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.
<p>Welcome to the IAAI’s February 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast. This week’s podcast features our interview with a commercial kitchen’s fire expert about what you need to know when you work a commercial kitchen fire. In the news, we cover the status of a revision cycle of the NFPA 921 and the invention of a new material that prevents electronic device battery fires. Finally, we’ll close with a report from the IAAI’s training summit and exciting progress on IAAI’s new skill practicums. Let’s get started.</p> <p>In the United States, there are over 7,000 structure fires in restaurants every year, resulting in over $100 million in property loss. A commercial kitchen’s design, construction, appliances, functions, and operation are very different from a home kitchen. Therefore, many of the “rules” of investigating a home kitchen fire don’t apply. With us today to discuss the unique aspects of commercial kitchen fires is Phil Ackland, a commercial kitchen fires expert, textbook author, and technical committee member for NFPA 96, that’s the <i>Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Equipment</i>. Welcome, Phil. Thanks for being with us. </p> <p>PHIL- You’re welcome. </p> <p>Q- So tell us, what are the major differences between commercial kitchen fires and home cooking fires?</p> <p>PHIL- Well, most likely the intensity. Restaurants cook thousands of meals a day as opposed to, you know, a house, so the accumulations of grease would be much more substantial. Housekeeping attitudes are much different, and obviously commercial kitchens have profit motives. So primarily it’s intensity. </p> <p>Q- What are the major aspects of a scene examination in a commercial kitchen fire? What do you need to look for?</p> <p>PHIL- One of the major considerations is to take a look at the code compliance, and a great number of restaurants, particularly older ones, were installed using what they call type II installation, and this meant that there was no clearance to combustible requirements and so forth, and whereas the cooking may have been non-grease producing at the time, over time the kitchens get remodeled and they take the steam kettle out and they put a char broiler in. In addition, the suppression system often the installation is not checked properly by the building or fire inspectors and so these systems don’t work. The greatest cause of malfunction, of course, is just an absolute lack of maintenance on the part of fire suppression servicing companies that aren’t doing the servicing as required so the systems get plugged up with grease and what not. </p> <p>Q- What are the most common causes of commercial kitchen fires?</p> <p>PHIL- Grease, just the absolute build-up of grease. Either you have grease accumulation on the filters and in the hood that propagate the fire to spread up into the ductwork, but just as often the grease accumulations will plug up the fire suppression system so that it doesn’t discharge properly. It may discharge, but the nozzles over where our fire’s taking place are plugged up with grease. </p> <p>Q- What are some of the more unusual commercial kitchen fires that you’ve come across?</p> <p>PHIL- I have had two that I can recall, one in which the young man who was the cook wanted to show off to his girlfriend and created, they had what they called a Pittsburgh steak or the outside of the steak is very well charred and the inside is relatively raw, and he was using flambé, that alcohol, and he showed off real well and sent the fire right up into the ductwork and it burnt the building down. Another one that I, it was Mother’s Day and this solid fuel restaurant was going to have what they, you know, it was the biggest day of the year for them on record, so the two cooks that were there decided that they had to build a really big fire in the solid fuel char broiler unit that they used to cook all these steaks, so that’s what they did. They built a really big fire to get started to get the coals down. One of them went into the freezer for the meat and the other one went out back to get another wheelbarrow full of firewood and as he was returning from the shed where they keep the wood, he noticed the roof was smoking and that proceeded to burn the building down. Again, just unattended fire and away the building went. </p> <p>Q- How can the ventilation equipment present in commercial kitchen fires affect the spread?</p> <p>PHIL- A commercial kitchen system consists of two primary components. Obviously, the appliances below and they are served by an exhaust system that includes a hood with usually filters in it, a duct that leads up to the roof or outside the building and then a fan, and the fan’s purpose is to pull the heat and smoke out of the building. Additionally, the commercial kitchen system will have a fixed pipe fire suppression system. Both of these components need to work together. Now when it comes to the effect of the exhaust system on a fire, the fan is naturally pulling our fire up into the ductwork. If we have grease in our exhaust system, it creates a very serious radiant heat effect which will ignite wooden members that might have been in close proximity. Also, if the fire is up into the hood, it should have engaged the diffusible length of the suppression system. Now the suppression system does two different things. One is it puts agent, wet agent on the fire, but it also shuts the gas off to the kitchen and that is tremendously important that second point. So if the fire suppression system doesn’t activate properly, our gas continues and no agent is put on the fire within the duct or the hood and the fan continues to pull it up throughout the ductwork. You’ve got a power ventilated volcano.