May 6-12 is National Arson Awareness Week
D.C. Fire Investigator Scott Wilson and arson dog Roo are nominees in the 2012 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards™. Public voting is now open at www.herodogawards.org, and they are asking for your vote.
The Hero Dog Awards were created by the American Humane Association in 2010 to celebrate the powerful relationship between dogs and people. This annual competition searches out and recognizes America’s Hero Dogs - often ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things, from saving lives, providing service to a human companion, or just welcoming a person home at the end of the day. State Farm® celebrates the Hero Dog Awards with sponsorship of the “Law Enforcement & Arson Dog” category.
“I am thrilled Roo is representing D.C. Fire and EMS in the Arson Dog category of the Hero Dog Awards,” said Wilson. “Roo works tirelessly day and night, making D.C. a safer place to live. I am proud to have him as my partner and feel that he is a true example of a Hero Dog.”
Each year billions of dollars in property damage and hundreds of lives are lost as a result of arson related fires. Since 1993, State Farm has provided funding for the acquisition and training of special dogs, like Roo, who detect accelerants and the cause of fires. State Farm has placed more than 250 arson dogs in the U.S. and Canada over the last two decades. Read more at Arsondog.org.
The U.S. Fire Administration declared May 6-12, 2012, as National Arson Awareness Week. The goal of this year’s awareness campaign is to “focus public attention on the importance of a collaborative effort with fire and emergency service departments, law enforcement, mental health, social services, schools, and juvenile justice to help reduce the occurrence of juveniles engaged with fire,” according to USFM.
The American public can now cast their votes and choose eight extraordinary canine finalists for the Hero Dog Awards. Voting is open until 11:59 p.m. PT on June 30, 2012. Individuals who are at least eighteen (18) years of age and reside in one of the fifty (50) United States or District of Columbia may visit www.herodogawards.org to register and vote for individual dogs in each of the eight (8) categories. A voter may vote for more than one entry, however, voters are limited to one vote per dog per category each day.Amy Preddy, State Farm Public Affairs, (434) 872-5211
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