Federal funding freezes put Richmond’s new arson dog plans on ice
Federal funding freezes are preventing one of Richmond’s fire K9s, a 7-year-old dog named Erny, from retiring.
“Erny is eligible for retirement, but right now, we’re still going to keep him in service,” Interim Fire Chief Jeffrey Segal told City Council’s Public Safety Committee Tuesday afternoon.
While K9s are a familiar part of police forces, they are also used by fire departments nationwide to help detect accelerants like gasoline that are typically used by arsonists to start fires.
Richmond was supposed to get a new K9 through a partnership the fire department entered into with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives last fall. But due to federal budget cuts, “it’s not going to happen this year,” said Segal.
Taylor Fuqua, a spokesperson for RFD, confirmed in an email that “because federal funding is currently frozen, this prohibits a new class of dogs for this calendar year.”
However, she continued, “we expect to receive a new K9 once funding is released, which is anticipated for the next budget year.”
Erny joined the Richmond Fire Department as its fourth K9 in 2020 and made headlines the following year when he was gifted his own bullet- and stab-proof vest.
Contact Reporter Sarah Vogelsong at svogelsong@richmonder.org
