At 10 years-old and just 62 pounds, she's by far the youngest and smallest firefighter in Northeast Tennessee. And now, after more than 400 fire investigations, it's time for her to walk away on all fours. In less than a week, Bardot, Johnson City's most skilled arson investigator, will begin enjoying the benefits of retirement.
"She worked hard,” Johnson City Assistant Fire Marshal and Bardot’s Handler Sam McLain III said. “A lot harder than I have."
The pair first began working together in 2002 after the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive trained Bardot.
"We use her on fire scenes to determine a presence of ignitable liquid like an accelerant such as gasoline, kerosene, paint thinner, diesel fuel," McLain said.
During her long career, Bardot's helped investigate some of the biggest fires around and not just in Johnson City.
"This dog, through the years, through the last nine years, has been infallible," Johnson City Interim Fire Chief Mark Finucane said.
She’s shared her nose with the entire region.
"We've been to Elizabethton, we've been to Kingsport, we've been to Sullivan County," McLain said. "Sometimes it will be once a week. Sometimes it will be once a month. It just depends. I've been on as many as three fire scenes in one day with her."
Fire departments across the region will likely miss Bardot’s services when she hangs up her hat next week. After all, aside from an accelerant K-9 in Bristol, Virginia, Bardot is the only other ATF-trained arson dog in the Tri-Cities and Johnson City does not plan on replacing her.
"We hope that in our region we find some interested organizations, whether it be fire or police, that will take up this program,” Finucane said.
Still, by the time a new dog at another agency follows in Bardot's footsteps, the black lab will already be enjoying the good life.
"She can kind of sit back and relax and just be a regular dog,” McLain said. “She's not really had that opportunity in the last eight years and so we're hoping she'll enjoy retirement."
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