Volume 1 Number 1

CUSTOMER SERVICE is what you want.

FORENSIC EXPERIENCE is what you need.
PROVEN EXCELLENCE is what you receive.

OUR SERVICES OUR EXPERIENCE

Ignitable Liquid Residue Determination by GC/MS
Next Business Day Turn-Around on Most Cases
Evidence Containers Provided at No Cost
Analysis of Comparison Samples and Liquids
at No Additional Cost
Vegetable Oil Residue Analysis for Spontaneous
Heating
Macroscopic and Microscopic Examinations of
Fire Evidence
Fourier Transform Infrared Analysis (FTIR-ATR)
Consulting and Case Review
Chemical Analysis/Identification of Unknowns
Member AAFS, ABC, IAAI, NFPA, ACS, ASTM, SAFS
Over 100,000 Samples Analyzed
You can be confident that every analytical process is
conducted solely by an ABC certified analyst, with 30
years of experience and proven proficiency, training
and courtroom experience in fire debris analysis from
beginning to end.
Have confidence in your laboratory. Give us a try. See
why other fire investigators rely on Analytical Forensic
Associates to take care of their analytical needs.
Fire Debris
Fire Debris
Analysis is our is our
Analysis
Only Business!
Only Business!

3100 Five Forks Trickum Road, Suite 104 Lilburn, GA 30047 877-FIRELAB or 770-982-0210
Fax: 770-982-0106 Email: service@afalabs.com Website: www.afalabs.com
PRESIDENTS GREETING
Carter D. Roberts, Sr.
president, ifiri
W
elcome to the
first issue of
Fire Insight the
official publication of the
International Fire Investi-
gation Research Institute.
We hope that you find the
articles and information in-
side interesting and helpful.
The International Fire In-
vestigation Research Insti-
tute (IFIRI), Inc., provides
education, training, research
and certifications to fire in-
vestigators and other foren-
sic experts. Some people
have assumed the lamp in
our logo is a genies lamp.
It is actually the lamp of
knowledge and is symbolic
of our mission.
Mission Statement
IFIRIs mission is to pro-
vide the best education,
training and research for
the investigation and test-
ing community and to offer
meaningful certifications
earned through structured
teaching and high standards
of proficiency, conduct and
objectivity.
To accomplish these goals
IFIRI will teach members
how to perform objective
investigations, testing and
research, and how to main-
tain that objectivity by first
wanting to be objective.
All members of IFIRI must
comply with the Code of
Ethics, which is as follows:
International Fire
Investigation Research
Institute
Code of Ethics
F I will approach every fire
scene and test with an ob-
jective mind. I will recuse
myself from any investiga-
tion where I have a conflict
of interest or have emotion-
al interest in the outcome.
F Not only will I make a
concerted effort to remain
objective during the inves-
tigation but I will avoid ac-
tions or appearances that
may adversely influence the
objectivity of others.
11
F Since lives and liberties
may be at stake, I will avoid
alliances with those whose
goals and investigative
methods are inconsistent
with an honest and unbi-
ased investigation.
F I will not be an adversary
or an advocate but will pur-
sue truth and justice. My
work is to discover and pro-
vide facts, not to protect the
fiduciary benefit of potential
interested parties.
F I will not violate any
laws, federal (national),
state (provincial, county or
territorial), or local, during
an investigation and will
hold myself to the highest
professional standards.
I will work at developing
my skills and will strive to
be better today than I was
yesterday.
F I am a steward of my
profession, and as such
I will make it my duty to
maintain competency and
currency. I will learn the
proper terminology of my
trade recognizing that ac-
curacy lies in details. For
example, it is not spon-
taneous combustion but
spontaneous ignition.
one. We hope that you will
F It is more important to
protect the innocent than
to convict the guilty. Ac-
cordingly, I will be a truth-
seeker, not a case-maker.
F IFIRI does not recom-
mend that any forensic
experts go against their
employers policies or pro-
cedures; however, paying
or rewarding informants is
not a practice of which we
approve.
Some people have ques-
tioned why we feel that wit-
nesses should not be paid for
information. The rationale
is that, although most peo-
ple are honest and will tell
the truth when asked, some
people will make up a story
for money.
Paying rewards for informa-
tion creates a moral hazard.
The fact that law enforce-
ment has paid confidential
informants in the past does
not make it the right thing
for us to do. Innocent peo-
ple have been released from
prison after serving many
years falsely accused of a
crime. In civil litigation,
paying witnesses may not
only create a moral hazard
but also be a demonstration
of bad faith.
I believe that further educa-
tion never diminishes any-
enjoy and benefit from this
issue of Fire Insight and the
many more to come.
2
 IN THIS ISSUE . . .
Volume 1 Number 1 Spring 2012

F E AT U R E S

Fire Investigation Vapour Explosions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Homeland Security: Past, Present and Future. . . . . . . . . . 10

Starting from ScratchBuilding a New Service in Rwanda. 17

Misconceptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

COLUMNS

Presidents Greeting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Arson Awareness Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Fire Station Cutbacks Create Greater Need for Fire

Prevention and Gas Safety Building Codes. . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Membership Application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Note from the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

C L A S S I F I E D S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

S E M I N A R S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

A D V E R T I S E R S I N D E X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

About the Cover:

The photo on the cover was taken by

Chris Bloom, CJB Fire Consultant.
It was the Boise Cascade Mill in
Medford, Oregon. The fire occurred
ROSS BROGAN

in 1998. No one was seriously hurt

in the blaze. Boise Cascade is the
last large mill in Medford.

3
DIRECTORS
Benjamin Armstrong, B.S., has been directly involved in the area of fire investigation since its beginning in 1976. Serving as President of Armstrong Fo-
rensic Laboratory, Inc., since 2006, Ben has dedicated his leadership position to ensuring that the origin and cause industry has access to and receives
the highest-quality, court-ready, analytical data and technical support services available. Ben has led implementation of a variety of client-based services
including specialty field testing kits for fire investigations.
Bens overall direction and vision for Armstrong continues the family tradition of providing the most current tools to the fire investigator which includes
understanding of and accreditation in outside disciplines that have provided and continue to provide unique investigative support to the field of fire investi-
gation. Environmental, industrial hygiene as well as general chemical analysis have proven indispensable to the up-and-coming investigative techniques
utilized by fire investigators.

