Protecting Evidence Protecting Evidence Fire Cause Fire Cause

DeterminationDetermination

Fire departments should investigate all fires Fire departments should investigate all fires to determine the cause of the fire. The to determine the cause of the fire. The cause of a fire is a combination of three cause of a fire is a combination of three

factorsfactors

Fuel that ignitedFuel that ignited

Form and source of heat ignitionForm and source of heat ignition

Act or omission that helped to bring these two Act or omission that helped to bring these two factors togetherfactors together

IntroductionIntroduction

We must protect evidence at the scene We must protect evidence at the scene in order to properly analyze the fire in order to properly analyze the fire cause.cause.

Knowing the cause of the fire helps Knowing the cause of the fire helps prevent fires in the future.prevent fires in the future.

As fire incidents decrease, so do loss of As fire incidents decrease, so do loss of life and adverse economic impacts.life and adverse economic impacts.

Introduction ContinuedIntroduction Continued

Though it is the responsibility of the fire Though it is the responsibility of the fire department to extinguish the fire, the department to extinguish the fire, the results of this extinguishment may results of this extinguishment may impair the investigation into the impair the investigation into the cause.cause.

Firefighter’s actions may move evidence Firefighter’s actions may move evidence from original locations or completely from original locations or completely destroy the evidence.destroy the evidence.

Introduction ContinuedIntroduction Continued

The Fire Chief has the legal responsibility to The Fire Chief has the legal responsibility to investigate or cause the investigation of investigate or cause the investigation of all fire scenes.all fire scenes.

Firefighters should be able to recognize and Firefighters should be able to recognize and preserve evidence when possiblepreserve evidence when possible

Firefighters should keep open mind when Firefighters should keep open mind when doing overhaul and try to uncover and doing overhaul and try to uncover and preserve evidence at that point.preserve evidence at that point.

Responsibilities Of The Responsibilities Of The FirefighterFirefighter

Responsibilities Of The Responsibilities Of The FirefighterFirefighter

The first arriving firefighters may be able to The first arriving firefighters may be able to answer important questionsanswer important questions

Are the contents of the rooms as they normally would Are the contents of the rooms as they normally would be? Are the rooms ransacked or are they bare?be? Are the rooms ransacked or are they bare?

Are the doors and windows locked or open? Is there Are the doors and windows locked or open? Is there evidence of forced entry prior to the arrival of the fire evidence of forced entry prior to the arrival of the fire department?department?

Are there indications of unusual fire behavior or more Are there indications of unusual fire behavior or more than one area of origin?than one area of origin?

Are vehicles present or people present in the area?Are vehicles present or people present in the area?

Questions ?Questions ?

Role of the InvestigatorRole of the Investigator

Fire Marshal’s, fire inspector’s, or Fire Marshal’s, fire inspector’s, or other members of a fire prevention other members of a fire prevention bureau are usually responsible for bureau are usually responsible for carrying out investigations above the carrying out investigations above the company level.company level.

Firefighters can be questioned by the Firefighters can be questioned by the investigators.investigators.

Role of the InvestigatorRole of the Investigator

Some departments do in house Some departments do in house investigations while others rely on investigations while others rely on arson teams, police departments, arson teams, police departments, State Fire Marshal’s or a combination State Fire Marshal’s or a combination of all theseof all these

Role of the InvestigatorRole of the Investigator

Private companies may conduct Private companies may conduct separate investigations when a fire separate investigations when a fire involves their property, or the involves their property, or the investigation may be conducted by investigation may be conducted by an insurance company investigator.an insurance company investigator.

Observations of the Emergency Observations of the Emergency RespondersResponders

Observations en route to scene.Observations en route to scene. Your responsibility for gathering Your responsibility for gathering

information begins when the alarm is information begins when the alarm is received. received.

Some of those observations include:Some of those observations include: Time of dayTime of day Weather and natural hazardsWeather and natural hazards Man-Made barriersMan-Made barriers People leaving the scenePeople leaving the scene

Observations upon arrivalObservations upon arrival

Time of arrival and extent of fireTime of arrival and extent of fire

Wind direction and velocityWind direction and velocity

Doors or windows locked or unlockedDoors or windows locked or unlocked

Location of the fireLocation of the fire

Containers or cans presentContainers or cans present

Burglary toolsBurglary tools

Familiar FacesFamiliar Faces

Observations During Observations During FirefightingFirefighting Unusual odorsUnusual odors

Abnormal behavior of fire when water is appliedAbnormal behavior of fire when water is applied

