves as a lasting tribute to hundreds of canine teams who work tirelessly to find the truth behind fires and reduce the impact of arson in their communities.