CFITrainer.Net Podcast

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.

ROD AMMON: Welcome to this edition of the IAAI CFITrainer.Net podcast. Today, we’re taking an in-depth look at the recent live-burn fire experiments exercise conducted on Governor’s Island, New York by the New York City Fire Department, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Underwriters Laboratory, and the Trust for Governor’s Island. Over six days in July, FDNY set controlled fires in rows of vacant residential buildings that were fully instrumented by NIST with high-tech sensors and heat-resistant cameras to capture critical data on fire behavior. These experiments were designed to gather new scientific data on the dynamics of fire and enhanced operational firefighting tactics that will be applicable for all fire departments. Over the last few decades, construction materials and methods have changed dramatically. These changes are affecting how structure fires behave, grow, and spread, in ways that differ from our traditional understanding of the process based on older construction methods. With us today from NIST is Dan Madrzykowski, the principal investigator on the Governor’s Island burns to help us learn more. Welcome, Dan. Thanks for being with us.

DAN MADRZYKOWSKI: Hi, Rod, how are you?

ROD AMMON: I’m doing all right. First of all, how did these burns come about? What was the motivation?

DAN MADRZYKOWSKI: Well, things are changing for the fire service in the field, and it’s certainly been noticed by departments across the country, and in particular with the fire department of the City of New York, FDNY, we had an opportunity to experiment with them in 2008 on wind-driven fires, and these were fires where the fire department had had significant losses in terms of firefighters lost and injuries over the years. And, they really wanted to look at new techniques, new equipment, new tactics for dealing with these fires, and those studies, in fact, did bring about significant change in how FDNY deals with wind-driven fires in fire-resistive construction, and they do use additional tools now; the floor-below nozzle, the wind control devices, positive-pressure ventilation fans, and change their tactic to allow them to deal with these fires in a safer and more effective means.

As we’re working with the - with FDNY, a number of the chiefs and training officers started to look at their other tactics, their bread-and-butter tactics, and they said, you know, the wind-driven fire is just an extreme case of ventilation here, and maybe the way we’re ventilating or opening up houses or our current methods of interior attack may not always be the most effective or the most efficient, certainly not the safest in many cases. And so, a lot of questions came up, and that’s what led us to the burns and the more bread-and-butter type thing, in this case, townhouses or row homes.

ROD AMMON: What was the purpose of these test burns?

DAN MADRZYKOWSKI: The purpose of these test burns was to put all that knowledge together and see how the fire service could implement it, see how the fire service could actually try to approach a fire as if this were a real fire. So, what we did was set these fires up as realistic as possible, realistic fuels in terms of a lot of synthetics; so we had regular beds and sofas and whatnot in there. These were not considered training fires, if you will. These were research burns. As a result, we did not have any interior attack either, but we either simulated that interior attack or we were having the firefighters look at attacks from the exterior, sometimes referred to - Chicago, they refer to it as a blitz attack or a transitional attack. This is when you see flames coming out of a window and you introduce water directly in the window.

Now, the reason that this tactic has not been employed or is not employed widely, especially in fire departments that have very rapid response times, urban fire departments, is there’s a concern that that will limit their ability to rescue a victim. They’re concerned that this will push fire through the structure. They’re concerned that the steam generation or the toxic gas generation will actually increase, and a victim that might have been savable, now they’ve caused more harm than good, and these tests were instrumented to look at what impact this would have on a victim. These tests were instrumented to look to see are we pushing fire? And so, we did some of the experiments with current tactics, if you will, and we were able to demonstrate the pushing fire phenomena, and then we did others based on the research that said don’t open up the structure first. Suppress it first, and we did not push - you know, the preliminary results show we did not push fire, and the preliminary results show that if you have a viable victim, you’re making things better by taking the hazard away sooner.

ROD AMMON: Some pretty serious results that could create some big changes in the future I can imagine, and as you said, these are preliminary results.