Benjamin Armstrong
usa

Ross Brogan, AFSM, MA, CFI/IAAI, is a retired firefighter who served for 38 years in the New South Wales (NSW) Fire Brigades, retiring at Inspector rank. He
was attached to the Fire Investigation Unit as an investigator for sixteen years. In 1987 he completed the NSW Police Detective Training class. In 2001 he was
attached to a NSW Police Strike Force, investigating bushfires throughout NSW.
Since 2002 he has been an adjunct lecturer with Charles Sturt University, teaching classes in fire investigation to students from all over the world. Twice a
year he conducts a face-to-face class on basic fire investigation for students from fire service, police and private industry. Ross runs his own small consulting
business.
Ross is a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) and on the IAAI Fire Investigator Standards Committee and a member of the
Editorial Board of the Fire & Arson Investigator magazine. He is also a life member, and committee member, of the NSW Association of Fire Investigators and
member of the Victoria, Queensland, UK and Eire chapters.
Ross Brogan
australia

Ken Goodnight has been in the investigative field for over 35 years. During his career, he developed and managed fire and fraud investigation programs for
both U.S. and Global insurance companies. He served as President of Investigative Resources Global, a national company providing fire, insurance fraud
and security investigations to the insurance industry. He also founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Investigations Management Group in
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ken is an internationally recognized speaker and author on insurance fraud, arson-for-profit, SIU management and major case management. Ken was a
consultant and instructor for the U.S. Treasury Departments Bureau of ATF in connection with arson-for-profit training programs. He was one of the founders
of the Insurance Arson for Profit school which was associated with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. He previously served on the Board for the
Insurance Committee for Arson Control and the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI). He was a founding Director of the National Association
of Special Investigation Units, now recognized as the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU). He was also a 30-year member of the
American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS).
Ken Goodnight
usa

Kelly Johnsons profession was built from an Associates Degree in Law Enforcement and a Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences, with a major area of study
in Criminal Justice. After eight years in law enforcement, he then moved into the field of fire investigation. Six of his eight years were as a detective sergeant,
with his last two years as the city fire/arson investigator.
Mr. Johnson participated in the live burn testing of more than a dozen structures and over thirty automobiles for the purpose of training and education.
He has assisted in coordinating and presenting training to hundreds of insurance professionals, public safety personnel, and college students over the last
decade. He has proctored the Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator test to dozens of public safety officials. Additionally, Mr. Johnson is the only individual
that has been authorized to proctor the Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator designation issued by the National Association of Fire Investigators.
Kelly Johnson is the founder and principal investigator of Forensic Fire Facts, Inc.

Kelly Johnson
usa

Lorne Lomprey, CFI, CFEI, was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1959. He was then hired as a firefighter by the City of Henderson, Nevada, transfer-
ring to the Henderson Police Department in 1960 and serving as a Police Detective until 1965.
After a few years in construction, Lorne returned to public service in 1971 becoming a firefighter with Clark County, Nevada, and transferring into the Arson
Division in 1974. In August of 1980 he was promoted to Captain. He authored the Las Vegas MGM and Las Vegas Hilton fires reports.
Retired in 1984, Lorne is licensed in Nevada, California, Utah and Arizona and has investigated over 8,500 fires and explosions. International clientele include
the Indian and Russian Consulates.
Lorne received Associates Degrees in Fire Science in 1974 and 1976 and is currently a senior at Columbia Southern.

Lorne Lomprey
usa

David Noble, CFI MIFireE MIAAI. David spent 16 years with the New Zealand Fire Service before establishing his own consultancy in early 2002. He holds
qualifications from the Institution of Fire Engineers (UK), is an IAAI Certified Fire Investigator (USA), and is listed with the NBFSPQ as qualified in accordance
with its Standards. He has undertaken training in fire dynamics and fire engineering, as well as qualifying as a wildfire investigator with the New Zealand
National Rural Fire Authority.
He holds a Certificate of Proficiency in Forensic Science from Auckland University, has completed a Police Intelligence Analysis Course, and has a specialty
interest in offender profiling. He has appeared in the District and High Courts as an expert witness, and has provided testimony at prosecutions for fire-related
crimes, as well as assisting with civil litigation cases.

David Noble
new zealand

Gareth W. Roberts, BSc (Hons), MSc, DipCSE, PGCE, Grad.I.Fire.E, MInstLM, MIfL. Gareth joined the British Army in 1977.
On retiring from the British Army, Gareth was accepted into the UK Police Service and joined the Crime Scene Unit. He was one of the first CSIs in the UK
to be awarded a university qualification in crime scene science. During his service he covered all types of crime scenes including counter-terrorism, fatal fires,
murder and kidnapping. He retired from the police service as a Crime Scene Manager and Force Forensic Trainer.
As part of the UK Governments Arson Control Forum, Gareth assisted with the development of a national qualification base. He is a qualified police trainer,
military instructor and registered Further Education teacher and as such has particular interest in teaching methodologies.
Gareth holds an Honours degree in Policing, a Masters degree in Forensic Archaeology, a Diploma in Crime Scene Science and a Post Graduate Certificate
in Education, along with his professional qualifications.
As a private consultant Gareth now delivers training and operational services all over the world and currently has contracts in Africa, Middle East and the UK.
Gareth Roberts
england
4
 Professional Fire and Explosion
Origin & Cause Investigations
FIRE INSIGHT is the official publication of the International Fire Investigation Specializing in
Research Institute.
complex commercial
FIRE INSIGHT is published four times per year in Spring, Summer, Fall and losses and
Winter. Annual dues for membership in the organization are $75 which includes
a subscription to FIRE INSIGHT. subrogation issues
Visit our website
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FIRE INSIGHT, International Fire today for articles on
Investigation Research Institute, Inc., 223 E. Greenbriar Lane, Dallas, Texas
75203-1013.
fire investigation or to request more information.

FIRE INSIGHT is the official publication of the International Fire Investigation

Research Institute, Inc. The publication is solely an educational and
informational aid to members working in the professions of fire investigation
and other forensic sciences.

Articles herein express the views and opinions of the authors, which are not
necessarily those of the International Fire Investigation Research Institute, Firensics, Inc.
Inc., or its editors. Editor reserves the right to accept or reject any article or 315 N. 9th Street
advertisement submitted for publication. Midlothian, TX 76065
1-855-FIRENSICS
An advertisement in the FIRE INSIGHT does not constitute, and shall not be
www.firensics.com
interpreted as, an endorsement of the advertiser or the product.

