Gordon Thompson, a lieutenant for the Painesville Township Fire Department, has been working alongside canines for over a decade.
Beginning this past February, Thompson was paired with his third pawed partner, a 2 1/2 -year-old Labrador retriever, Theo.
Theo belongs to the K-9 Arson Team which is part of the National Response Team, a division of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Like canines Thompson was formerly partnered with, Theo is tasked with accelerant detection. This aids in sniffing out potential causes of arson.
As part of the National Response Team, Theo can be called to serve anywhere he is needed within the country, sometimes with as little as 24 hours notice.