DAN MADRZYKOWSKI: I mean, we have to really look at the data but just from observations and what people are looking at, some of the cases where the most experienced folks felt that when we make a vertical vent, this is going to make things better, and it did not, and part of the reason for that is the change in the fuel load that’s been evolving. It didn’t happen overnight, but it’s been evolving over the past 30 years or so, and it really makes a big difference. If you add more oxygen, the oxygen mixes with the hot fuel gases and makes the fire bigger. The heat release rate increases, and this is sort of the really big change to get not only the fire service to understand but also to help fire investigators understand that once ventilation starts to happen, that fire is changing dramatically, and it’s going to change what the fire investigator has to look at.

ROD AMMON: It seems like it’s going to create changes all around, and I saw a lot of wide open eyes when I was out there. So, NIST does a lot of things. You guys get involved in modeling. You get involved in live burns. Why were these burns necessary?

DAN MADRZYKOWSKI: These burns, again, bring multiple reasons. We had an opportunity where we had 20 structures that were similar, so we can start doing an experiment, and an experiment is pretty key that you’re only changing one parameter for each test, and I know this kind of sometimes gets people, like, what are you doing? This is crazy. But you want to look at that impact of opening a door or look at the impact of opening the living room window instead of, say, breaking a window on the rear of the house, and that’s what these experiments give us the opportunity to do. Given that the structures are there, I mean, honestly, with the economy and the budgets the way they are, we could never ever afford to do this number of tests at NIST or even UL with DHS funding, it would be very difficult, but the other key piece here is we need to make this real for the fire service.

It’s one thing to do experiments off by ourselves in a lab, maybe have a couple of firefighters or fire chiefs from different fire departments around the country and observe. It’s another thing to work with a high-quality organization like New York City, and basically they’re leading the way, saying hey, if we’re going to make this change, others perhaps are going to look at them and say, you know, we need to change our SOP, too. I mean, it’s a multi-phase piece. We have the research that maybe support to have information that we can change the way firefighters are taught. Locally, people may say, hey, we’re going to do this and train our guys differently because we want them to be the best firefighters they can be and operate in the safest manner that they can operate. But, until the fire departments change their operating procedures, that’s really sort of the ultimate goal if this is valid, and the only way to really see if this is valid is to have real firefighters in as close a situation as possible to the real thing trying to implement some of these tactics and see for themselves and say, did that work better for me or not and start thinking about I had a fire two years ago or I had this fire six months ago or I had a fire last week, and you know what, it did this.

Now I have an understanding of why it did that based on what you’re showing us with this data, and then perhaps also maybe we could have done that a different way that might have made it a little easier on everybody involved. And, that’s really the big key, putting it all together, doing the research not for the fire service, but with the fire service, and certainly, New York City, Chicago, we’ve been reaching out to the Houston Fire Department, San Francisco Fire Department, trying to work with them, and they’re all trying to work to make some change.

ROD AMMON: I was blown away by the teamwork out there, and as you said, having the involved and having them actually see what happens while these changes are taking place or the differences in the way that they attack the fire was pretty stunning, and just overall just a great place, I think, for sharing information and in places where, especially in the fire service, people can be very cynical. They were truly moved by the things that they were seeing, and I think that’s great that you’re bringing that and FDNY these kind of experiences. So, tell us a little bit about the details. What was the instrumentation like, the type of data that you collected?

DAN MADRZYKOWSKI: Of course, one of the key things we want to try to track is temperature. So, what are the gas temperatures in the room of origin? What are the gas temperatures remote from the room of origin, especially in areas such as bedrooms, let’s say? If the fire started in the basement, what were the conditions in the upstairs bedrooms? Fire happens at night, occupants are sleeping; we had, in one case, a door open in the bedroom, in one case the door closed to show the impact that that has. Having the door closed is clearly a safer condition for any occupant for a fire that’s starting outside that room. In addition to the temperature in certain locations, we’re measuring heat flux, how much energy would be impacting the firefighter, let’s say, if they were at the top of the stairs? A fire starts in a basement. Some traditional tactics are to basically go to the top of the stairs and work your way down. In effect, you’re trying to come down a chimney, right. The heat’s coming up at you. You’re at the top of the chimney and trying to work your way down, very hazardous situation, especially if there’s a chance that windows might either be ventilated by another crew in the basement or if the windows might fail accidentally just due to the fire.