Authorization to photocopy articles or to reprint in other publications must

be obtained from IFIRI Corporate Office. All rights are strictly reserved, and
reproduction in whole or in part is expressly prohibited without prior written
permission from the publisher.

How to Submit an Article for Publication
Articles for FIRE INSIGHT will be peer reviewed prior to being published.
Authors will be notified if there are areas within the article that need additional
clarification, that may not conform to fire investigation standards or that need
changing for the well being of the readership.
All articles should be original and unpublished in any other magazine, journal,
etc. If the article has been previously published approval must be obtained, by
the author, for reprinting and be accepted by the peer reviewers.
After the article has been peer reviewed the author will receive written notification
regarding its status. If editing is required, other than punctuation and grammatical
errors, the article will be returned for corrections.
Millions of dollars are unrecovered due to the lack of knowledge of the intrinsic
nature of commercial kitchen fires. Heat and flames are a daily occurrence in
commercial kitchens and kitchen fires often spread quickly to the entire building.
The expertise of Phil Ackland and Associates gives your team a superior
advantage in assessing the cause of the fire and liability. Diligent evidence
preservation, knowledge of construction, installation and maintenance
requirements and an understanding of the causes of the spread of fires are key
to recovering losses.
An iconic figure in the commercial kitchen field for more than 45 years, Phil
Ackland is a respected author and long-standing committee member of NFPA
96. Don Stewart and Mark Finck each have over 30 years experience as leading
experts in fire suppression and kitchen appliance operations.

When submitting an article please send in a word document with all graphics
and pictures as separate files. Indicate in the article where the graphics or
photos are intended to go. Please be sure to include a biography and recent
photo with the article.

Articles can be e-mailed to info@marketinggraphics.biz. If you are e-mailing

the article please put the title of the article in the subject line of the e-mail. If
you are mailing the article you can send it to the address below.

Please include all contact information in either your e-mail or mail submissions.

FIRE INSIGHT
c/o Marketing Graphics
443 Colony St. 1-888-537-4878
Meriden, Connecticut 06451

5
 BY ROSS BROGAN, AFSM, MA, CFI/IAAI

An explosion is defined as The sudden conversion of potential energy (chemical or mechanical) into kinetic
energy with the production and release of gases under pressure, or the release of gas under pressure. These high-
pressure gases then do mechanical work such as moving, changing, or shattering nearby materials. (NFPA 921 - 2011)

In conducting an investigation into the origin and cause of a fire, Explosions can be caused by all types of materials, not only flam-
sometimes the fire investigator may also be dealing with an explo- mable liquids and their associated vapours, but gases escaping from
sion. The explosion adds an extra dimension to the investigation, as pipework or from cylinders, gas cylinders exposed to heat/fire, and
now it must be determined what caused the explosion, what fuel was overheated substances such as water (in closed vessels) heated to
involved, the extent of the damage, what the ignition source was, steam with associated pressure build-up
and, how the ignition source and the fuel came together to cause the
explosion. (The detonation of explosives and explosive devices is a
specialised field and requires the attendance of experts in the field of
explosive detonation and military ordinance handling procedures
usually Army Bomb Disposal or Police Bomb Squad.)

Safety of the investigator, and other personnel at the scene after

an explosion, is paramount, as the physical forces involved in an ex-
plosion may very well have caused damage to the structure and may
lead to safety risks involving collapse, puncture injuries, disruption
of electrical or gas (Natural or LPG) supplies and the risk of falling
objects or debris. A full risk assessment of the property, and surrounds,
is essential for the safety of all involvedwith solutions determined for
eliminating the risks that have been found. One of the particular risks,
in todays unfortunate world, is the threat of terrorism and associated
bombings, with the warning that there is always the threat of a second
device designed to catch emergency services as they arrive.
Be Aware! And Be Alert!
A medical gas cylinder damaged in a fire and explosion.

Late one evening an explosion occurred that tore apart a shopping

centre and severely disrupted the inhabitants of a Sydney, Australia
suburb. The explosion occurred inside a take-away food shop on the
main street. The subsequent force of the explosion physically threw
a police officer out of his seat in the nearby police station. The front
alloy doors and window frames were blown out of their location at the
front of the shop and ended across the road, with one door wrapped
around a metal light pole some fifteen metres (49 feet) away. A one
square metre (3.28 feet) sized pane of door glass was found sixty-four
metres (210 feet) away in an adjacent street, intact. The street in front
of the shop resembled a snowscape, with white paper food bags scat-
tered over many square metres of the roadway. One double-brick side-
wall had been blown down, causing the upper storey of the building to
Completely different damage caused by detonation of an explosive. collapse into the ground floor shop. The pressure from the explosion had
vented via the ceiling and traveled into the shop on the other side, caus-
6
ing the ceiling to be blown down and blowing out the glass of the front
windows into the street. Explosion pressure also travelled toward the
rear of the shop and blew down a double-brick wall of an adjoining
office, with further pressure blowing out the glass from the windows
into a rear carpark, some glass over twenty metres (66 feet) distant.
A small fire ensued which was extinguished by the attending fire bri-
gades a short time later. The local hotel, next door to the shop, was
evacuated, much to the chagrin of the drinkers. Fortunately no persons
were injured, that we knew of at the time, with the risk of decapitation
to any person who may have been at the front of the shop at the time
of the explosion being extremely high.
Damage top interior of shop resulting from a fuel vapour explosion.
The damage from a fuel vapour explosion could be extensive.
During the examination of the scene it became patently obvious
that a flammable liquid vapour had been responsible for the explosion.
The reticulated natural gas supply was eliminated as a source of fuel.
Since, according to the gas supply company representatives, had been
disconnected some time prior to the fire. Several metal fuel cans were
uncovered amongst the debris. Subsequent scientific analysis proved
the presence of petrol (gasoline), both in the cans and amongst the
fire/explosion debris.
The next morning a woman arriving for work found a severely in-
jured, and burnt man behind the shops involved in the fire and explo-
sion. He insisted on hailing a taxi and going to his home to clean up,
prior to attending a hospital. This person was subsequently charged
with and convicted of lighting a fire and causing an explosion, related
to insurance fraud.
7
According to the Massachusetts IAAI Pocket Guide to Acceler-
ant Evidence (2nd edition) petrol vapour is a highly explosive sub-
stance and is produced from petrol at a rate of 230:1 230 litres
(243.04 quarts) of vapour from 1 litre (1.06 quarts) of liquid petrol
assume perfect vaporization at normal temperature and pressure.
A builders site shed exploding as a result of a fuel vapour explosion.
John D. DeHaan, in Kirks Fire Investigation (2011), has produced
a formula to enable one to work out the production of vapour from a
liquid. (7th Edition, p.103) This formula is important when attempting
to determine the amount of liquid that may have been present to cause
the explosion:
What are we attempting to prove?
Can the suspected offender physically carry this amount of
fuel to the scene to cause the explosion evidence found?
- OR - What physical characteristics for the fuel
containerisation do we need to have this amount of fuel
available at the scene?
0.85 x Specific Gravity
Formula Cubic metres (m3) vapour =
Vapour Density
Calculate cubic volume of area subject to explosion
Ascertain type of vapour present as fuel e.g. petrol
Determine LEL
Calculate m3 of vapour for LEL: m3 x 1,000 = litres
Divide Litres (vapour) by m3 vapour produced = liquid
From my perspective, there are only two formulae that an
investigator needs to remember to be certain of doing the job
properlyone is the fire triangle/fire tetrahedron (Kirks 2011,
pg.33)the other is this formula.
There are other liquids that can produce vapours capable of fuel-
ling an explosion, according to the Massachusetts IAAI Pocket Guide
to Accelerant Evidence:
Ethyl Alcohol - 1:425
(flammability range 3.5% to 19%)
Fuel Oil No. 1 (kerosene/jet A fuel) - 1:153
(flammability range 0.7% to 5%)
Aerosol propellant, Propane/Butane - 1:250
(flammability limits 1.8% to 9.5%)
Once the fuel liquid amount has been determined, ask yourself:
Can this amount of liquid be carried to the scene by
one person?
Would it take more than one person to carry this
amount of fuel?
What containers are available that one could use to
carry this amount of liquid?
 These questions can be answered by conducting this mathemati- was able to offer valuable evidence to show no reticulated natural gas
cal equation, and can be useful in reaching a hypothesis in regard to was supplied to the property, and therefore no natural gas was avail-
the cause of the explosion and fire. able as a fuel for the explosion.

