Fire investigation teams and their four-legged partners from across the country are in Chula Vista for three days of recertification training designed to keep their specialized skills sharp.
The teams include Chula Vista firefighter Maggie Greene and Hannah, a specially trained K-9 who uses her nose to help investigators determine how fires started.
“We’ve been together for four years,” Greene said.
The pair began training together in 2022. Hannah’s job is to help fire investigators find potential evidence.
“Their mission is to be able to assist in investigations,” Greene said.
“To locate areas where evidence can be collected.”
Although people in the community may refer to dogs like Hannah as “arson dogs,” Greene said that is not the technical term.
“The community knows them like they’re arson dogs. But technically, that’s not the term,” Greene said.
The dogs are officially known as ignitable liquid detection K-9s.
The recertification training at Chula Vista’s fire training facility brought in teams from as far away as Utah, Texas and Hawaii.
For Greene, working with Hannah also required overcoming a personal fear.
“And for me personally, that was a little bit scary because I have been afraid of dogs all my life,” Greene said.
After four years together, Hannah has become part of Greene’s family.
“She’s a ham,” she said.
Hannah has also become an essential partner in Greene’s work.
“I cannot imagine working without her,” she said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.