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Photo courtesy of Massachusetts Department of Fire Services (DFS). K9 River is pictured before the DFS memorial to accelerant- and explosive-detection K9s.
11-08-2026 12:39am
ATF-Trained Labrador Retriever “River” Joins State Police Fire Investigation Team
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Thanks to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services for contributing this story to Westwood Minute.
STOW—At just 18 months old, River is the newest member of the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office. She is younger than the average trooper, but she’s already got a nose for solving crimes.
That's because River is a yellow labrador retriever trained as an accelerant-detection canine through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
With her handler, Trooper James Colella, River is part of the team that works with local, state, and federal partners to investigate fires when the cause is unknown or suspicious. River is one of more than a dozen dogs on the “fire side." An equal number of dogs work as explosive-detection K9s with the State Police Statewide Bomb Squad.
“Fire investigation has been a core mission of the State Fire Marshal’s office for more than 130 years,” said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. “But for all the advances in technology we’ve seen in that time, nothing beats a dedicated trooper and a well-trained K9.”
River was familiarized with gasoline, kerosene, and other ignitable liquids during an "imprinting" period. Dogs like River have noses so powerful that they can sniff out odors at a fire scene even after firefighters have pumped thousands of gallons of water through it to extinguish the flames.
Following River's imprinting period, Trooper Colella and River trained together for 45 days at the ATF’s National Canine Training Center in Front Royal, Virginia. There, River learned to ignore distraction scents, focus on detecting accelerants even in trace amounts, and alert Trooper Colella to findings of interest.
In recent years, the Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit has expanded its K9 program, training dogs to work alongside State Police assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office – and for local police and fire departments.
Recent graduates have included K9 teams from Falmouth Police, Hudson Police, Springfield Fire & Emergency Services, and UMass Amherst Police, in addition to the State Police Bomb Squad and Fire Investigation Unit.
ATF-trained dogs like River have long been part of the team, as well. Trooper Colella is excited to work with his new partner.
“All of these dogs are world-class,” he said. “They’re highly motivated, always ready to work, and extremely capable when it comes to identifying accelerants or explosives.”
As talented as these K9s are in locating evidence, however, their noses aren’t the last word in a criminal investigation. When the dogs alert to a presence of ignitable liquids, fire investigators like Trooper Colella have their jobs to do, as well. They will identify specific sections of flooring, clothing, debris, and other items for documentation and collection. The Troopers then carefully take samples and transport them to the State Police Crime Laboratory for testing and analysis, that can confirm or exclude the presence of accelerants or explosives. The resulting evidence can be used in court.
River comes on the job as Trooper Colella's K-9 partner, Fulton, prepares to retire. At nearly 9-years-old, Fulton can look forward to a simpler life as a family pet. Soon, Fulton will be able to eat out of a bowl and sleep through the night without driving to fire scenes at all hours.
As for River, she has a long and rewarding career ahead of her – all she has to do is follow her nose.