By comparing the two incidents an estimate of the amount of liq-

uid used in the later incident could be made. Both incidents involved
burn injuries to suspects, and both incidents involved trading prob-
lems with the business.

One of the investigation techniques used, for any fire investiga-

tion, is to set a perimeter for a search for evidence at approximately
the distance at which the furthest piece of evidence has been found
away from the incident site. With an explosion this distance has to be
extended to approximately 50 percent further than the furthest piece
of explosion debris (evidence); this allows for any evidence expelled
away from the site to be discovered. Remember, if an explosion has
occurred, debris (evidence) may have been expelled by the forces of
the explosion, and landed on top of buildings or other high objects
some distance from the site. Consider these factors when setting out
your search perimeter.

An aerosol container subject of rupture and explosion.

The size of your scene could be very large.

Damage caused by ignition of an aerosol propellant.

Several years later a similar explosion caused damage to a take-

away food shop with the most notable factor being the expulsion of a
one metre (3.28 feet) square piece of front door glass into the street.
The glass was blown sixty-four metres (210 feet) (sound familiar?)
from the doorway onto the roadway adjacent to the shop. The front of
the shop was found over seventeen metres (56 feet) away on the road-
way and the back door had been torn from its hinges, the metal hinges
actually torn in half. A subsequent search found a large amount of
petrol had been spread throughout the shop with some still intact and
protected beneath ceiling linings that had come down in the explo-
sion. Two males were later charged and convicted of setting fire to the
shop and causing the explosion. These males had attended a hospital
several kilometres away from the scene, suffering severe burn inju-
ries. (Note: Check hospitals/medical facilities for recent burn injury A caravan damaged by an LPG fuelled explosion.
victims.)

During the court proceedings involving the latest incident, the ear-
lier incident was able to be used as an example of the use of the vapour
production equation, as similar circumstances existed; the fact of the
sixty-four metre (210 feet) distance that the glass from the front doors
had been blown, and the similar internal volume of both properties, giv-
en the vapour production equation and explosion damage factors evident
in both incidents. Here again the gas supply company was consulted and
Reference List
DeHaan, J.D. (2011). Kirks Fire Investigation. 7th Edition. Pearson Education, Brady,
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA.
Massachusetts Chapter IAAI (2000). A Pocket Guide To Accelerant Evidence Collection.
2nd Edition. Factory Mutual Engineering and Research, Massachusetts, USA.
National Fire Protection Association. (2011). NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion
Investigation 2011 Edition. NFPA, Quincy, Massachusetts, USA

8
 VAPOUR EXPLOSIONS
Ross Brogan, AFSM, MA,
CFI/IAAI

Ross is a retired firefighter

who served for 38 years
in the New South Wales
(NSW) Fire Brigades, retir-
ing as an Inspector rank.
He was attached to the Fire
Investigation Unit as an in-
vestigator for sixteen years.
In 1987 he completed the NSW Police Detec-
tive Training class. In 2001 he was attached to
a NSW Police Strike Force, investigating bush
fires throughout NSW.

Since 2002 he has been an adjunct lecturer with

Charles Sturt University, teaching classes in fire
investigation to students from all over the world.
Twice a year he conducts a face-to-face class
on basic fire investigation for students from the
fire service, police and private industry. Ross
runs his own consulting business.

Ross is a member of the International Asso-

ciation of Arson Investigators (IAAI) and on the
IAAI Fire Investigator Standards Committee and
is a member of the Editorial Board of the Fire &
Arson Investigator magazine. He is also a life
member, and committee member, of the NSW
Association of Fire Investigators and member of
the Victoria, Queensland, Australia, UK and Eire
chapters.

Call For White Papers

The International Fire Investigation
Research Institute is inviting all
eligible speakers to submit white
papers for their upcoming seminar.

The seminar will be held in September.

The date and place is being finalized
and will be announced in the Summer
edition of FIRE INSIGHT.

