CC, the fire investigation dog for Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, has sniffed out his own Facebook page.

The dedicated dog with a nose for danger - one of only 17 fire investigation dogs in the UK - wants to use social networking to spread the word on fire safety.

The five-year-old black Labrador and his handler, Nikki Harvey, have been working as a team in Hertfordshire since July 2007.

Nikki explained: “CC and I work to find out the cause of fires but also work in the community fire safety team to reduce the amount of arson in the county.

“We hope people will ‘like’ CC on Facebook to hear what he’s been up to and to get the latest fire prevention tips. I love working with CC, he’s a real character who loves his job because work to him is one big game.”

CC and Nikki regularly work across the region, assisting fire investigation officers in neighbouring Beds, Bucks, Cambs, Essex, London, Norfolk and Suffolk.

CC, who wears special fire boots to protect his paws at fire scenes from hazards such as broken glass and other debris, has been trained to sniff out traces of ignitable liquids such as petrol, paraffin and lighter fluid, which can remain present even after the most severe fire.

He can play a major role in helping to determine if a fire was started deliberately or accidentally.

Hitchin county councillor Richard Thake, Herts County Council’s cabinet member for community safety, said: “With so many people using social networking to connect, we hope launching CC on Facebook will raise people’s awareness of fire safety.”

Hertfordshire’s chief fire officer Roy Wilsher said: “We want to prevent fires and keep people safe and I think CC’s followers will learn a lot of useful tips to prevent accidental fires.

“I’ve recently started using Twitter myself (@HertsFireChief) and think social networking is a great way to spread our messages across Hertfordshire.”