One of London’s furry fire detectives has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award and he needs your votes to scoop the prize.
London Fire Brigade’s Fire Investigation dog Simba is a finalist in The Kennel Club’s Hero Dog awards after being nominated in the Extraordinary Life of a Working Dog category.
The five-year-old English springer spaniel has been working alongside his handler, Station Officer Anton Keach, in the Fire Investigation team since 2018.
He is trained to identify a variety of ignitable substances and helps to determine if a fire has been started deliberately. His sensitive nose means he can identify a much smaller amount of any substance than a person could. He can also cover a large area in a short space of time and find substances much more quickly – reducing the time spent at incidents and the cost of processing samples.
Simba can also identify evidence which can link suspects to a scene and assist with criminal investigations. He has even helped bring murderers to justice after discovering accelerants had been used at a fatal fire in London.
As well as keeping Londoners safe, he regularly supports other fire and rescue services and police forces in surrounding counties and further afield with their fire investigation work.
In addition to sniffing out the causes of fires, he’s also a fantastic ambassador for the Brigade and has increased public awareness of the Fire Investigation team. He raises morale wherever he goes, particularly with children who will engage with him and are then encouraged to learn about fire safety at home.
Check out the Kennel Club's Simba video
Simba’s handler Anton said: “Simba really deserves to win this award and it’s an honour that he’s been recognised and shortlisted against such stiff competition.
“As well as all his work at fire scenes and in the community, he also provides great therapy to all of us in the Fire Investigation team.
“We can have really tough days in our job and see some awful things – but Simba’s intelligence means he can read people and their emotions and knows when we need some extra support. He also always brings a smile to the face of firefighters who have been working under trying conditions.
“He’s a hugely important part of the team and everyone at London Fire Brigade is very proud of him.
“All the dogs would be very worthy winners – but if you’re a fan of Simba or you’ve had the chance to meet him in the past, we’d be really grateful for your vote.”
The Kennel Club’s Health and Welfare Executive, Bill Lambert, said: “We are delighted to have Simba and Anton as one of our Hero Dog finalists at Crufts 2022.
“The Kennel Club’s Hero Dog Award is an opportunity to celebrate dogs that change our lives in their own unique and special way and we hope our five stories at this year’s show really demonstrate the positive benefits dogs bring to us.”
To vote, go to www.crufts.org.uk/herodogawards2022
Voting closes on Sunday 13th March, when the winner will be announced by TV presenter and actress Sally Philips on the final day of the Crufts competition. You can watch on Channel 4 or by visiting Crufts at the NEC in Birmingham. For further information on how to get tickets please go to www.crufts.org.uk.