You can email your white papers to

Terri Sullivan at: tsullivan@ifiri.com

If you would prefer to mail them they

should be sent to:
Great Lakes Analytical
17526 E 10 Mile Road
IFIRI
223 E. Greenbriar Lane
Eastpointe, MI 48021
Dallas, Texas 75203-1013 586-779-5648
9
By ROGER L. KEMP, PhD

Eleven days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the first Director of the Office of Homeland Security was appointed by the
President to head this new department, which was located in the White House. This office oversaw and coordinated a comprehensive national
strategy to safeguard the country against terrorism and respond to any future attacks. A year later, with the passage of the Homeland Security
Act by Congress in November, 2002, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) formally came into being as a stand-alone, Cabinet-level,
department to further coordinate and unify national homeland security efforts, opening its doors on March 1, 2003. This new department inte-
grated all or part of 22 different Federal departments and agencies into a single, unified, and integrated department.

Since this time, only a little more than a decade ago, our nation has seen the initiation and implementation of two national warning systems,
the most recent of which was launched in April of last year. Weve also seen the emergence of several emergency and disaster related citizen
support groups, designed to serve law enforcement agencies and first responders at all levels of government city, county, state, and federal.
Furthermore, weve seen critical information being placed on government websites for public officials, first responders, as well as citizens in
general. This information has become more sophisticated in recent years, and continues to be improved upon. Federal government agencies are
even entering the world of social media to further help inform young people and citizens about how to prepare for and respond to disasters and
emergencies of all kinds.

These events, which continue to unfold in the dynamic and evolving field of homeland security, are highlighted below. To properly cover this
field it is presented under the headings of national warning systems, citizen assistance and support groups, and homeland security and the future.
This paper describes state-of-the-art trends in this field to help public officials and first responders as they become educated to better serve the
public. After all, the goal of all government officials during times of emergencies and disasters, throughout history, has always been to reduce
the loss of life and property. While this is still the goal, the processes and mechanisms to achieve it have become more sophisticated, and are
described below for your information.

NATIONAL WARNING SYSTEMS

In order to improve coordination and communication among all levels of government and the public in the fight against terrorism, the President
signed Homeland Security Presidential Directive 3 in March of 2002, creating the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS). This advisory system
served as the foundation for a common-sense approach for a simple communications structure for the dissemination of information regarding the risk
of possible terrorist attacks to all levels of government, as well as our nations citizens. It was replaced by the National Terrorism Advisory System
(NTAS) in April of 2011. Both the HSAS and NTAS are explained below.

There are many Federal alert systems in America, and each is tailored and unique to different sectors of our society: transportation, defense, agri-
culture, and weather, for example. These alert systems provide vital and specific requirements for a variety of emergency situations for all levels of
government, nonprofit organizations, and commercial sectors.

The HSAS provided a national framework for these systems, allowing government officials and citizens to communicate the nature and degree of
terrorist threats. This advisory system characterized appropriate levels of vigilance, preparedness, and readiness, in a series of graduated threat condi-
tion levels.

The protective measures that correspond to each threat condition served to help local governments and their citizens decide upon what actions they
should take to help counter and respond to possible terrorist activity. Based on the threat level, Federal government agencies implemented appropriate
safeguards and protective measures. State and municipalities were encouraged to adopt compatible local preparedness and response systems.

10
 State and local officials were informed in advance of national threat advisories whenever possible. The then new Department of Home-
land Security (DHS) conveyed relevant information to Federal, state, and local public officials, as well as to the private and nonprofit sectors.
Heightened threat levels could be declared for the entire nation, or for a specific geographic area, or a functional or industrial sector. Changes
in assigned threat conditions were made whenever deemed necessary by the DHS.

These threat conditions characterized the risk of a possible terrorist attack based on the best information available. Protective measures are
the steps that should be taken by government and the private sector to reduce their respective vulnerabilities. The HSAS contained five threat
conditions with associated suggested protective measures. They were:

l Green: Low Condition

l Blue: Guarded Condition
l Yellow: Elevated Condition
l Orange: High Condition
l Red: Severe Condition

Since September 11, 2001, the United States has been at Threat Condition Orange, High Condition, only a few times. HSAS warnings were
regional and/or functional in their nature and scope. When the nation went to Threat Condition Orange, and this threat level was not limited
to specific geographic areas, public officials in cities would take steps so citizens knew that their municipal officials were making an effort to
protect them under this threat condition.

The NTAS replaced the color-coded HSAS. The new warning system is designed to communicate information about terrorist threats by
providing timely detailed information to the public, government agencies, first responders, airports and other transportation hubs, as well as the
private and nonprofit sectors. The new advisory system recognizes that Americans all share responsibility for the nations security, and that they
should always be aware of the heightened risk of terrorist attack in the U. S. and what should be done to prepare for and respond to disasters
and emergencies.

The new national alert system is designed to warn public officials and citizens of a credible terrorist threat against the U. S. These alerts will
include a statement that there is an imminent threat or elevated threat. Using available information, the alerts will provide a concise summary
of the potential threat, information about actions being taken to ensure public safety, and recommended steps that individuals, communities,
businesses, and governments can take to help prevent, mitigate, or respond to the threat.

All NTAS alerts, the Secretary states, will be based on the nature of the threat. In some cases, alerts will be sent directly to law enforcement
agencies or affected areas of the private sector, while in others, alerts will be issued more broadly to the American people through both official
and media channels. National alerts under this system also contain a sunset provision. That is, an individual threat alert will be issued for a spe-
cific time period and then it will automatically expire. It may be extended if new information becomes available or if the threat evolves. Also,
as threat information changes, the Secretary will announce updated alerts. Updated alerts will be distributed the same way as the original alerts
were to ensure that the same public officials and citizens receive the updated information.

Details of the alert have been standardized, and the Secretary will follow a uniform alert format that contains a summary of the alert, indicat-
ing whether an imminent or elevated threat is likely. Each alert statement will also note a duration, after which it either expires or is extended
by DHS. The next section of the alert notes details of the actual or pending threat, as well as a description of the affected geographic areas and
the sectors involved. Finally, the last section of the new national alert document will describe how the public can help authorities, how public
officials and citizens should plan for the emergency, and how public officials and citizens can stay informed. These new warnings also include
instructions on how public officials and citizens can get additional information, the role of public safety and community leaders, as well as links
to appropriate DHS websites.

The new national alert system is based on the recommendations of a bipartisan task force of security experts, state and local elected and law
enforcement officials, and other key stakeholders, that assessed the effectiveness of the previous national color-coded alert system. The results
of this nationwide assessment, initiated by the Secretary of DHS, formed the basis of our nations new National Terrorism Advisory System
(commonly referred to as NTAS). Lastly, DHS encourages citizens to follow NTAS alerts for information about threats and take an active role
in security by reporting suspicious activity to local law enforcement authorities through the If You See Something, Say Something public
awareness campaign.

