Unleashing a Crime Foe : Oxnard: Labrador retriever named Lucy joins Fire Department with newly hired chief and is poised to sniff out fuels during arson investigations.

Lucy works cheap.

For the simple pleasure of gnawing on a rolled-up bath cloth, the chocolate Labrador retriever is trained to sniff out 11 types of fuel most commonly used by arsonists.

The 3-year-old works for the Oxnard Fire Department and arrived with the department’s newly hired chief, Randy Coggan.

“We were a package deal,” said Coggan, who started work in Oxnard three weeks ago.

Coggan is a big believer in dogs as arson investigators.

He spent $6,000 of his own money two years ago to buy and train Lucy when he was working as fire chief in Redmond, Wash. And while serving two years as Ventura County fire chief, Coggan trained a yellow Labrador named Buddy, an arson-sleuthing dog for the county Fire Department.

Buddy has investigated scores of fires during his tenure, even helping firefighters rule out arson in an Ojai blaze last year.

“Buddy’s a great tool--he saves thousands of man-hours,” said county arson investigator Dave Chovanec, Buddy’s handler.

Coggan said Lucy will serve the same purpose in Oxnard. And like Buddy, she will also be a public relations tool. “She helps solve arsons and she’s great with kids.”

Through her wet nose, Lucy can detect the presence of everything from acetone to diesel fuel in the charred ruins of an arson fire. Though she hasn’t yet responded to a call here, Coggan said Lucy is partly responsible for four arson convictions in Redmond.

“This is something new for us,” said 10-year firefighter Paul Rodriguez as he watched Lucy sniff through a practice run Tuesday. “A dog’s sense of smell is a million times better than ours. That’s a powerful tool.”

Lucy is one of about 120 working arson dogs nationwide. Fewer than a dozen operate in California.

“Lucy is a preventive tool,” Coggan said. “If potential arsonists know we have her, they might just move on to the next town.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Coggan took Lucy through a series of sniff tests at Fire Station No. 1 in Oxnard.

Coggan placed five soup-can sized containers in a row. In one can, he placed a small cloth dipped in acetone. The other four contained distractions, scents not related to arson.

Holding the leash tightly, Coggan led Lucy down the row. The dog poked her snout into each and continued on until she reached the acetone container.

Getting a noseful of acetone, Lucy swung her head to the rear, looked dolefully at Coggan and sat. Out came the rolled-up towel and suddenly Lucy’s mood brightened. Wagging her tail, she lurched into a game of tug of war with Coggan.

“That’s her reward,” he said. “Fortunately, she has a very strong play drive. She has a strong desire to please.”

Lucy spends her nights with Coggan and his family and travels to the office with him every day. While his two children are allowed to play with Lucy, they aren’t allowed to corrupt her with go-fetch games, Coggan said. Lucy can only receive rewards for obedience from him.

“She’s part of the family,” he said. “But we have to draw the line.”

Coggan worked as Ventura County fire chief from 1988 through 1990 before resigning to care for his ill father in Florida. Most recently, Coggan said, philosophical differences with the Redmond mayor led to his firing.

But because he is Lucy’s owner, the Oxnard Fire Department now benefits from her services.

Besides working for less than a typical firefighter, “she’s not as demanding,” Coggan joked.