Fire Investigator News - Evidence Module now Featured on CFITrainer.net.

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Evidence Module now Featured on CFITrainer.net.

The Introduction to Evidence module launched early this week and is currently the featured program on CFITrainer.net. The new online module by the IAAI delivers professional interviews, background information and graphical demonstrations on evidence. The module is separated into seven sections titled: What is Evidence, The Legal Aspects of Evidence, Rules of Evidence, Spoliation, Notification Requirements, The Investigator as Expert Witness and Preparing for Trial.

“The newest CFITrainer.net module offers an extraordinary opportunity for fire professionals to learn first-hand from interviews conducted with legal experts that present sound advice on investigating and collecting evidence at a fire scene,” said International Association of Arson Investigators’ President, Tom Fee. “Viewers participating in the module will have the ability to walk away with a better understanding on the importance of evidence collection and incorporate these practices into their day-to-day investigations.”

The production for the Introduction to Evidence module started on July 18, 2007, at the Ernest F. Hollings National Advocacy Center (NAC) in Columbia, S.C. Stonehouse Media Incorporated writers and production crew traveled to Columbia to conduct and shoot interviews with Mary Galvin and Frederick B. Tedford (Ted). Mary Galvin was the first woman prosecutor in the state of Connecticut and Dean of the Education Division of the National District Attorney’s Association, while Ted Tedford is an attorney for Tedford and Henry, LLP and has an expertise in fire science litigation which he exercised for the plaintiff in the landmark case of Travelers Property Casualty Corp. v. Namerow, 261 Conn. 784 (2002).

Additionally the newest module on CFITrainer.net provides resources relevant to evidence collection including a detailed reading list, reference materials and a final test on the module.

Stay tuned to CFITrainer.net to view the-most-up-to-date programs in fire investigation.

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Principles of Fire Investigation

NFPA 1033 (2022 Ed.) JPR

4.1 General

4.1.1 Meet JPRs in 4.2 Through 4.7

4.1.2 Employ Scientific Method

4.1.3 Complete Site Safety Assessment & Follow Standards

4.1.4 Maintain Liaison With Other Interested Professionals and Entities

4.1.5 Adhere to all Applicable Legal and Regulatory Requirements

4.1.6 Understand the Organization and Operation of the Investigative Team Within an IMS

4.1.7.1 to 4.1.7.3 Remaining Current & Continuing Education

4.2 Scene Examination

4.2.1 Secure the Fire Ground

4.2.2 Conduct Exterior Survey

4.2.3 Conduct Interior Survey

4.2.4 Interpret Fire Patterns Individually

4.2.5 Interpret and Analyze Fire Patterns Collectively

4.2.6 Examine and Remove Fire Debris

4.2.7 Reconstruct Potential Area(s) of Origin

4.2.8 Inspect and Analyze the Performance of Building Systems

4.2.9 Discriminate the Effects of Explosions

4.3 Documenting the Scene

4.3.1 Diagram the Scene

4.3.2 Photographically Document the Scene

4.3.3 Construct Investigative Notes

4.4 Evidence Collection/Preservation

4.4.1 Utilize Proper Procedures for Managing Victims and Fatalities

4.4.2 Locate, Document, Collect, Label, Package, and Store Evidence

4.4.3 Select Evidence for Analysis

4.4.4 Maintain a Chain of Custody

4.4.5 Dispose of Evidence

4.5 Interview

4.5.1 Develop an Interview Plan

4.5.2 Conduct Interviews

4.5.3 Evaluate Interview Information, Analyze, Correlated, and Corroborate

4.6 Post-Fire Investigation

4.6.1 Gather Reports and Records, Maintain Admissibility in Court

4.6.2 Evaluate the Investigative File

4.6.3 Coordinate Expert Resources

4.6.4 Establish Evidence as to Motive and/or Opportunity, Given an Incendiary Fire

4.6.5 Formulate an Opinion Concerning Origin, Cause, or Responsibility for a Fire

4.7 Presentations

4.7.1 Prepare a Written Report

4.7.2 Express Investigative Findings Verbally

4.7.3 Testify During Legal Proceedings

NFPA 1033 (2022 Ed.) 4.1.7 Topic

4.1.7 (1) Fire Science

4.1.7 (1)(a) Fire Chemistry

4.1.7 (1)(b) Thermodynamics

4.1.7 (1)(c) Fire Dynamics

4.1.7 (1)(d) Explosion Dynamics

4.1.7 (2) Fire Investigation

4.1.7 (2)(a) Fire Analysis

4.1.7 (2)(b) Fire Investigation Methodology

4.1.7 (2)(c) Fire Investigation Technology

4.1.7 (2)(d) Evidence Documentation, Collection, and Preservation

4.1.7 (2)(e) Failure Analysis and Analytical Tools

4.1.7 (3) Fire Scene Safety

4.1.7 (3)(a) Hazard Recognition, Evaluation, and Basic Mitigation Procedures

4.1.7 (3)(b) Hazardous Materials

4.1.7 (3)(c) Safety Regulations

4.1.7 (4) Building Systems

4.1.7 (4)(a) Types of Construction

4.1.7 (4)(b) Fire Protection Systems

4.1.7 (4)(c) Electricity and Electrical Systems

4.1.7 (4)(d) Fuel Gas Systems

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Accreditation, Certification, and Certificates

This program provides a primer on accreditation, certification, and certificates for fire investigation training.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles

This module covers how CNG, LNG, LPG, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles work and their implications for fire investigation.

