The IAAI and CFITrainer.Net present these podcasts with a focus on issues relating to fire investigation. With expertise from around the world, the International Association of Arson Investigators produces these podcasts to bring more information and electronic media to fire investigators looking for training, education and general information about fire investigation. Topics include recent technologies, issues in the news, training opportunities, changes in laws and standards and any other topic that might be of interest to a fire investigator or industry professional affected by fire. Information is presented using a combination of original stories and interviews with scientists, leaders in fire investigation from the fire service and the law enforcement community.
Welcome to the final episode of the IAAI’s CFITrainer.Net podcast for the year 2019. As we close out the year, we’d like to look back and reflect on some of our successes and milestones achieved this year, as well as give you a peek into what we have in store for 2020.
Before we get started, we thank all of you who support CFITrainer and this podcast, including our listeners who return month after month and who send us their compliments, ideas, and suggestions for improvement. We truly appreciate the time you take to listen and make this podcast better with your feedback. The podcast and CFITrainer.Net are made possible by funding from a Fire Prevention and Safety Grant from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program administered by FEMA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. We are also supported by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. We are very grateful for the grant awards and partners who support us, and we are always working on finding new ways to be sustainable. Online donations from podcast listeners and CFITrainer.Net users have just topped $40,000. Thank you for helping reach that milestone. To support CFITrainer.Net and help keep this podcast going, please click the Donate button at the top of this page. Your donation goes directly to the operations or development of new content for CFITrainer.Net. We are glad you are here.
Now let’s look back at this year and preview what’s coming in 2020! CFITrainer.Net now has over 100,000 user registrations. According to Google, over 136,000 users came to CFITrainer this year for 424,000 visits for an average of 12 minutes per visit. Our registered users have earned over 2.6 million credit hours on CFITrainer.Net since the network began. We think these numbers are unbelievable and speak to the hunger for quality, credible training in the fire investigation field and your commitment to constantly improving your skills.
In the last calendar year, CFITrainer.Net released modules on: Fire Investigation for Fire Officers, Fire Flow Analysis, Critical Evaluation and Testing of Commonly Reported Accidental Causes, and Understanding Undetermined. And, we have another one coming for you next week in January 2020 that’s Introduction to Appliances.
On the podcast this year, some you might want to go back and listen too. We gave some timely info on fire investigations in the news, brought you to the scene of the wildland fire training in California, put you in conversation with ATF on how they assist local and state investigators, and informed many of you about what UL discovered in new research in ventilation and fire flow. We also discussed some things to consider when working fires in electric vehicles.
In March of 2019, IAAI debuted a new Evidence Collection web site detailing how to collect over 50 types of evidence commonly found at fire scenes, plus evidence collection checklists, and answers to more than forty frequently asked questions about evidence collection. That website is at IAAIEvidenceGuide.com.
Later this year, we debuted a new feature — multi-program certificates. By taking a series of online modules that are related in a particular way, registered users can now earn an overall certificate in that program of study. Our first two multi-program certificates, Fire Investigation for Fire Officers and Principles of Fire Investigation, have already been earned by over 2200 people. If you’ve taken a few CFITrainer.Net modules, you are probably already partway to earning one or both of those certificates. Professional credentials remain important for skills improvement, meeting professional requirements, and demonstrating that you are learning on an ongoing basis.
Finally, in 2019, we did a lot of work behind the scenes on how we deliver CFITrainer.Net’s online modules, including an improved video player, the elimination of Adobe Flash in the modules, and streamlined media and network traffic handling processes. This has already resulted in a better user experience and was important groundwork for a really exciting thing that will be happening in 2020 — CFITrainer.Net will become responsive so you can view and use it easily on any device, including tablets and smartphones. As part of that process, we will be bringing you a new graphic design and new ways to navigate the ever-increasing amount of content on the site that will make how you decide what to watch more intuitive and more relevant to your professional goals, development, and interests.
