Todd Jordan started his K9 career working an Accelerant Detection K9 in 1997. In 2000, he trained his first "official" Accelerant Detection dog for the State Farm arson dog program. He has since trained over thirty Accelerant K9s, including two of his own. He was on the Board of Directors and the Chief Certifying Official for CADA (Canine Accelerant Detection Association), and he is a CFI (Certified Fire Investigator) through the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) since 2003. He has worked as a fire investigator since 1992 on both the public and private side. He trains and handles his K9s on the standards set forth in the NFPA 921 Guide to Fire Investigations. He has been qualified as an expert witness in several state and civil court cases in Indiana relating to Accelerant Detection K9 handling and fire investigation. Jordan is one of only a few Certified Fire Investigators through the International Association of Fire Investigators that works and trains Accelerant Detection K9s. Jordan's over thirty years experience as a fire investigator and twenty five years as a K9 Handler and Trainer gives him the experience to teach "real world" knowledge from the fire scene to prosecution, and to the court room.
The Accelerant Detection handlers are taught to work the K9 methodically through the fire scene using the same systematic approach as fire investigators. The use of the K9 in fire investigations help with the overall time spent at a fire scene, along with taking evidence samples in precise areas where the K9 indicated. The Accelerant Detection K9 has tremendously helped the success rates of positive samples from the laboratory.
The Accelerant Detection K9s are fully trained and utilized on active fire investigation scenes prior to being placed with the handler. The K9s are trained on the passive-alert method, so as not to disturb the evidence before it is properly taken by the trained investigator. A two-week K9 handler course is included in the price of the K9. The course is offered in the Indianapolis, Indiana area. All handlers are required to be re-certified each year by Jordan Detection K9.