An Analysis of The Station Nightclub Fire

A fire occurred on the night of Feb. 20, 2003, in The Station nightclub at 211 Cowesett Avenue, West Warwick, Rhode Island.

Arc Mapping Basics

Arc Mapping, or Arc Fault Circuit Analysis, uses the electrical system to help reconstruct a scene, providing investigators with a means of determining the area of a fire’s origin.

Basic Electricity

This module introduces basic electrical concepts, including: terminology, atomic theory and electricity, Ohm’s Law, Joule’s Law, AC and DC power.

Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire

A fire occurred on the evening of June 18, 2007, in the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, SC that resulted in the deaths of nine fire fighters.

Charting Your Career Path In Fire Investigation

This module looks at the many ways fire investigators enter and grow in the profession through academia, the fire service, law enforcement, insurance, and engineering.

Commercial Kitchen Fires 1: Fundamentals

This module describes the design, construction, components, and operation of a commercial kitchen’s ventilation, fire suppression, and cooking fuel systems.

Critical Evaluation and Testing of Commonly Reported Accidental Causes

This module looks at four of the most commonly-reported accidental fire causes: cooking equipment, heating equipment, electrical distribution, and smoking materials.

Critical Thinking Solves Cases

This program brings three highly experienced fire investigators and an attorney with experience as a prosecutor and civil litigator together for a round table discussion.

The Deposition Part 1: Format, Content, and Preparation

This module introduces the elements of a deposition, discusses typical lines of questioning, and describes how to prepare for a deposition.

The Deposition Part 2: Questioning Tactics and Effective Responses

This module proposes effective ways to respond to the most common questioning tactics employed by opposing counsel in a deposition.

Digital Photography and the Fire Investigator

The program discusses the basics of digital photography for fire investigators as well as software and editing procedures for digital images intended as evidence.

Discovery in Civil Cases

This self-paced program is an introduction to discovery in civil proceedings such as fire loss claims and product defect lawsuits.

Discovery in Criminal Cases

This self-paced program is an introduction to discovery in criminal proceedings.

DNA

This module covers the foundation of DNA evidence: defining, recognizing, collecting, and testing.

Documenting the Event

This program provides a practical overview of how to perform the baseline documentation tasks that occur at every scene.

Donning and Doffing Personal Protective Equipment

Guidance on selecting, donning, and doffing PPE for post-fire scenes, focusing on respiratory protection.

Effective Investigation and Testimony

This module will discuss the techniques and strategies for conducting a proper science-based fire scene investigation and effectively presenting an investigator’s findings in court as an expert witness.

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Design Basics

This program explains the basic principles of how electric and hybrid vehicles are designed and work, including major systems and typical components.

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Fires

This program discusses common failure modes, evidence handling procedures, and safety protocols for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Electrical Safety

This module presents critical electrical safety practices that every fire investigator should implement at every scene, every time.

Emerging Technologies in Fire Investigation

In this program, we will look at emerging technologies that fire investigators are integrating into their daily investigative work with great success.

Ethical Duties Beyond the Fire Scene

This self-paced program examines the fire investigator's ethical duties beyond the fire scene.

Ethics & Social Media

This module discusses the intersection of social media, ethics, and the relationship of what’s legal to what’s ethical in decision-making.

Ethics and the Fire Investigator

Should you work for a private lab as a consultant if you are on an Arson Task Force? How about accepting discounts from the local hardware store as a “thanks” for a job well done on a fire they had last year?

Evidence Examination: What Happens at the Lab?

This module takes investigators into the forensic laboratory and shows them what happens to the different types of fire scene evidence that are typically submitted for testing.

Explosion Dynamics

This module teaches the foundational knowledge of explosion dynamics, which is a necessary precursor to investigating an explosion scene.

Fire Chemistry

This module addresses the foundations of fire chemistry and places it within the context of fire scene investigations.

Fire Dynamics Calculations - Version 2.0

The program is designed to introduce a new Palm/Pocket PC application called CFI Calculator to users and provide examples of how it can be used by fire investigators in the field.

Fire Dynamics in the Wildland

This module discusses foundational wildland fire terminology, factors that influence wildland fire behavior, how these factors interact to produce fire effects (and subsequently fire patterns), and new research into fire dynamics in the wildland that is challenging assumptions.

Fire Effects Part 1: Heat Effects on Fuels

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CFITrainer.Net is the online resource for training fire investigators at all levels. The broad-based training modules assist fire investigators in meeting the topical areas contained in NFPA 1033, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigators. In addition to individual program training, CFITrainer.Net offers multi program training certification, fire investigation podcasts, the Fire Scene Evidence Guide, and the latest fire investigation news. Register online to get started.