While you’re trying to make your way down, conditions could intensify significantly, so that’s not a good place to be, so we’re measuring heat flux to see how much energy would be hitting the firefighter to look at their tenability. Temperature basically gives us the convection heat transfer component and then heat flux gives us energy. We can look at convection and radiation from that; break that down. Gas concentrations, again, typically these measurements were made to look at the viability or the tenability of civilians that might have been trapped in the building, so we’re looking at oxygen depletion, generation of carbon dioxide, generation of carbon monoxide. We’re looking at weather data because we’re outside and we want to see maybe one of the tests, the wind start blowing 10 or 20 miles an hour. What impact did that have on the fire and how should the fire service account for that when they want to decide what tactics to use on the building? And, of course, some of the most valuable data is really video, and we had opportunities. We had protected thermal imaging cameras inside the structures. We had a lot of video cameras inside and outside the structures.

That’s some of the data we’re working on right now. I mean, that really helps to tell the story. It’s one thing to show people graphs of, hey, look the temperature’s gone up and down and all that sort of thing and for engineers and people that are interested in protective clothing design and whatnot; they can do calculations with that. But, from the tactics perspective, it’s like, okay, I see that going up and down, but how does my visibility improve? Was there a wave of heat that came up the stairs? And, that’s the kind of thing that the thermal imaging camera can very quickly show us that type of information and the video cameras can show us the visibility portion as well. So, at the end of the day, all this data will be available and the videos then can be put to use as material for training for fire departments around the country.

ROD AMMON: Such a wealth of information and goes without saying, I think there’s going to be a lot of people affected and a lot of people very grateful for the work that you do. So, I know that there’s an analysis underway and a full report’s going to be issued, but anecdotally, did the researchers see anything that surprised them?

DAN MADRZYKOWSKI: The fire did not let us down I guess in the sense of, as we kept adding ventilation, the fire continued to get bigger. The results that we saw tracked very well with previous research results from UL and from NIST; in that sense, no. Some of the surprise came from the fire service, and in part, their reaction to what they were seeing, how surprised they were at some of the conditions. Sort of we were getting by and we’d done enough experiments with horizontal ventilation, opening doors, breaking windows, and everyone could understand that, well, we understand how the fire can get bigger there, but some of the tried and true tactics with vertical ventilation, everyone was confident that if you opened up the roof, the hot gas layer would lift and conditions would get better.

And, Steve Kerber at UL had shown previously that that was not the case, but again, that’s in a laboratory, so even though he has full-scale homes built in the laboratory, the fire service says, well, that’s in a laboratory, and so here, they’re walking through the building before the fire starts. They see what it is. Again, we’re working with them. Where would you cut the hole? How big would it be, that sort of thing? And then, we open it up and they see that, sure enough, the fire gets bigger, and then they say, well, maybe there’s not enough ventilation. Open it up some more. We open it up some more and the fire still gets bigger. As you said earlier, there was some shaking heads and some acknowledgement that, yeah, you know what, we need to look at this. We need to think about this a little different way.

ROD AMMON: And, glad you are. So, now I’m sitting here thinking this has a lot to do with day-to-day firefighting. How is it relevant to fire investigators?

DAN MADRZYKOWSKI: It’s extremely important to fire investigators. Ventilation has a major impact on fire patterns. The information that the first arriving firefighters can provide the fire investigators is very important. Number one, what did the firefighters see upon arrival? Did they see nothing? And so, that’s very possible in some of these scenarios that we looked at. Until the vents are made, all you see is smoke. Or did they have flames coming out of a door or a window? What were the first actions that the firefighter did?