Obstacles hindering firefightingObstacles hindering firefighting

Incendiary devicesIncendiary devices

TrailerTrailer

Structural alterationsStructural alterations

Fire PatternsFire Patterns

Heat intensityHeat intensity

Availability of DocumentsAvailability of Documents

Fire Detection and protection systemsFire Detection and protection systems

Intrusion AlarmsIntrusion Alarms

Location of fireLocation of fire

Personal possessionsPersonal possessions

Household ItemsHousehold Items

Responsibilities After the Responsibilities After the FireFire

Firefighters should report all facts Firefighters should report all facts concerning the fire to the Officer In concerning the fire to the Officer In ChargeCharge

Each firefighter should write a Each firefighter should write a chronological account of important chronological account of important circumstances personally observedcircumstances personally observed

Should perform salvage and overhaul Should perform salvage and overhaul carefullycarefully

Conducts and Statement At The Conducts and Statement At The SceneScene

Should never attempt to interrogate a Should never attempt to interrogate a potential arson suspect.potential arson suspect.

Once you suspect a potential arsonist, Once you suspect a potential arsonist, you should call a trained investigator to you should call a trained investigator to conduct the interview process.conduct the interview process.

Let the building owners talk freely they Let the building owners talk freely they may give pertinent information that can may give pertinent information that can aide the investigation.aide the investigation.

Conducts and Statement At The Conducts and Statement At The SceneScene

Fire personnel should never make Fire personnel should never make statements of accusation, personal statements of accusation, personal opinion, or probable cause to anyone.opinion, or probable cause to anyone.

Careless joking, or unauthorized remarks Careless joking, or unauthorized remarks can be very embarrasing to the can be very embarrasing to the departmentdepartment

Always answer with “ The cause is under Always answer with “ The cause is under investigation.”investigation.”

Securing the Fire SceneSecuring the Fire Scene

The best investigation is ruined if the The best investigation is ruined if the building and premises are not properly building and premises are not properly secured and guarded until the secured and guarded until the investigator has finished evaluating the investigator has finished evaluating the evidence exactly as it appeared at the evidence exactly as it appeared at the scene.scene.

Should take time not to contaminate the Should take time not to contaminate the scene while operating power tools, scene while operating power tools, hoselines, or other equipmenthoselines, or other equipment

Securing the Fire SceneSecuring the Fire Scene

If investigator is not immediately If investigator is not immediately available, the premises should be available, the premises should be guarded and kept under the control guarded and kept under the control of the fire department until all of the fire department until all evidence has been collected.evidence has been collected.

All evidence should be marked, All evidence should be marked, tagged, and photographed at this tagged, and photographed at this time.time.

Securing the Fire SceneSecuring the Fire Scene Fire department has the authority to bar access to any Fire department has the authority to bar access to any

building during firefighting operations and for a building during firefighting operations and for a reasonable length of time after the fire suppression is reasonable length of time after the fire suppression is terminated.terminated.

Fire department authority ends when the last fire Fire department authority ends when the last fire department representative leaves the scene.department representative leaves the scene.

Further visits to the scene require either the owner’s Further visits to the scene require either the owner’s written permission or a search warrant.written permission or a search warrant.

Never allow anyone to enter structure without the Never allow anyone to enter structure without the permission of the investigatorpermission of the investigator

Legal ConsiderationsLegal Considerations

Once you leave the scene completely you Once you leave the scene completely you may need a search warrant to re-enter.may need a search warrant to re-enter.

Leave at least one person on scene until Leave at least one person on scene until the arrival of investigations.the arrival of investigations.

Learn legal opinions of your jurisdiction Learn legal opinions of your jurisdiction pertaining to the investigation and pertaining to the investigation and cordoning of property.cordoning of property.

Protecting and Preserving Protecting and Preserving EvidenceEvidence

Protect evidence untouched and undisturbed if Protect evidence untouched and undisturbed if at all possible.at all possible.

Don’t gather or handle the evidence unless it is Don’t gather or handle the evidence unless it is absolutely necessary in order to preserve it.absolutely necessary in order to preserve it.

If you handle or move it you become part of the If you handle or move it you become part of the chain of custodychain of custody

Document all your actions pertaining to the Document all your actions pertaining to the evidence collected.evidence collected.

Protecting and Preserving Protecting and Preserving EvidenceEvidence

Avoid walking on evidenceAvoid walking on evidence

Avoid excessive use of water in area of evidence Avoid excessive use of water in area of evidence if possibleif possible

Place boxes over footprints to prevent dust from Place boxes over footprints to prevent dust from covering them or other people stepping on them.covering them or other people stepping on them.

Leave charred documents found in containers Leave charred documents found in containers such as wastebaskets, small file cabinets, and such as wastebaskets, small file cabinets, and binders. They can easily be moved for binders. They can easily be moved for examination later.examination later.

QuestionsQuestions