BGFD K-9 celebrates 10 years of life and upcoming retirement

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – One local fire department is celebrating its 10-year-old k-9 officer and her handler as the two prepare to retire this summer.

The Bowling Green Fire Department will soon say goodbye to the accelerant detection K-9 officer Millie and her handler, Capt. Michael Cornwell, after eight years, and during that time, Millie has made the community’s safety her top priority.

Cornwell says, “With my trained experience, it may take me a long time to identify that ignitable liquid and where to collect it. Millie can come in and say it is right here, collect right here.”

Millie, with the help of her handler, has proven to be invaluable during investigations, and she helps locate important evidence more efficiently.

“Millie has identified igniting liquids in several different situations. That’s definitely helped in the resolution of the case that we were working on at the time.

Not only does Millie save and change lives by discovering ignited liquids. She’s also an asset to children and families.

Cornwell says, “We will take Millie into these school systems and do a demo. And that draws the attention of these students and these young minds. And Millie and I just have a bond that’s unbreakable. It’s like I was talking about our work here at the fire department where we work.”

The bond between Millie and Cornwell is strong because of the time and experiences they’ve had together.

Cornwell says, “We work 24 hours on and 48 hours off while I’m doing that. That means I’ve spent a third of my life away from my family. Because I’m here at work. What’s the bond that you get with Millie is that she’s with me when I’m at work and at home.”

As Millie continues to finish her journey at the Bowling Green Fire Department, News 40will keep you up to date.