Again, this is very important to the fire investigator if they’re going to understand how the fire developed. What we’re seeing in these tests, when a fire investigator goes to a scene, in many cases, they’re drawn to the area that has the most damage or the most distinctive fire pattern, and what that pattern shows is that - typically is that the fire burned here for a while. There was a significant transfer of energy from the fire to the target, whether it’s the wall or a piece of furniture or what have you, and created a tremendous amount of damage. Now, in many cases, the investigator is looking at that area for the origin, and they’re saying, well, there’s a lot of damage here. We have our pattern, what have you, and then comes the challenge of, okay, well, what’s the cause? Do I have a cause in the area? Do I have something that I can assign? And, a lot of times, they don’t, and they’re trying to say, well, where - it just doesn’t quite make sense.

And, part of this is understanding the flows, the flow path, understanding basically where the fire triangle exists within that structure.

If you start at the outside of the structure and you start to look at, okay, when I’m looking at broken windows and the burn pattern here, it’s top to bottom, so the flames were just exiting out of this window, but maybe I look at the windows on the other side of the structure and I only have a burn pattern that’s on the upper half of the window, so fresh air was coming in there. Was there a door that was open? Where was the air coming from? Where did I have the potential for hot gas, fuel-rich hot gas and air to mix for my fire triangle for this burning to occur? And, it’s - again, it’s been shown in tests and training and all sorts of things done by ATF and others that when you open a door, basically you can get a post flash-over pattern to form where there’s plenty of oxygen and plenty of combustion occurring that is much bigger and dwarfs the original pattern that may be in the fuel-rich section of the room in the rear that was actually where the origin was. And so, that’s why understanding the ventilation, understanding that firefighters adding ventilation or changing ventilation can really change the patterns that they’re going to investigate, it’s critical for them to understand how that ventilation changed and how these fires developed and that’s why the basic understanding of fire dynamics is so important to a fire investigator.

ROD AMMON: A lot of great information that’s very relevant to the people who listen to us here at CFITrainer and are members or are not of the IAAI. I’m sure everybody’s grateful and we’re going to be letting folks know when you release this content. What is the timeline for releasing the findings?

DAN MADRZYKOWSKI: We’re continuing to work with the FDNY and with Underwriters Laboratories as we review the data, and we hope to have the study completed by next spring.

ROD AMMON: Pretty exciting. Thanks again for being with us, Dan.

ROD AMMON: When the findings of the research are released, we’ll let you know in a future podcast, and now some news from the IAAI. The IAAI has once again been awarded a grant from FEMA. The Fire Prevention and Safety Grant will help the IAAI to create new modules that are integrated as part of the FIT, ECT, and CFI programs. We’re also producing new webinars and mobile applications, all designed to serve the fire investigation community. Many of you have asked about using your iPad and other mobile devices to access CFITrainer. We’re currently updating the CFITrainer.Net platform so that you will be able to access and use it from all kinds of tablets and mobile devices. We’ll be able to deliver quality content in several types of streams depending on what type of device and bandwidth you have. This update for mobility to the network is in progress.

The new modules coming out over the next year will be the first to be delivered so that they can be seen and enjoyed on all mobile devices. If you have an Android phone or tablet, you might already be enjoying our content on the go. Other modules will be updated in the coming year. We will be having an upcoming webinar here on CFITrainer.Net very soon. Details will be available in the next week or so. The deadline for the Complex Arson Investigation for the Insurance Industry class is September 24. The class takes place October 28 through November 2. This 40-hour course has been in demand for years and presented at the ATF National Academy that’s on campus at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. For more information or to register, go to www.firearson.com or call the IAAI office. That concludes this CFITrainer.Net podcast for the IAAI and CFITrainer. I’m Rod Ammon. We’ll see you again next month.

