Meet An Arson Dog at Maryland Day

MEDIA ADVISORY  April 22, 2015

CONTACT:
Faye Levine
301.405.0379
flevine@umd.edu

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Department of Fire Protection Engineering at the A. James Clark School of Engineering will host fire investigator Carlton Saunders and K-9 Horton from the State Farm Arson Dog Program at Maryland Day, starting at 10:00 a.m., April 25 on the University of Maryland’s College Park Campus.

WHAT
Guests attending Maryland Day, a free, public event, will have the opportunity to meet and interact with Saunders and Horton. Saunders will demonstrate how dogs like Horton are trained, and how they use their amazing sense of smell to detect even a single drop of diluted, evaporated fuel. Demonstrations may include an audience participation “criminal lineup” exercise in which Horton must discover who has come into contact with an accelerant. Horton is a friendly and exuberant Labrador and golden retriever mix who will be happy to be petted by new friends at Maryland Day.   

WHY
Each year, hundreds of lives are lost and millions of dollars in property damage occurs as a result of arson. It is important that law enforcement officials have every tool possible to combat this costly and sometimes deadly crime. Labrador retrievers like Horton have a superior ability to discriminate scents at a fire scene. The combination of a certified arson investigator and a trained arson dog make a formidable team.

The State Farm Arson Dog Program has a direct impact on deterring arson-related crimes. Its members’ public education and outreach activities are essential to creating safer communities. Over the past two decades, State Farm and other programs have trained and placed more than 350 teams in 44 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada.

The program also changes the lives of formerly abandoned dogs, who are recruited through a cooperative program with guide dog and disability assistance canine organizations, as well as local animal shelters and humane societies.

WHO
Carlton Saunders and Arson K-9 Horton from Howard County Fire and Rescue.

WHEN
Saturday, April 25, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

WHERE
The Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building plaza, located at the corner of Paint Branch Drive and Stadium Drive on the University of Maryland, College Park campus, 20742.

MORE INFORMATION

Maryland Day: marylandday.umd.edu
State Farm Arson Dog Program website: www.arsondog.org
Fire Dogs: Man’s Best Friend, Arsonists’ Worst Nightmare: firedogs.goodneighbor.com
Arson Dogs web series featuring Victoria Stilwell: www.youtube.com/victoriastilwell

About the UMD Department of Fire Protection Engineering

In 1956, the Department of Fire Protection Engineering was established within the School of Engineering at the University of Maryland. To date, the department offers the only fully accredited undergraduate program and one of three graduate degree programs in the United States. More than 1,100 graduates from the Department are now employed in industry, insurance companies, Federal, state or local government, military, and fire service. To learn more, visit fpe.umd.edu.

About the A. James Clark School of Engineering

The University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering is a premier program, ranked among the top 20 in the world. Located just a few miles from Washington, D.C., the Clark School is at the center of a constellation of high-tech companies and federal laboratories, offering students and faculty access to unique professional opportunities.

Our broad spectrum of academic programs, including the world’s only accredited undergraduate fire protection engineering program, is complemented by a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, early hands-on educational experiences, and participation in national and international competitions.

The Clark School is leading research advancements in aerospace, bioengineering, robotics, nanotechnology, disaster resilience, energy and sustainability, and cybersecurity. From the universal product code to satellite radio, SMS text messaging to the implantable insulin pump, our students, faculty, and alumni are engineering life-changing innovations for millions. Learn more at www.eng.umd.edu.