CITIZEN ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT GROUPS

Since September 11, 2001, and the formation of our nations newest Federal department, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
several citizen assistance and support groups have evolved related directly or indirectly to the new and evolving field of homeland security. The
chapters of these groups are virtually in every state, and they work closely with their sponsoring and/or supporting Federal agency. The Federal
agencies involved with these groups include the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
These eight (8) citizen assistance and support groups are highlighted and explained below. It would behoove public officials to know which
groups are located in their community so that, when an emergency or disaster takes place, they can take advantage of the volunteer services
available from the organizations within their own community.

11
l CITIZEN CORPS (CC)

Following the tragic event of September 11, 2001, state and local government officials have increased opportunities for
citizens to become involved in protecting their homeland and supporting local first responders. This group was launched by
President Bush in January, 2002 4 months after the terrorist attack. Citizen Corps was created to help coordinate volunteer
activities that will make our communities safer, and better prepared to respond to emergencies. It provides opportunities for
people to participate to keep their communities safer from threats of terrorism, as well as disasters of all kinds.
Citizens receive training in first aid, emergency skills, and volunteer to assist local first responders. This group has over
1,200 chapters nationally. This program is coordinated by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

l COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT)

This program educates citizens about disaster preparedness, and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as
fire safety, light search and rescue practices, and disaster medical operations. Using their training, CERT members can assist
others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event and can take a more active role in preparing their community
for both natural and man-made emergencies. This group has over 1,900 chapters throughout the nation. This program is
administered by FEMA.

l FIRE CORPS (FC)

This program promotes the use of citizen advocates to enhance the capacity of resource-constrained fire and rescue de-
partments at all levels of public service, including volunteer, combination, and career. Citizen advocates can assist local fire
departments in a range of activities including fire safety outreach, youth programs, and administrative support services. Fire
Corps provides resources to assist fire and rescue departments in creating opportunities for citizen advocates, and promotes
citizen participation. This group has nearly 1,100 chapters throughout the country. It is funded through DHS and is managed
through a partnership between the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the International Association of Fire Fighters
(IAFF), and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).

l USAonWATCH (USAOW)

This group includes Neighborhood Watch Programs (NWP) throughout the nation. This program works to provide
information, training, and resources to citizens and law enforcement agencies throughout the country. In the aftermath of
September 11, 2001, NWPs have expanded beyond their traditional crime prevention role to help neighborhoods focus on
disaster preparedness, emergency response, and terrorism awareness. These groups also go by many other names, such as
Crime Watch, Block Watch, and Business Watch, and have thousands of chapters in neighborhoods located in cities through-
out America. USAonWatch-Neighborhood Watch is administered by the National Sheriffs Association (NSA) in partner-
ship with the Bureau of Justice (BOJ), U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

l MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS (MRC)

This programs purpose is to strengthen communities by helping medical, public health, and other volunteers offer their
expertise throughout the year as well as during local emergencies and other types of community need. MRC volunteers work
in coordination with existing local emergency response programs, and also supplement existing public health initiatives,
such as outreach and prevention, immunization programs, blood drives, case management, care planning, and other efforts.
This program, which has nearly a thousand chapters throughout the nation, is administered by the federal Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).

l VOLUNTEERS IN POLICE SERVICE (VIPS)

The VIPS program provides support and resources for state and local law enforcement agencies interested in developing
and/or enhancing a volunteer program, and for citizens who wish to volunteer their time and skills with a law enforcement
agency. The programs ultimate goal is to enhance the capacity of these law enforcement agencies to use citizen volunteers.
There are over 2,200 VIPS chapters nationally. This program is funded by the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and man-
aged by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA),
Office of Justice Programs (OJP), in the DOJ.

l CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE (CNCS)

CNCS promotes volunteer service initiatives and activities that support homeland security and community safety. They
are a federal agency that operates nationwide service programs such as AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve
America, among others. Participants in these programs may support Citizen Corps Council activities by helping to establish
training and information delivery systems for neighborhoods, schools, and businesses, and by helping with family prepared-
ness and crime prevention initiatives in a single community or across an entire region. There are virtually tens of thousands
of citizens that participate in these national, federally-sponsored programs. This organization is coordinated nationally by
the U. S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

12
 l InfraGard (IG)

InfraGard is an information sharing and analysis effort serving the interests and combining the knowledge base of a
wide range of members. At the most basic level, it is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and
the private sector. It is an association of businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies, and
other participants that are dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the U.S., primar-
ily its cyber and public infrastructures. Their chapters are linked with 56 FBI field office territories. They have over 47,000
members throughout the nation. This program is administered nationally by the FBI.

HOMELAND SECURITY AND THE FUTURE

The new field of homeland security is both dynamic and evolving! It has impacted public officials and citizens in local and state governments
throughout the nation in many ways, and continues to do so. Our nation has a new national warning system, the National Terrorism Advisory
System (NTAS), and several community and regional citizen groups that are now actively involved in homeland security, emergency manage-
ment, and assisting first responders in their job responsibilities. It behooves local public officials, especially first responders, to know about
these groups, and the services that they provide, especially when they are located within their own community.

There is a greater level of engagement and involvement among law enforcement agencies, and between other first responders, in city, county,
state and federal governments. There are now more meetings and disaster exercises that involve different levels of government, both separately
and jointly, than ever before in our nations history. Also, everyone from public officials to first responders has an expanding awareness of the
services available from local and regional nonprofit organizations. The practices and influence of first responders has been greatly influenced
in recent years by both nonprofit and profit sector organizations. It is critical for public officials to know the resources and services available to
them when they respond to emergencies and disasters, either natural or man-made.

Lastly, the field of homeland security has influenced the layout and construction of public buildings and facilities at all levels of government.
Current and future government buildings will likely not provide underground public parking. In many cases, land permitting, public parking is
provided away from public buildings and facilities. Also, vehicular access to public buildings is limited for obvious reasons. The heating and
air conditioning systems in public buildings are also no longer accessible by the public from ground floors or other exterior locations. Citizen
access to such systems is now restricted for security reasons. Lastly, many government buildings are being designed to fit in with their surround-
ing community. After all, you dont want them to be the largest and tallest buildings in the downtown area for obvious reasons.