2021
December 2021 - On this month’s CFITrainer.Net podcast, we look back at 2021 and how CFITrainer.Net evolved to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and rapidly changing technology.
October 2021 - Welcome to the CFITrainer.Net Podcast. It's been a while since we've done a news round up so today we're covering some new research and fire investigation cases.
Fire as a Cover for Murders and Gender Reveal Fires – September 2021 Podcast - This episode we talk to Texas Ranger Sergeant Drew Pilkington about incendiary fires as a cover for murder and we discuss a tragic quadruple domestic violence homicide.
May 2021 Podcast - As part of National Arson Awareness Week, CFITrainer.Net has a new podcast exploring the week's theme, "Arson During Civil Unrest."
December 2020 Podcast - On this podcast we talk to Bobby Schaal about the new Fire Investigation for Fire Officer certificate and then we offer a brief update on an investigation in Stowe, Vermont.
August 2020 - This month we talk to a legend in the fire investigation field, Dr. Quintiere, sometimes known as Dr. Q. He has a rich experience in the fire service dating back to the 70’s, and he is working on fire in micro-gravity today.
July 2020 Podcast - July '20 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. In this new episode of the CFITrainer.Net podcast, Scott Bennett, talks about the fascinating case he and Mark Shockman worked that won them the IAAI Investigator of the Year Award. You won't want to miss our conversation. And, new IAAI President Rick Jones stops by to discuss what he is excited about for IAAI's growth this coming year — there are a lot of innovative and valuable initiatives on the way.
June 2020 Podcast - June '20 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. In this month's podcast we interview Doug Byron, President and Senior Forensic Chemist from the FAST lab about fats and oils and spontaneous combustion, and how they are involved in fire investigation. After our interview with Doug, we offer some thoughts on your job and the COVID-19 situation.
May 2020 Podcast - May '20 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. Join us this month for a new podcast where we talk briefly about online learning that is available and then we speak with Dr. Peter Mansi, Past President of the IAAI.
April 2020 Podcast - April '20 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month on the Podcast we interview President Barry M. Grimm from the IAAI and talk to Wayne Miller, Author of "Burn Boston Burn -The largest arson case in the history of the country.
March 2020 Podcast - March '20 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month on the Podcast we talk about some resources for COVID, updates from the IAAI and talk with a fire Marshall in New Hampshire about challenges in their region related to Sober Homes.
February 2020 Podcast - February '20 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast follows along with our technology theme. We look at social media’s effect on some fire investigations and then we talk with Mike Parker about his work with social media while at the LA County Sheriff’s Department.
January 2020 Podcast - January '20 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast gives you updates on Australia’s wild fires and an investigation and arrest tied to a large New Jersey fire. We also talk with Zach McCune from Rolfe’s Henry about a case study and course that he and Shane Otto will be leading at ITC this year. Zach talks about an arson fraud case and how spoofing and masking technologies were used to frame an innocent mother and perpetuate an arson fraud.
December 2019 Podcast - December '19 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. In under ten minutes this podcast offers a review of 2019 milestones and new content and features that you might have missed. We also give you a quick preview of what to expect in 2020.
November 2019 Podcast - November '19 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month we learn about two new technology solutions being studied for fire investigation and then we visit with Lester Rich from the National Fire Academy
October 2019 Podcast - October '19 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. In this podcast episode, we’re back for the second part of the CCAI live burn training event — the actual burn and post-fire.
September 2019 Podcast - September '19 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month we travel to San Luis Obispo where we were hosted by the California chapter of the IAAI (CCAI). We had a rare opportunity to experience what it’s like to set up this training and experience a wildland burn in California. There was a lot to learn!
August 2019 Podcast - August '19 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's CFITrainer.Net podcast is under 15 minutes and offers information about fires in electric vehicles and what you need to know.
May 2019 Podcast - May '19 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. In this month's CFITrainer.Net podcast, you'll hear from ATF Special Agent Chad Campanell, who will discuss how ATF can assist state and local fire investigators with training and investigations, ATF resources available to fire investigators, and ATF's support of CFITrainer.Net. Also, we summarize the final report of a multi-fatality fire at a senior living community in Pennsylvania, where ATF cooperated with state and local investigators to reach conclusions.
April 2019 Podcast - April '19 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. There are two new additions to CFITrainer.Net! A new podcast with Dan Madrzykowski from UL speaking about ventilation and Fire Flow, and a new module called “Fire Flow Analysis”.
March 2019 Podcast - March '19 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast includes updates from the IAAI related to the election, the upcoming ITC, and a new website specifically about evidence collection. After the updates, you will also hear some news stories related to fire investigation.
February 2019 Podcast - February '19 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month take 10 mins and hear some fire investigation and IAAI news.
January 2019 Podcast - January '19 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month we’re looking back on some of the biggest issues in fire investigation in 2018.
November 2018 Podcast - November '18 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month we talk with Jeff Pauley from the IAAI’s Health and Safety Committee. Jeff is an IAAI-CFI and the Chairman of the Health and Safety Committee. In this podcast, he talks about ways to reduce exposure to carcinogens related to fire investigation. By listening, you will learn about ways to reduce your risks, learn about new resources that are available to assist you, and research that is coming soon.
