Canine Central

Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System (LC-CFRS) has three K-9 teams, Bali, Luna and Thor, that are assigned to the Fire Marshal’s Office. 

  1. Bali
  2. Luna
  3. Thor

K-9 BaliOn Friday, December 3, 2021, canine Bali graduated with her partner, Captain Bud Herndon, from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms’ (ATF) Accelerant Detection Canine school. Bali is a female yellow Labrador Retriever that was born on January 19, 2020. Bali was raised by the Guide Dog Foundation, growing up with a puppy raiser in Georgia prior to her selection by the ATF to be trained as an accelerant detection canine. 

Bali is a trained accelerant detection canine. Accelerant Detection Canine teams are a law enforcement officer partnered with a highly trained canine used to investigate fire scenes. Canine teams have proven to be the most effective tool that fire investigators can use to locate accelerants. An accelerant detection canine (ADC) is trained to sniff out minute traces of ignitable liquid accelerants that may have been used to start a fire or other evidence used during the criminal act. Bali is trained to detect ignitable liquids down to 10 microliters, which is equivalent to approximately 1/8th of a teardrop. The investigator will collect the samples identified by the canine, and they will be sent to a lab to confirm the presence of an accelerant.

Learn About How K-9's are Community Helpers
 

Join Captain Herndon and Dolley for a reading of National Geographic's Dolley the Fire Dog

Retired and Past Canines of the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System

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  1. Aurora
  2. Dolley
  3. Jimmy
  4. Shadow
  5. Ogden
  6. Murphy
  7. Flash
  8. Grace
  9. Onyx
  10. Marco
  11. Nikki

Aurora served as an Explosives Detection Canine (EDC) from April 2015 until October 11, 2023. During her career with the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System (LC-CFRS), she worked out of the Fire Marshal's Office with her handler, Deputy Fire Marshal Leif Sundberg. With over eight years of service, Aurora provided explosive protection sweeps for United States Presidents, Presidential Candidates, members of Congress, Governors, state and local elected officials, and countless residents and guests of the National Capital Region. She assisted law enforcement agencies in both Virginia and West Virginia on events related to explosive and firearms crimes. One of Aurora's greatest pleasures was being an ambassador for the LC-CFRS, greeting children of all ages at station-sponsored community events.

K-9 Aurora in front of an American flag