Intermediate Fire Investigation for Police and Fire FSCT 0061

Upon successful completion, the student will be able to:

• Define the "scientific method" as it relates to fire investigation.
• Describe the four elements of a fire that allow it to exist.
• Determine the three principle stages of fire development.
• Define flash over.
• Define backdraft.
• Describe how ventilation will effect the fire spread.
• Determine a secondary ignition.
• Determine what will be needed to conduct a thorough fire scene examination.
• Determine the need to investigate a fire loss.
• Guide fellow investigators as to appropriate attire and cleanliness at a fire scene.
• Determine what immediate steps must be taken to ensure investigators safety during a fire scene examination.
• Determine where to start and do a systematic approach to the fire scene investigation.
• Determine what "outside" resources maybe needed to complete the investigation.
• Understand the sequence of building collapse and reconstruct the fire scene in a model, drawing or physical manner.
• Reconstruct a small area on the fire scene.
• Understand the fire patterns, recognizing the effects of draft, fuel load, fire extinguishment, and normal conditions of the structure or vehicle.
• Describe the effects of pyrolysis on combustible materials.
• Identify electrical arcing on a fire scene.
• Identify what areas will provide the best recovery of liquid samples on the scene.
• Demonstrate several methods of documenting the fire scene.
• Identify the means of securing several types of sample exhibits from the fire scene.
• Observe a burned vehicle and determine probable cause and area of origin.
• Discuss the role of the Insurance company investigator on a suspicious file.
• Understand where civil and criminal activity may overlap.
• Take adequate notes and make drawings of a fire scene.
• Understand "fire talk" from fire personnel, and identify witness comments that will indicate the progress of the fire, which will lead to an area of probable origin.
• Identify several types of incendiary fires as they pertain to motives of fire setters.
• Discuss fire scene observations and put a case together using a "scientific methodology".
• Discuss advantages and disadvantages of using air monitoring devices, arson dogs and a laboratory in establishing the presence of a flammable liquid fire accelerant.
• Discriminate between "classification" and "identification" with regards the weight of evidence of a fire involving a fire accelerant with respect to the air monitoring devices, arson dogs and laboratory equipment.
• Describe how physical properties of a liquid fire accelerant influence exhibit recovery, preservation and analytical results.
• What is the importance of time delay between evidence collection and fire accelerant analysis in a laboratory in terms of the value of the evidentiary results.
• List and briefly describe other types of evidence which can be examined at a laboratory which may enhance the probative value of a fire investigation.
• Describe important factors in choosing packaging for a fire accelerant and other exhibits.
• Explain the concepts of "tamper proofing" and "continuity" of exhibits and why this is important.
• Explain the concept of "cross-contamination" in fire scene examination and exhibit collection and issues around packaging and storage in the exhibit room.
• Discuss storage conditions which will optimize and which will compromise exhibits.
• List important qualifications of a fire accelerant laboratory and analyst.
• Draft an example request for a laboratory analysis.
• List and explain common physical and chemical hazards which may affect safety at a fire investigation scene.
• Describe how weather influences the presence of hazardous materials at a post-fire scene.
• List and discuss the four routes of entry and exposure.
• Discuss basic human physiology in terms of exposure, how materials are taken into the body and types of damage.
• Discuss the generalities of pharmacology of hazardous materials in the body in terms of absorption, distribution and elimination, consequences of repeated or continuous dosage, distribution throughout the body and elimination of materials from the body.
• Explain dose, dose-response, industrial hygiene factors, individual "sensitivity", variation in lethal concentration and lethal dose across a population and factors of individuals which influence the effect of exposure to a toxin.
• List and discuss toxin interactions and explain pros and cons of antidotes.
• List and discuss personal factors which influence one's personal safety during a fire investigation.
• List and detail the composite parts of the four levels of personal protective clothing, which ones are applicable to a fire investigation.
• List and describe three types of damage to protective clothing and how to recognize each.
• Describe desirable and undesirable features to consider when selecting a good level 2 protective clothing, footwear and gloves.
• Briefly describe respiratory protection in reference to masks, respirators, supplied air and power-assisted respirators (papr's).
• Describe desirable features when selecting respirator cartridges.
• Briefly describe care and storage of respirators and cartridges.
• Demonstrate safe donning and doffing of a level C protective clothing and respirator ensemble.
• Discuss the concept of decontamination and cross-contamination prevention, and how one can deal with personal decontamination at a fire investigation scene.
• Discuss how one would decontaminate and safely store equipment used during a fire investigation.

Effective as of Spring/Summer 2008