October 2018 Podcast - October '18 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month meet and learn about IAAI’s new Executive Director, Scott Stephens and plans for the future. After that interview, hear some wild stories from the national news related to fire investigation.
September 2018 News Roundup - September '18 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts.
Short stories related to fire investigation - June '18 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. Join us for a brief Podcast that includes five minutes of short stories related to fire investigation.
What you need to know about Arson Awareness week - April '18 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month we welcome Tonya Hoover, the Superintendent of the National Fire Academy. Superintendent Hoover came to the NFA with more than 20 years of experience in local and state government, most recently as the California State Fire Marshal.
Growing pot and earning Bitcoin can start fires? - March '18 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. In this month’s podcast, hear a story about how the Bitcoin business might be causing fires? What similarities are there between Pot growers and now Bitcoin miners?
Training related to wildland fire investigation - February '18 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast highlights new training related to wildland fire investigation featuring an interview with Paul Way, and this year’s International Training Conference. We also have a pretty wild story before we wrap up. Birds starting fires?
Smart homes and digital data gathering issues - December '17 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. In this podcast, we discuss two topics on the technology and forensics cutting edge. Michael Custer of Kilgore Engineering, Inc. and retired Special Agent Tully Kessler share some knowledge and give us a taste of the classes that they will be presenting at ITC 2018.
Discussion with Writer Monica Hesse - September '17 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. In this podcast, you will hear some great news related to the IAAI and CFITrainer.Net and then we have an interview with Monica Hesse, the writer of a new book called "American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land."
Discussion with Criminalist- John DeHaan - June '17 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month on the CFITrainer.Net podcast, we talk to Criminalist, fire investigation expert and Author of "Kirk’s Fire Investigation", John DeHaan.
The Ghost Ship - May '17 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. For this podcast, we hear from a retired Captain of the Long Beach Fire Department, Pat Wills. Pat has been in the fire service for 37 years. He has been a leader and an investigator, now he is an educator speaking around the country about the importance of code enforcement.
Fast Podcast about ITC! - March '17 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month we talk to David Bridges about what to expect at ITC and the training you won’t want to miss.
CFITrainer Podcast- A profile with an IAAI-CFI® - February '17 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. Join us this month for our podcast as we interview IAAI member and CFI, Jeff Spaulding from Middletown, Ohio. Jeff talks about his work in both the public and private sector and then he shares an interesting story about how a pacemaker is helping in an investigation.
An interview with Dr. James Quintiere - December '16 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. In a discussion with Dr. James Quintiere, we learn about some of his work in fire sciences, a bit about his research, his opinions related to the World Trade Center investigation and what he thinks is important to fire investigation as a scholarly leader in our field.
Fire Investigation After the Flood Podcast - November '16 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month we talk to Dan Hebert, an IAAI, CFI about "How Floods affect Fire Investigation."
September 2016 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - September '16 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month we talk about the recent changes in the FAA's regulations for commercial and public sector use of UAS or "Drones".
August 2016 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - August '16 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month we talk to Jessica Gotthold about the Seaside Heights fire in NJ from 2013
July 2016 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - July '16 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month we talk to Fire Marshall, Ken Helms of the Enid, OK. Fire Department about his team winning the Fire Investigator of the Year award.
March 2016 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - March '16 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's fire investigation podcast from the IAAI's CFITrainer.Net focuses on the Youth Firesetting Information Repository and Evaluation System, which is called YFIRES for short.
February 2016 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - February '16 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's fire investigation podcast from the IAAI's CFITrainer.Net focuses on what you need to do to ensure the integrity of samples sent to the lab. A conversation with Laurel Mason of Analytical Forensic Associates.
September 2015 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - September '15 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. Our podcast related to the legalization of recreational marijuana and its effect on fire investigation was one of the most popular podcasts ever on CFITrainer.Net. This month’s podcast is a follow up with one of our listeners from California who is an investigator doing training on this very topic.
August 2015 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - August '15 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast is about NFIRS where we interview the Executive Director of The National Association of State Fire Marshals Fire Research and Education Foundation, Jim Narva.
July 2015 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - July '15 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. In this special edition of podcast we’re going to meet the newest IAAI Investigator of the Year, Andrea Buchanan.
