25 Years of fire investigation dogs celebrated in Hertfordshire
It's thanks to locally based company Computacenter's sponsorship of the dogs
Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service and Computacenter have marked 25 years of partnership supporting fire investigation dogs.
Since 1999, Computacenter has funded Hertfordshire’s fire investigation dogs — covering costs associated with training, equipment, and operational readiness.
Over the course of the partnership, the dogs have attended more than 1,370 incidents, assisting fire investigators in determining the causes of fires, including suspected arson cases.
Their ability to detect ignitable liquids such as petrol and white spirit enables investigators to gather evidence that might otherwise go undetected.
Cllr Ajanta Hilton, Executive Member for Public Health and Community Safety at Hertfordshire County Council, noted the importance of the partnership, particularly in the context of constrained local authority budgets.
She said: "Three-quarters of the council’s spending goes toward statutory services like adult social care and special educational needs.
"Arrangements like this one relieve pressure and help ensure we can continue to provide a high standard of service elsewhere, including community safety."
A specialist role in fire investigations
The dogs are trained to work calmly in post-fire environments, wearing protective boots to keep them safe while they search for traces of accelerants.
Handlers carry out regular continuation training to maintain the dogs’ skills, including exercises to help them ignore common distractions at fire scenes — most notably food.
Nikki Harvey, Watch Commander and fire investigator, has worked with all of Hertfordshire’s fire investigation (FI) dogs since 2007. She explained that while the dogs are highly capable, they are also familiar companions who form close bonds with their handlers and the wider team.
Ms Harvey currently works with FI dog Loki, who joined the service in 2022 and has attended over 130 incidents to date.
The training begins when the dogs are young and continues throughout their working life.
Ms Harvey said: "We use a tennis ball reward system – it’s his favourite thing next to food. Once he learns that finding the scent gets him his ball, the rest just clicks into place.
"For him, it’s not work – it’s a game."
She said that while each dog has their own temperament and personality, their purpose and discipline remain consistent.
Reflecting on a long-running service
The contributions of each dog who has served over the last 25 years is being celebrated, and includes:
Browza (2001–2007) attended 270 incidents
CC (2007–2014) attended 385 incidents
Reqs (2012–2023), the UK’s longest-serving FI dog, attended 510 incidents
Thor (2020–2021) attended 72 incidents
Loki (2022–present) has attended 136 incidents so far
These dogs have assisted with a range of cases including fatal fires and serious criminal investigations.
They support the work of trained fire investigators and help to provide evidence that can contribute to legal proceedings.
While much of the dogs’ work happens behind the scenes, their role is widely appreciated within the service.
Chief Fire Officer Alex Woodman said: "No human has the skill and ability that he has with his nose, and linked with the training given by his handler Nikki, it is something that is second to none in those investigations."
Computacenter CEO Mike Norris said the company was proud to have played a role in supporting such a specialised function for so many years.