</p> <p>Q- What are some of your greatest obstructions to investigating a commercial kitchen fire? </p> <p>PHIL- What were the effects of the fire department’s effort to put the fire out? Did they take filters out or were they out before the fire took place? Did they move the appliances in some way, or were they out of place? Did they take access panels off or were they not installed? So the effects of the fire department can have a considerable degree of influence on what you’re seeing. Also, if anybody has touched anything, the burnt grease on a steel surface is incredibly fragile and just simply touching it and it will just disintegrate.</p> <p>Q- What should an investigator without commercial kitchen expertise do if he or she gets a commercial kitchen fire?</p> <p>PHIL- Well there’s three very important things. One, photographs, and I mean not your obvious, you know, outside in photographs, but macros, in particular, of the fusible links and where the cable for the fusible link goes into the piping, we call it an EMT piping. There’s a steel braded cable that runs in through these pipes and so get pictures of just the opening where the piping is, get pictures of the nozzles - and close-ups so that you can actually read the writing on the nozzle or identify the type of nozzle and the manufacturer. Also, to take measurements so that you know the dimension - or the distances from the appliance to say the fusible link, the appliance to the filters and the location of the nozzles, the fire suppression nozzles over the particular appliances involved and the numbers of nozzles over each particular appliance. And then I strongly recommend if you don’t have any experience to have the most likely appliances secured as well as the hood duct and fan and the suppression system so that others in the future who are experts can get a real close look at these different pieces.</p> <p>Thanks, Phil for sharing your expertise. Now, let’s move on to the news.</p> <p>The revision cycle for NFPA 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigation is well underway and an important milestone is coming up. March 5, 2010 is the deadline to comment on the Report on Proposals for changes to NFPA 921 in the 2011 edition. Information on proposed changes and the form to use to submit your comments on these proposed changes can be found at nfpa.org. Participation in this process is open to all members of the public and your comments will be considered by the Committee.</p> <p>In other news, a new material has been developed to prevent fires in lithium-ion batteries, which are used to power most electronic devices, including laptops and cellular phones. Numerous electronics companies, including Apple and HP, have had to recall products with lithium-ion due to a fire hazard posed by overheating batteries. But now, researchers at the Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan report that they have invented a new technology, called STOBA or S-T-O-B-A that prevents the internal battery shorts that cause fires. STOBA stands for self-terminated oligomers with hyper-branched architecture. STOBA is a nano-grade polymer that sits between the positive and negative half-cells of the battery. When the battery’s temperature reaches 130ºC or encounters external impact or piercing, STOBA transforms from a porous material into a film that “locks” the battery by interrupting the electrochemical reaction. This technology may usher in a new era of fire safety for the over three billion lithium-ion batteries manufactured every year. </p> <p>Finally, we’ll close with news from the IAAI. </p> <p>The IAAI Training Summit was held the week of February 8th, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The group of fire investigation instructors and class developers reviewed the ongoing training program of the IAAI and identified new class subjects and courses to be developed in 2010.</p> <p>One of the most important innovations to be released in 2010 is the Skill Practicums. The Skill Practicums employ an intense, hands-on demonstration format to give the fire investigator the opportunity to display their skills in evidence gathering, scene evaluation, and scene management. A test will be conducted in the spring and the first practicums are scheduled for the summer of 2010.</p> <p>IAAI’s Annual Training Conference is coming up May 17 through 21, 2010 in Orlando, FL. One of the highlights of this year’s ATC will be a one week training class which, upon completion, will allow the qualified applicant to meet the training requirements and test for the Fire Investigation Technician professional credential. In next month’s podcast, we’ll have a full preview of ATC 2010. For more information on these and other IAAI professional development opportunities, contact the IAAI office at 1-800-468-IAAI.</p> <p>That concludes this IAAI CFITrainer.Net podcast. We’ll see you again next month.</p> <p></p>
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.