Citizen Assistance and Support Group Websites

Citizen Corps (CC) http://citizencorps.gov/
Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT) http://citizencorps.gov/cert/
Fire Corps (FC) http://www.firecorps.org/
USAonWatch (USAOW) http://www.usaonwatch.org/
Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/
Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) http://www.policevolunteers.org/
Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS) http://www.serve.gov/
InfraGard (IG) http://www.infragard.net/

Federal Government Websites

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) http://cbp.gov/
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) http://www.dhs.gov/
Disaster Assistance Programs (DAP) http://www.disasterassistance.gov/
Emergency Preparedness for Citizens (EPS) http://www.ready.gov/
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) http://www.fema.gov/
First Responder Information (FRI) http://www.dhs.gov/xfrstresp/
National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/ntas.shtm
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) http://www.tsa.gov/

Homeland Security: Past, Present And Future

Roger L. Kemp, PhD, is a career city manager, having served in

California, New Jersey and Connecticut. He is the editor of Home-
land Security: Best Practices for Local Government (Intl City/
County Management Assn., 2010). Dr. Kemp served on the US-
DOJs Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council, and was appointed by the
Governor to the Homeland Security Working Group, State of Con-
necticut. He can be reached via e-mail <rlkbsr@snet.net>.

13
 Leader in Fire Debris Anal~is Since 1977.

o E~losive Residue Ana1~is

o
o Smoke Residue Ana1~is

II'race Evidence

My ireTesting~
E VI DENCE KITS
I Consistent I Complete
Convenient

_ITIGIIII_I.
-"-
..-
---- LaIWoI~

kits@AFLab.com. www.MyFireTesting.com

14
 IH

Commercial, Residential, Structural,

Vehicle, Heavy Equipment,
Marine, Appliances and Wild Land

Lorne L. Lomprey,
IAAI-CFI, NAFI-CFEI
OWNER-MANAGER

Timothy G. Lomprey,
IAAI-CFI; NAFI-CFEI; NAFI-CVFI
1565 W. Main #208-143, Lewisville, Texas 75067 Certified Fire Investigator
phone: 214-432-5824 toll free: 855-4F3FIRE
Pro-Board Certified Haz-Mat Technician
fax: 214-234-9497

e-mail: info@F3Fire.com website: www.F3Fire.com

LAPINA & ASSOCIATES, LLC

FORENSIC ENGINEERS & SCIENTISTS
ne
of o 195 Village Drive
one
Cranberry Township, PA 16066

Phone: 724-772-2695

Fax: 724-772-2696
Email: rlapina@lapinaassociates.com

www.LapinaAssociates.com
Providing Expert Forensic Engineering
& Scientific Services!
Gas Fires & Explosions Structural Failures
Electrical Engineering Industrial Injuries
Mechanical Engineering Construction Injuries
Metallurgical Analysis Machine Guarding
Chemical Analysis Workplace Safety 3832 Calle De Benito
Chemical Engineering Vehicle Crashes Las Vegas, NV 89121-6015
Chemical/Petrochemical Highway Engineering
Carbon Monoxide Mining Injuries
Electronics Engineering
Structural Engineering
Premises Liability
Architectural Issues Phone: (702) 382-0500
Civil Engineering Construction Claims www.LompreyInvestigations.com
Agricultural Engineering Failure Analysis
Excavation/Trenching Product Liability
Product Failures Building Failures
Environmental Engr. Electronic Controls NEVADA # 355 ARIZONA # 9206003
CALIFORNIA # PI-15790 UTAH # P1000657
15
16
 BY GARETH W ROBERTS
BSc (Hons), MSc, DipCSE, PGCE, Grad.I.Fire.E, MInstLM, MIfL

Building a new fire service from scratch is not often undertaken and building a new service with extremely limited budget is not one to be
undertaken lightly. However, Rwanda has recognised the need for a modern professional service and has taken the plunge.

Rwanda is a small country in Eastern Africa nestled between IRE. U.K.

0 20 Minsk 40 60

Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. London

Amsterdam Berlin Warsaw BELARUS RUSSIA
NETH. KAZAKHSTAN
GERMANY POLAND Kyiv
Brussels
BEL. LUX. Aral
Prague

With a population of approximately 11 million, the world knows of

CZ. REP. UKRAINE Vol
ga Sea
Paris SLOV.
Vienna
AUS. Budapest MOL.
SWITZ. Sea of Tashkent
FRANCE

its history. In 1994 violence erupted between Hutu and Tutsi groups
HUNG. ROM. Azov
SLO.
CRO. Belgrade Bucharest UZBEKISTAN
BOS.& Danube
ITALY HER. SER. Black Sea Caspian
Sofia GEO. Sea

which resulted in genocide on a massive scale. The world stood idly

AND. Corsica KOS. BULG. TURKMENISTAN
PORTUGAL MONT. AZER.
Madrid Rome MACE. ARM. Ashgabat
ALB. Ankara
Lisbon SPAIN

by as man killed man for no reason other than being in the wrong
Sardinia GREECE TURKEY
Algiers Sicily Athens
Tehran
Strait of Gibraltar Oran AFG.
Tunis

socio-ethnic group. The result was approximately 800,000 people

Constantine MALTA
Rabat CYPRUS LEB. SYRIA IRAQ
TUNISIA Mediterranean Sea Beirut Damascus IRAN
MOROCCO Baghdad
Jerusalem

killed and massive disruption to the region before the international Tripoli ISRAEL Amman
Cairo JORDAN KUWAIT

community eventually intervened.

Persian
ALGERIA Gulf
BAHR. Abu
LIBYA EGYPT Riyadh QATAR Dhabi
Muscat
U.A.E
Tropic of Cancer
SAUDI OMAN

How times have changed! Since the genocide, Rwanda has

ARABIA
20
S A H A R A Red
20

MAURITANIA Sea

worked hard to heal the wounds and build a single national identity. Dakar
Nouakchott

MALI
NIGER
YEMEN

However, Rwanda lacks a national product and consequently sees

SENEGAL CHAD Khartoum Asmara Sanaa
Banjul Niamey
BURKINA
THE GAMBIA Bamako FASO SUDAN

little in investment, and relies heavily on NGOs and other donor

Blu
Bissau N'Djamena Djibouti

e
GUINEA-BISSAU GUINEA Ouagadougou DJIBOUTI
BENIN EY

Ni
Conakry NIGERIA

le
Addis L

organisations to help it to develop. Consequently, funding is always Nil

Freetown GHANA Abuja
e

L
CTE
hit
W Ababa

A
SIERRA LEONE TOGO
D'IVOIRE

V
Monrovia CENTRAL AFRICAN
SOUTH ETHIOPIA
Lom SUDAN SOMALIA

limited and Government projects are looked at as both value for

Yamoussoukro Accra REPUBLIC
LIBERIA CAMEROON Juba
Bangui
Malabo
CONGO

money and capacity building.