May 2015 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - May '15 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's Arson Investigator podcast from IAAI & CFITrainer interviews Jason McPherson from MSD Engineering to talk about some of these new technology tools.
April 2015 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - April '15 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's Arson Investigator podcast from IAAI & CFITrainer interviews Dave Perry, a lawyer in Colorado discussing what fire chiefs, fire investigators, and the legal system are seeing in a state with legalized cannabis in regard to fire cause involving marijuana.
February 2015 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - Feb '15 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's Arson Investigator podcast from IAAI & CFITrainer interviews Mike Schlatman and Steve Carman who are both successful fire investigators and now business owners who have transitioned from the public to the private sector.
December 2014 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - December '14 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast interviews Steve Avato from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives explaining the process of elimination and how it is a critical part of the scientific method.
June 2014 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - June '14 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast interviews the 2014 Investigator of the Year.
April 2014 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - April '14 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast interviews with Don Robinson, Special Agent in Charge with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Currently stationed at the National Center for Explosives Training and Research, located at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
January 2014 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - January '14 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast takes a look inside the process of revising NFPA 921 and NFPA 1033.
October 2013 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - October '13 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast focuses on the fire research work of Underwriters’ Laboratories, better known as UL.
February 2013 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - February '13 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month we have an interview with George Codding who returned from a recent trip to Saipan and gives us a closer look at the international activities of the International Association of Arson Investigators
Mid Year 2012 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - Mid Year '12 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This podcast features a mid-year update on the IAAI’s new initiatives and ways for you to get more involved with the organization.
August 2012 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - August '12 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This is a special edition of the CFITrainer.Net podcast previewing the ITC 2013. There’s a new name for the Annual Training Conference from the IAAI now called the International Training conference.
April 2012 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - April '12 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast features an interview with Chief Ernest Mitchell, Jr., the US Fire Administrator. Also we will discuss the upcoming ATC, Annual Training Conference, from the IAAI about to happen in Dover, Delaware.
March 2012 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - March '12 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast features an interview with ATF Special Agent Billy Malagassi out of the Tulsa, OK Field Office about investigating fires in clandestine drug labs. We also report on NIST’s findings in the Charleston Sofa Super Store fire and IAAI’s Evidence Collection Practicum.
December 2011 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - December '11 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast features one of the presenters from this year’s IAAI ATC and see how a single photo broke the Provo Tabernacle fire case.
October 2011 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - October '11 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast features an interview with Deborah Nietch, the new Executive Director of IAAI.
July 2011 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - July '11 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast features an interview with Tom Fee discussing details of investigating wildland fires.
June 2011 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - June '11 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month's podcast features a lot of exciting things that are happening at CFITrainer.Net
May 2011 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - May '11 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month highlights the IAAI ATC in Las Vegas and the third installment in the "It Could Happen to You" series.
ATC 2011 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - This podcast discusses the upcoming IAAI Annual Training Conference and National Arson Awareness Week.
April 2011 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - April '11 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This podcast announces the release of the program, The First Responder’s Role in Fire Investigation, which teaches first responders how to make critical observations and take important scene preservation actions at a fire scene.
March 2011 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - March '11 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features some of the instructors from the upcoming 2011 Annual Training Conference, to provide a preview of the courses they will be presenting.
February 2011 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - February '11 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features an update on fire grants and an interview with Steve Austin
January 2011 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - January '11 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features the release of the new edition of Fire Investigator: Principles and Practice to NFPA 921 and 1033, new flammability requirements from UL for pre-lit artificial Christmas trees and a growing fire problem in Dubai with factories turned into worker dormitories.
December 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - December '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast focuses on home candle fires, lightning punctures in gas piping, and respiratory diseases in the fire services.