In 2020, we will be bringing you six new modules, all of which have to do with technology and fire investigation — from solar energy systems to lithium ion batteries to electric and hybrid vehicles. We are going to be showing you technologies that can assist you in fire investigation. And you’ll probably notice that our 2020 podcasts will also have a technology bent where we will be examining some emerging issues that are affecting origin and cause determination. Plus, we will be turning a spotlight on occupational exposures to carcinogens that every fire investigator must understand and must take relevant precautions to reduce the risk of job-related illness.
As we close out this last podcast of 2019, we thank all the experts who have participated in developing CFITrainer.Net modules, have appeared on this podcast, and consulted with us throughout the years. CFITrainer was built to bring your expertise to a wide audience and we thank you for your generosity in sharing what you have learned with others.
Finally, just a note from me personally and our team at Stonehouse Media. We are so grateful for all of you and the confidence in us that the IAAI and their experts around the world have shown by trusting us as a partner in designing, implementing, and growing CFITrainer.Net. Building this network with the IAAI has been one of our most rewarding projects. We look forward to great things in 2020 and beyond.
Thanks for joining us today on the podcast. We hope your holidays have been fantastic and continue to do so for some days here. And that you’ll get some more R&R with family and friends. Stay safe and we’ll see you in 2020 on CFITrainer.Net.
Donate to CFITrainer.Net
CFITrainer.Net Multi-Program Certificates
IAAIEvidenceGuide.com
Fire Investigation for Fire Officers. CFITrainer.Net
Fire Flow Analysis. CFITrainer.Net
Critical Evaluation and Testing of Commonly Reported Accidental Causes. CFITrainer.Net
Understanding Undetermined. CFITrainer.Net
Introduction to Appliances. CFITrainer.Net
This program provides a primer on accreditation, certification, and certificates for fire investigation training.
A fire occurred on the night of Feb. 20, 2003, in The Station nightclub at 211 Cowesett Avenue, West Warwick, Rhode Island.
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.
This module introduces basic electrical concepts, including: terminology, atomic theory and electricity, Ohm’s Law, Joule’s Law, AC and DC power.
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.
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.
This module will present a description of the IAAI organization.
This module takes a closer look at four of the most commonly-reported accidental fire causes according to "NFPA Fact Sheet.
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 program discusses the basics of digital photography for fire investigators as well as software and editing procedures for digital images intended as evidence.
This self-paced program is an introduction to discovery in civil proceedings such as fire loss claims and product defect lawsuits.
This self-paced program is an introduction to discovery in criminal proceedings.
This module covers the foundation of DNA evidence: defining, recognizing, collecting, and testing.
This program provides a practical overview of how to perform the baseline documentation tasks that occur at every scene.
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.
This module presents critical electrical safety practices that every fire investigator should implement at every scene, every time.
This self-paced program examines the fire investigator's ethical duties beyond the fire scene.
As social media has emerged as a powerful force in interpersonal communications, fire investigators are being confronted with new questions...
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?
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.
This module teaches the foundational knowledge of explosion dynamics, which is a necessary precursor to investigating an explosion scene.
This module addresses the foundations of fire chemistry and places it within the context of fire scene investigations.
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.
This module examines these concepts to help all professionals tasked with determining fire origin and cause better understand fire flow dynamics so they can apply that knowledge to both to fire investigation and to fire attack.
This module provides a road map for fire officers to integrate and navigate their fire investigation duty with all their other responsibilities and describes where to obtain specific training in fire investigation.
The evaluation of hazards and the assessment of the relative risks associated with the investigation of fires and explosions are critical factors in the management of any investigation.
This module will describe the most commonly encountered fire protection systems.
This module presents best practices in preparing for and conducting the informational interview with witnesses in the fire investigation case.
This module provides instruction on the fundamentals of residential building construction with an eye toward how building construction affects fire development.
This module teaches first responders, including fire, police and EMS, how to make critical observations.
This program discusses how to access insurance information, understand insurance documents, ask key questions of witnesses, and apply the information learned.
This module offers a basic introduction about how some selected major appliances operate.
This program introduces the fire investigator to the issues related to the collection, handling and use of evidence related to a fire investigation.
This program takes you inside the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) archives of some of the most interesting and instructive test burns and fire model simulations they have ever conducted.
