Accelerant Detection Canine (ADC)
Definition
A dog trained by operant conditioning to alert on the vapour signature of ignitable liquids. Certified under ASTM E2323; used as a scene screening tool, not as standalone court evidence.
- Training method
- Operant conditioning
- Target
- Vapour signature of ignitable liquids
- Certification standard
- ASTM E2323
- Court role
- Scene screening tool, not standalone evidence
Common questions
Why isn't a canine alert enough evidence on its own in court?+
An alert indicates a possible ignitable liquid but is not chemical proof; laboratory confirmation such as GC-MS on the sampled material is needed to support the alert as courtroom evidence.
What happens after an ADC alerts at a fire scene?+
The investigator collects a sample from the indicated location and submits it to a laboratory for instrumental confirmation before relying on the alert.
Can an ADC alert on background compounds rather than an actual accelerant?+
Yes, dogs can respond to legitimate background ignitable-liquid residues such as petroleum-based building materials, which is why lab confirmation and scene context both remain necessary.
Related terms
- ASTM E1492
- Standard Practice for Receiving, Documenting, Storing, and Retrieving Evidence in a Forensic Science Laboratory: establishes container requirements for fire debris (metal can...
- ASTM E2323
- Standard guide for forensic engineering investigations of buildings affected by fire. Specifies minimum competency requirements for accelerant detection canine teams, including vapour...
- Combustible Gas Indicator (CGI)
- An instrument that measures vapour concentration as a percentage of the lower explosive limit (LEL) using a catalytic bead sensor. Used for...
- Comparison Sample
- A sample of the same substrate type collected from an unburned area of the same room or adjacent space. Provides the substrate...
- Handler Cueing
- The unintentional communication of handler expectation to a detection dog through subtle postural, gestural, or vocal cues. Identified by Lit et al....
- NFPA 921
- US National Fire Protection Association Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations. The internationally accepted methodology Indian fire investigators and SFSL fire divisions...
- Photoionisation Detector (PID)
- An electronic instrument that uses a UV lamp (typically 10.6 eV) to ionise organic vapour molecules and measures the resulting ion current....
- SWGFEX
- Scientific Working Group for Fire and Explosion Investigation. A US-based multidisciplinary body that developed best practice guides for fire debris collection, canine...
- Vapour Loss
- The escape of low-boiling hydrocarbon fractions from a sealed fire debris sample through an imperfect container seal, or by volatilisation during warm...