Not all heroes wear capes. Others might come in the form of a Cocker Spaniel.
Meet Giddy, the hero dog hired by firefighters to help investigators chase down arsonists.
With Giddy's nose and unique heat-resistant boots, she can help locate dangerous flammables and accelerants at West Midlands Fire Service.
Giddy is the next generation of dog investigators hired by the Fire Investigation and Prevention Section to help firefighters put out fires.
The 11-month-old dog is trained to locate signs of accelerants in burnt-out buildings, helping investigate the cause of fires.
But her brilliance doesn't stop there; she can even track down the people behind them by picking up their trail near blazes.
Giddy uses a special canine protective kit and heat-resistant boots to shield her cute paws from running on hot ashes.
She is the next generation of dog investigators at West Midlands Fire Service.
Giddy trained with her handler, Watch Commander Alex Daw, for six weeks, and she now lives with him full-time.
“Giddy will identify evidence at fire scenes. She will help to bring to justice criminals who deliberately start fires. She has an amazing temperament, so relaxed and docile. She started out as a working dog, so a priority will be teaching her how to be a pet when she’s off duty.” Alex said.
Giddy is the latest generation of fire investigators at West Midland Fire Service. She replayed Kai after he died last month.
The head of the Fire Investigation and Prevention Section, Station Commander Matt Ling, honored Kai and warmly welcomed Giddy.
“Kai served our communities amazingly and is very much missed, but Giddy is already showing that she’ll be a valuable member of the team. Working alongside our expert human fire investigators, she will help to make sense of what can often be very challenging and complex scenes.”
Regional Fire Investigation Dog Handler, Dave Coss of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, supervised Giddy’s and her handlers training.
He stated:
“It was a learning curve from start to finish for both Giddy and Alex. They’ve done a lot of work to get to this point. Now, a bit like after passing your driving test, they’ll continue to learn whilst they’re out in the field.”
