STATE FIRE MARSHAL
IN MEMORIUM FOR BUDDY
Buddy
D.O.B. 02/24/1996
Passed away 04/25/2010
Buddy was placed in service from the Maine State Police in 1999 as an Accelerant Detection Canine.
Captain Holt became the secondary handler in 2000.
In August 2002 Detective Gregory Gilkey became Buddy’s partner as the primary canine handler and Captain Holt continued as the secondary handler.
Buddy retired on May 7, 2007 and became a family pet for Detective Gilkey.
While Buddy was in service, he was involved in over 350 fire investigations and the arrest and conviction of over twenty defendants. Of those cases, Buddy’s involvement in over seven homicide cases resulted in the conviction of the defendants: these defendants were sentenced to life in prison.
During Buddy’s career he completed over seventy-five canine demonstrations and had an open invitation for the Annual Dade County Fire Prevention and Children’s Festival. He was also invited to attend the city of Margate Annual National Night Out each year.
The following is a list of some of Buddy’s high profile cases:
On 06/12/2005 the Bureau of Fire and Arson was assisting Lauderhill Police Department in a Homicide investigation. Buddy’s involvement in the case was crucial in the obtaining of the search warrant of the suspects residence. During the search warrant, stolen property from the victim and other evidence was recovered. After Buddy appeared at the Grand Jury in Broward County, the defendant pled guilty to First Degree Murder and Burglary and was sentenced to life in prison.
In 2006 Captain Holt responded with Buddy to assist Port Saint Lucie Police Department in a string of Church Fires. Due to Buddy’s involvement, evidence was obtained that was crucial in the arrest and conviction of the suspect. The defendant received a sentence of life in prison.
On 09/26/2005, Buddy received a Special Recognition Award from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. The award was the result of Buddy’s involvement in a case in which a suspect attempted to shoot his girlfriend and then barricade himself in his apartment when S.W.A.T. arrived. While the suspect was inside his apartment, he doused the apartment with gasoline and then committed suicide. Buddy’s involvement was crucial in obtaining evidence to show the actions the suspect carried out prior to committing suicide.
In May 2007, when Buddy retired, Lauderhill Fire
Department gave Buddy a Life Achievement Award for the work he had
accomplished with their agency.
Buddy passed away at 4:15pm on April 25, 2010 at his home in