November 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - November '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features research findings for structural stability in engineered lumber by UL, the ban on antifreeze in residential sprinkler systems, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation of Jeep Grand Cherokee fuel tanks.
October 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - October '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features high-profile fire cases, why people leave stovetop cooking unattended and how new sensors under development may improve fire research.
September 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - September '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features how to use the ATF’s Bomb Arson Tracking System, IAAI Foundation grants, electrical fires and indoor marijuana cultivation.
August 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - August '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast focuses on social media as a fire investigation tool, a potential problem with modular home glued ceilings and research from Underwriters Laboratories on the effects of ventilation on structure fires.
July 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - July '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast is a roundtable on some of the latest research and technical activities that impact fire investigation, featuring Daniel Madrzykowski (moderator), Steven Kerber, and Dr. Fred Mowrer.
June 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - June '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast discusses career advancement, budget cuts and their impact on fire investigation, and the 2010-2016 ATF Strategic Plan.
ATC 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - Follow-up and Interviews from Orlando. Learn about the conference, hear what attendees had to say.
May 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - May '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. The second in our safety series called "It Could Happen To You." Our Long-Term Exposure roundtable is moderated by Robert Schaal.
April 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - April '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. The first of our two-part safety series called "It Could Happen To You." Our roundtable is moderated by Robert Schaal.
March 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - March '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features a conversation about legislative affairs affecting the fire service with Bill Webb, Executive Director of the Congressional Fire Services Research Institute.
February 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - February '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’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.
January 2010 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - January '10 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features a look at preliminary research on corrosion caused by Chinese drywall, a new database focused on fires in historic buildings, a warning on blown-in insulation, and the launch of the new firearson.com web site.
December 2009 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - December '09 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features cooking fires, highlights of the International Code Council’s Annual Meeting on code requirements, including requiring residential sprinkler systems, and an easy way to keep up with recalls from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
November 2009 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - November '09 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features chimney fires, including recent news on surgical flash fires, a proposed national arsonist registry, lightning research and an innovation in personal protective equipment.
October 2009 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - October '09 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast is devoted to Fire Prevention Week.
September 2009 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - September '09 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features the relationship between climate conditions and fire risk, new research on formulating fireproof walls and the latest in IAAI news.
August 2009 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - August '09 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month takes a look at the dangerous combination of summer heat and oily rags, the rise in vacant home fires, and preview research underway on Australia’s devastating "Black Saturday" brush fires.
July 2009 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - July '09 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month features a look at outdoor grill fires, a fatal fire at a homeless camp in Southern NJ, new NIST research on human behavior during building fires, and IAAI news.
June 2009 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - June '09 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features live reports from the 2009 IAAI Annual Training Conference held in May.
May 2009 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - May '09 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This podcast is dedicated to National Arson Awareness Week.
April 2009 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - April '09 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features the NFPA 921 chapter on marine fire investigations and the myth and reality of static electricity as a source of ignition.
March 2009 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - March '09 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month focuses on the rise of the hybrid vehicle and what its unique engineering means for the investigation of vehicle fires, the rash of devastating arson fires in Coatesville, Pennsylvania from December 2008 to February 2009, and news from IAAI.
January 2009 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - January '09 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast focuses on the deepening financial crisis in the US and arson for profit fires, how going green may pose a fire hazard and see how rope lighting may be a source of ignition, and IAAI’s Expert Witness Courtroom Testimony course.
December 2008 CFITrainer.Net Podcast - December '08 IAAI & CFITrainer Fire Investigator Podcasts. This month’s podcast features Christmas tree fires, changes to critical fire investigation publications, the weak economy’s impact on home fires, wind’s effect on structure fires, and ATC 2009.