Textbook/Other Materials

Supplementary reading:
NFPA 1033, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator, 2003 edition, available from NFPA at www.nfpa.org.

Special equipment required:
For the actual fire investigation, students need to furnish turnouts or appropriate boots and clothes. 35mm camera and 2 rolls of 400 speed film or digital camera.

Instructor materials:
Teaching Outline and PowerPoint: Rev. 12/2004

 Course Description/Objectives

Description:
This course is designed for fire investigators, police officers, and company-level officers with a desire to learn more about determining the origin and cause of fire.

Goals:
The purpose of this course is to specify in terms of performance objectives the minimum standards of professional competence require for service as a Fire Investigator

Objectives:
After completion of the Fire Investigator course, the candidate must be able to perform the following job performance requirements:

• Secure the fire ground, given marking devices, sufficient personnel, and specific tools and equipment so that authorized persons can recognize the perimeters of the investigative scene, and all evidence or potential evidence is protected from damage.
• Conduct an exterior survey, given standard equipment and tolls, so that evidence is preserved, fire damage is interpreted, hazards are identified to avoid injuries, accessibility to the property is determined and all potential means of ingress and egress are discovered.
• Conduct an interior survey, given standard equipment and tools, so that areas of potential evidentiary value requiring further examination are identified and preserved, the evidentiary value of contents is determined, and hazards are identified in order to avoid injuries.
• Interpret burn patterns, given standard equipment and tools, and some structural or content remains, so that each individual pattern is evaluated with respect to the burning characteristics of the material involved.
• Correlate burn patterns, given standard equipment and tools, and some structural or content remains, so that fire development is determined, methods and effects of suppression are evaluated, false origin area patterns are recognized, and all areas of origin are correctly identified.
• Examine and remove fire debris, given standard equipment and tools, so that all debris is checked for fire cause evidence, the ignition source(s) is identified, the fire cause is determined, and evidence is preserved with out investigator-inflicted damage or contamination.
• Reconstruct the area of origin, given standard and, if needed, some special equipment as well as sufficient personnel, so that all protected areas and burn patterns are identified and correlated to contents or structural remains, items potentially critical to cause determination and photo documentation are returned to their pre-fire location, and the point of origin is discovered.
• Inspect the performance of building systems so that a determination can be made as to the need for expert resources, and operating system impact on fire growth and spread is considered in identifying origin areas, and defeated systems are identified.
• Discriminate the effects of explosions from other types of damage, given standard equipment and tools, so that an explosion is identified and its evidence is preserved.
• Diagram the scene so that the scene is accurately represented and evidence, pertinent contents, significant patters, and origin areas or points are identified.
• Photographically document the scene so that the scene is accurately depicted and the photographs appropriately support scene findings.
• Construct investigative notes so that the notes are accurate, provide further documentation of the scene, and represent complete documentation of the scene findings.
• Utilize proper procedures for managing victims and facilities so that all evidence is discovered and preserved and the protocol procedures are followed.
• Locate, collect and package evidence so that evidence is identified, preserved, collected and packaged to avoid contamination and investigator-inflicted damage, and the chain of custody is established.
• Select appropriate evidence for analysis so that samples forwarded for analysis support specific investigative needs.
• Maintain a chain of custody so that written documentation exists for each piece of evidence and evidence is secured.
• Dispose of evidence so that the disposal is timely, safely conducted, and in compliance with jurisdictional or agency requirements.
• Develop and interview plan so that the plan reflects a strategy to further determine the fire cause and affix responsibility and includes a relevant questioning strategy for each individual to be interviewed that promotes the efficient use of the investigator’s time.
• Conduct interviews or interrogations so that pertinent information is obtained, follow up questions are asked, responses to all questions are elicited, and the response to each question is documented accurately.
• Evaluate interview information so that all interview data is individually analyzed and correlated with all other interviews, corroborative and conflictive information is documented, and new leads are discovered.
• Gather reports and records so that documents are appropriate to the investigation, complete and authentic, the chain of custody is maintained, and the material is acceptable to the courts.
• Evaluate the investigative files so that the areas for further investigation are identified, the relationship between gathered documents and information is interpreted, and corroborative evidence and information discrepancies are discovered.
• Coordinate expert resources so that the expert’s competencies are matched to the specific investigation needs, financial expenditures are justified, and utilization clearly furthers the investigation toward the goals of causation determination or affixing responsibility.
• Establish evidence as to motive and/or opportunity so that the evidence is the result of a prudent and complete investigation, is supported by documentation, and meets the evidentiary requirements of the jurisdiction.
• Formulate an opinion of the person(s) and/or product(s) responsible for the fire so that the opinion regarding responsibility for a fire is supported by all records, reports, documents, and evidence.
• Prepare a written investigation report so that the report accurately reflects the investigative findings, is concise, expresses the investigator’s opinion, and is appropriate for the intended audience.
• Express investigative findings verbally so that the information is accurate, the presentation is completed within the allotted time, and the presentation includes only need-to-know information for the intended audience.
• Testify during legal proceedings so that all pertinent investigative information and evidence is presented clearly and accurately, and the investigator’s demeanor and attire are appropriate to the proceedings.
• Conduct public informational presentations so that information is accurate, appropriate to the audience, and clearly supports the information needs of the audience.
   

Instructional methods: Classroom Instruction and hands-on investigation.

Course Schedule

(Tentative, subject to change depending on the progress of the class)

Tuesday:
Building Construction
Documenting the Scene, Exterior Examination, Interior Examination

Wednesday:
Debris Examination, Evidence Collection
Burn Building, Case Development

Thursday:
Interview and Interrogation, Analysis of Investigative Findings
Presenting, Testifying
Courtroom Presentations

Friday:
Explosions, Fatalities
Test

Course Policies

Tardiness:
Students must adhere to class schedules. Students are required to be punctual for all classes and class activities. Classes will begin promptly at the scheduled time unless specific instructions are given otherwise.

Class participation:
This course will involve discussion, questions and answers on the materials, and case study. Class participation is expected from all students.

Safety:
Safety of the students is top priority to the Alabama Fire College. Students must adhere to safety regulations while attending a class on or off the Fire College campus. At the Fire College campus, safety instructions are posted in every classroom, as well as escape routes and tornado actions.

Academic misconduct:
Academic misconduct or dishonesty such as cheating and plagiarism is not permitted in class. Suspected cases of academic misconduct will be reported to the Executive Director. Conduct detrimental to the fire service on or off campus will not be tolerated. We will investigate any complaints, and if the complaint is valid the student will be dismissed and his/her agency will be notified.

Grading:
Letter grades are assigned according to the following system for all certification courses for which students have registered.
A – Excellent (90-100)
B – Good (80-89)
C – Average (70-79)
Satisfactory grades for certification are A, B, or C. A mark of AU is assigned for course work performed as an audit.

Certification:
There will be an examination for state certification provided by the Alabama Fire College and Personnel Standards Commission. An overall score of 70% is required to the successful completion of this examination. Re-tests may be taken after 30 days and within 12 months of the date of course completion. The Alabama Fire College and Personnel Standards Commission is accredited by the National Professional Qualifications System (NPQS). The Executive Director has generously decided to fund national registration and certification for all successful students, so each student will automatically receive certification from the NPQS upon successful completion of the course and exam.

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