The program provides foundational background on the scope of the youth-set fire problem, the importance of rigorous fire investigation in addressing this problem, and the role of key agencies in the response to a youth-set fire.
This module provides a thorough understanding of the ways an investigation changes when a fire-related death occurs.
This self-paced program will help you understand what to expect at a fire where an LODD has occurred, what your role is, how to interact with others, and how to handle special circumstances at the scene.
This program will introduce the fire investigator to the basic methodologies use to investigate vehicle fires.
This module presents the role natural gas can play in fire ignition, fuel load, and spread; the elements of investigating a fire in a residence where natural gas is present; and the potential role the gas utility or the municipality can play an investigation.
This self-paced program covers fundamental legal aspects of investigating youth-set fires, including the juvenile justice system, legalities of interviews and interrogations, arson statutes, search and seizure, and confidentiality.
This program discusses the latest developments in expert testimony under the Daubert standard, including the MagneTek case recently decided in the United States Circuit Court of Appeals.
This module focuses on how to manage investigations that have “complicating” factors.
This module uses the Motive, Means, and Opportunity case study to demonstrate how responsibility is determined in an arson case.
This program covers the general anatomy of a motor vehicle and a description of typical components of the engine, electrical, ignition, and fuel systems.
This self-paced program is the second part of a two-part basic introduction to motor vehicle systems. This program describes the function and major components of the transmission, exhaust, brake, and accessory systems.
This module educates the investigator about NFPA 1033’s importance, its requirements, and how those requirements impact the fire investigator’s professional development.
This module reviews the major changes included in the documents including the use of color photos in NFPA 921 and additional material that supports the expanded required knowledge list in NFPA 1033 Section 1.3.7.
The program illustrates for the fire investigator, how non-traditional fire scene evidence can be helpful during an investigation.
This module introduces the postflashover topic, describes ventilation-controlled fire flow, illustrates how the damage left by a postflashover can be significantly different than if that fire was extinguished preflashover.
This module lays the groundwork for understanding marine fires by covering four basic concepts that the investigator must understand before investigating a marine fire.
In this module, you will learn more about how cancer develops, what occupational exposure risks to carcinogens exist at fire scenes, and how to better protect yourself against those exposures.
The use of the process of elimination in the determination of a fire cause is a topic that has generated significant discussion and controversy in the fire investigation profession.
This module teaches the basics of the electrical power generation, distribution, and transmission system.
This module presents the basics of natural gas and its uses and system components in a residence.
This module explains the principles of search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment, as contained in the amendment and according to subsequent case law, and applies them to typical fire scene scenarios.
One of the legal proceedings that may require the fire investigator to testify is a deposition. Depositions are often related to civil proceedings, but more and more jurisdictions are using them in criminal cases.
Deposing attorneys employ a variety of tactics to learn about the expert witness giving testimony, to try to unsettle that witness to see how he/she handles such pressure, and to probe for weaknesses to exploit.
This module provides introductory information on the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standard – 29 CFR 1910.120.
The program examines the importance of assessing the impact of ventilation on a fire.
This module demonstrates the investigative potential of information stored on electronic devices.
This module explains the relationship between NFPA 1033 and NFPA 921
The basics of the scientific method are deceptively simple: observe, hypothesize, test, and conclude.
This module addresses the foundations of thermometry, including the definition of temperature, the scales used to measure temperature and much more.
This program presents the results of flame experiments conducted with a candle.
This self-paced program explains to non-investigators the role of the fire investigator, what the fire investigator does, how the fire investigator is trained, what qualifications the fire investigator must meet.
This module will untangle the meanings of "undetermined," straighten out how to use the term correctly, talk about how not to use it, and describe how to properly report fires where "undetermined" is the cause or classification.
This module will advise fire investigators on how to approach the fact-finding procedures necessary and validate a hypothesis.
This module provides an overview on how structures can become vacant and eventually abandoned.
This self-paced program provides a basic framework for structuring the management of fire cases and fire investigators.
This module illustrates how wildland fires spread, explains how to interpret burn patterns unique to these types of fires.
This module presents the key elements of the initial origin and cause report and methods of clearly presenting findings in a professional manner.