Britain’s Longest-Serving Fire Dog Retires After 11 Years Of Service and 500 Investigations

Reqs the Labrador retires as a fire dog after 11-long years of service and more than 500 investigations on July 28, Friday.

Reqs and Nikki Harvey, fire investigator at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Req’s handler, went on the show to the BBC Breakfast show’s red sofa on July 28 to announce the fire dog’s retirement.

While on the show, Harvey answered the questions, “What was his strengths? Why was he so good?” and said Reqs is an “amazing search dog” and “excelled in every area of his training really early on”.

According to the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Reqs has attended more than 500 incidents as a fire dog.

Harvey reveals that Reqs joined the fire department when he turned one year old, and has been with the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service for the past 11 years.

The fire department said that Reqs uses his “impeccable sense of smell” to detect accelerants (like petrol) at fire scenes. And he does it all so well for a “very special reward”, aka his favorite tennis ball.

Furthermore, Harvey revealed that Reqs only went to scenes when it’s surely safe for him. And the hardworking pooch also wore his protective boots for safety measure.

One of Req’s most memorable search was when he found a dog while searching a house explosion scene with Essex Fire & Rescue Service.

According to BBC, other cases that Reqs helped investigate included murder and attempted murder investigations, arsons and a false imprisonment.

And for his hard work and faithful service for the past 11 years, Reqs was presented a certificate by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Chief Fire Officer.

The Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service called Reqs an all-around hero (rightfully so!), and revealed that after retiring, he has passed the baton to his protégé, another black Labrador, named Loki.

Harvey stated that Reqs is basically his pet dog now. Talking to BBC, Harvey said, “He’s happy to be lying on the sofa, eating things, playing with his ball.”