Trumbull County arson dog to help get arsonists off streets

Staff report

WARREN

Tom Domes says his main goal as an arson investigator and partner to his new dog, Trace, is to “get the arsonists off the street.”

Among the other people who share this goal are other firefighters, fellow investigators with the Trumbull County Fire Investigative Unit and State Farm Insurance.

On Wednesday, Domes introduced Trace to the public at the new Trumbull County Emergency Management Agency offices behind the county Engineer’s Office on North River Road.

State Farm provided Trace and paid for the training required to prepare her and Domes for their jobs as arson investigators. Trace is specially trained to detect the presence of accelerants, such as gasoline, at fire scenes, .

State Farm has paid these costs for 325 arson-dog teams in the United States and Canada since 1993, the company says.

State Farm also paid for the last arson dog Trumbull County had — Hydra, who died last September after 11 years of service.

The National Fire Protection Agency reports there were more than 41,500 intentionally set fires in 2009, causing more than $792 million in damage.

“Arson dogs played a key role in determining the cause of many of these fires,” said Matthew Balut, chief of the Trumbull County Fire Investigative Unit.

Balut was handler for Hydra, so he knows what kind of commitment is required of the person who takes care of the animal every day at home and at work and responds to calls at all hours of the day and night.

“It is a lot of work and a lot of dedication,” Balut said.

Domes has been a firefighter for 17 years and serves the fire departments in Vienna and Mecca townships. “We train every day,” Domes said of himself and Trace.

Part of the agreement with State Farm is that Trace and Domes will be available to assist fire departments throughout Trumbull County and other nearby counties.

Most nearby counties do not have an arson dog, Balut said.