LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (CDFP) announced Monday the addition of Brian Eberle and his three dogs – ROTC, Hiccup and Moose to the Fire Investigations Branch.
"It’s all hands - and paws - on deck to better protect Coloradans and our communities this fire season," Governor Jared Polis said. "We know that their experience will help save lives, support critical investigations and strengthen Colorado’s wildfire response capacity."
Eberle has worked for 21 years in the fire service. His last assignment was to oversee the fire investigations unit and work as a dog handler. He has trained and worked with K-9s since 2007 and is the co-founder of Bloodhound Man-Trackers.
All the K-9s are specialized in ignitable liquid detection, tracking and trailing and decomposing human scent detection, according to CDFP.
Eberle and his dogs have assisted law enforcement agencies on arson, homicide and missing person cases.
“ROTC, Hiccup, Moose, and of course, Brian represent a tremendous addition to our fire investigations team," Chief Chris Brunette of the fire and life safety section at CDFP said. "We are grateful for the opportunity to offer the skills they possess to our Colorado citizens. Having investigator Eberle and his three K-9s join us in our mission to assist local jurisdictions with determining the cause of the fires that occur across our state will undoubtedly benefit countless communities."
Meet the dogs
ROTC
K-9 ROTC, pronounced "Rotsy", is a 7-year-old yellow lab. He is certified as an ignitable liquid detection canine and has been in service and working since 2020. He has assisted many agencies on fires including the Colorado Bureau of Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Hiccup
K-9 Hiccup is a 3-year-old bloodhound. He is trained in tracking and trailing and decomposing human scent detection. He has been in service and working since 2022. Hiccup volunteers as a K-9 resource with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and NecroSearch International.
Moose
K-9 Moose is a 3-year-old German shepherd. He is trained in decomposing human scent detections. He has been in service and working since 2022. Moose also volunteers with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and NecroSearch International.
