National Fire Dog Monument Comes to O’Fallon

O’Fallon is one of 13 cities scheduled to host a viewing of the National Fire Dog Monument (NFDM) as it journeys from Denver, Colorado to Washington D.C., where it will be dedicated on June 28.

The public is invited to view the monument, a bronze sculpture of a firefighter and his canine companion, which will be available from 2 – 3 p.m. at in O’Fallon on Saturday, June 23. A welcoming ceremony will be held.

The National Fire Dog Monument is the only one of its kind in the U.S., and it is co-sponsored by State Farm Insurance and by the American Humane Association. State Farm provides funding to assist with the acquisition and training of arson dogs and handlers in the U.S. and Canada.

The monument, which was created by Colorado firefighter Austin Weishel, pays tribute to the teamwork between humans and their canine companions in solving arson crimes.

Arson dogs – aka accelerant detection canines – are trained to sniff out and indicate traces of petroleum products such as gasoline or lighter fluid that might have been used to start a fire. The traces are sampled and sent to a lab for identification. To become certified for the work, the dogs and their handlers undergo five weeks of professional training and must pass yearly testing to maintain their certification. The dogs are with their handlers 24/7 and also receive training several times a day, every day.

The City of O’Fallon’s arson-detection team, Police Officer Andrew Stowers and K-9 Bo, is one of two K-9 arson detection teams in Missouri. They are also among the 200 teams across the U.S. which have been certified by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, thanks to funding from State Farm Insurance. The duo has a record of working over 250 fires in Bo’s eight-year career.

Bo, a black lab who has been with the City’s K-9 unit since 2004, has been nominated for the American Humane Associations’ annual Hero Dog Awards in the “Law Enforcement/Arson Dog” category. The awards voting will continue through June 30 at www.herodogawards.org. Bo and Officer Stowers will be on hand to greet the National Fire Dog Monument Road Show.