Western Maryland welcomes its first accelerant detection K9 in over 20 years

CUMBERLAND, Md. (WBFF) — For the first time in more than two decades, Western Maryland has its own Accelerant Detection K9 to assist in fire investigations.

K9 “Quinn,” a black Labrador Retriever, and his handler, Senior Deputy State Fire Marshal Adam Rounds, have officially graduated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) National Canine Training Center in Front Royal, Virginia.

Quinn’s presence is expected to significantly reduce response times for fire investigations that previously relied on K9 units based near Baltimore or farther east.

“I’m proud to welcome K9 Quinn and Senior Deputy Rounds to our Accelerant Detection Canine team,” stated Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray, via press release. “Quinn’s placement in Western Maryland is a significant step forward in strengthening our statewide investigative capabilities. Reducing response times will help ensure that our investigators are collecting evidence that is critical to arson investigations.”

Quinn’s journey to law enforcement began through the Puppies Behind Bars program, a nonprofit that raises service dogs for law enforcement and first responders.

The program partners with correctional facilities, where inmates spend about two years training the dogs in obedience, focus, and adaptability before they move on to specialized training.

Of the eight K9 teams that graduated, Quinn was one of five littermates chosen for the demanding 12-week certification course for specialized accelerant detection training.

The training covers scent detection, fire chemistry, scene safety, and investigative procedures, exposing canines to six different classifications of ignitable liquids.

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Instead of toys, Quinn was trained using food and praise as rewards — a method proven to build reliability and precision in detection.

Senior Deputy Rounds and Quinn now join one of only 77 ATF-certified accelerant detection teams in the United States and become part of the country’s largest partnership of ATF-trained canines, operated by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

With the addition of Quinn, the Office of the State Fire Marshal now maintains six ATF-certified Accelerant and Explosive Detection Canine teams strategically positioned across Maryland.

Each team trains daily to maintain certification and remains ready to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week.