Yaound UGANDA
Mogadishu
Equator REP. OF Kampala KENYA 0
0 Libreville THE
CONGO BASIN RWANDA Nairobi
GABON
Kigali
DEM. REP. Bukavu
OF THE CONGO Bujumbura
BURUNDI

THE RNP
ANGOLA
TANZANIA
Luanda

MALAWI
ANGOLA Lilongwe

Rwanda has a national police force of approximately 11,000 ZAMBIA

Lusaka

strong with an officer class being trained in a modern officers acad-

Zamb
ezi
Harare MOZAMBIQUE
ZIMBABWE Antananarivo

emy with access to degree-level education, and policemen being 20

Windhoek BOTSWANA
MADAGASCAR
20

educated to Western standards in both basic and specialist policing NAMIBIA Gaborone
Pretoria

skills.
Johannesburg
SOUTH

AFRICA

Within the Rwanda National Police (RNP), is a small depart-

ment that offers dedicated fire services to the community. The cur-
rent service has three appliances and 39 personnel. These two fire 40 40

and one rescue trucks have to provide complete services throughout 20 0 20 40 60

the country. Based in the RNP Headquarters in Kigali, this is not

easy to do due to limited equipment, manpower, communications
and legislation, to name but a few areas.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP Chief of Police), recognises the shortcomings of the existing service and has set out to redevelop
and define the service to the greater good of the country. He has taken the step to develop the fire service to support the Governments Vision
20/20 plan. This is a strategic plan to develop Rwanda into a regional hub for tourism and information technology. Consequently, to support this
plan and to encourage development in the country the infrastructure requires substantial planning and redevelopment.

17
 The nature of the police within RNP is that they rarely proactively encourage teamwork. This is a new concept but they are slowly starting
to understand the underpinning rationale behind this method of operation. Consequently, decisions are made from a dictatorial point of view
and people rarely show initiative until results can be proven, for fear of failure.

Building a new service is time consuming at the best of times but in this case RNP are also changing their methods of work, developing a
style that is more common in the Western world. The RNP has to re-access their working practices to become inclusive in all areas. They are
making great strides in equal opportunities, with females working in all areas of policing including the fire service. RNP has collaborated with
other Government agencies and has produced Government strategies to combat gender-based violence in all areas.

The fire service is looking to expand its capabilities within the whole country. Whilst there is some legislation dealing with fire safety this
is often overlooked or abused at various levels. Therefore, the restructuring of the fire service also requires the enactment of current and mean-
ingful legislation that can be enforced at all levels. This legislation must be seen to have the complete backing of Government with concrete
repercussions for those who transgress the law.

TRAINING RE-TRAINING STAFF

A more simple issue is training of staff. At the moment staff have received either some training, little training or no training at all. This is
obviously of great concern. On graduation from initial police training and the Academy, staff are allocated to their departments, which includes
the fire service. Due to limited staff, limited equipment and limited facilities, staff often receive substandard training. However, this training is
delivered to the best of their abilities and only remains substandard to the international community. Advice has been given that training must be
enhanced, continual and to international levels. This is agreed by RNP Senior Management and a plan has been put into place to deliver both
basic and advanced training. All staff will have to undergo a formal re-training course to ensure that they meet minimum standards and then
selected staff will undergo enhanced training. To ensure that capacity is maintained further, identified staff will be selected to undergo training
as trainers and a small training school is to be established within the Police Training School estate.

Gareth Roberts with RNP Officers who have just completed their Train-
the-Trainer course.
RNP Constable marking evidence in a crime scene.

EQUIPMENT CONCERNS
Equipment is another issue causing concern. There is virtually no fire ground clothing available. Consequently firefighters regularly attend
incidents in their normal uniforms of BDUs, jacket, cap and patrol boots. This is yet another area of health and safety concern and the author
is trying to identify a source of second-hand free fire ground clothing that is fit for purpose. The two or three uniforms currently held are not
fit for purpose on any level. With this in mind protocols are being designed to allow staff to carry out offensive firefighting operations without
suffering injury or harm.

Whilst there is some equipment in each of the three vehicles, it is not maintained to any level and consequently some of it can be classed
as dangerous. The two fire appliances have been in situ since 2007 but their pumps have never been serviced or calibrated. Water is a cause for
concern. Both appliances have limited water tanks; however, there are virtually no hydrants which the appliances can refuel from. Therefore, it
is felt that whilst more appliances are needed, water bowsers should also be a priority. Coupled with this is the fact that there is no operational
base for the unit. Vehicles are parked up on the side of the road, with no cover from the harsh African sun. Staff are currently utilising semi-
derelict bungalows as office space, with no support facilities at all. Maintenance programmes are extremely limited. The author has stressed the
importance of maintenance programmes and the genuine need for their enforcement.

18
 RNP Fire Appliance. One of two held by the fire service purpose built
for Rwanda and delivered in 2007.
RNP Rescue Appliance. The only one held for the entire country still
used in its colours which shows it has been donated from Germany.

RNP FIRE SERVICE A NEED TO CHANGE MIND STATE

At this time, there is no fire investigation service at any level. Whilst the country is not inundated with suspicious fires, it can be seen that
with the development of the Vision 20/20 plan there will invariably be a rise in these types of fires. Again, there are no protocols at any level
to support the investigation of fires and these have to be designed specifically for the unique needs of Rwanda. On speaking to various police
officers at various levels, they see no issues and pay little attention to either fire prevention or fire investigation. Unfortunately, it is felt that it
would take a national disaster in this area before this attitude changes. There is a need to change the mind-set at all levels rather than just trying
to enforce protocols, which are often seen as being unneeded by many officers.

Some officers find it difficult to grasp the concept of departmental protocols and how they are there to help and support staff. The author
feels that this change in mind-set will take time to overcome. Whilst there are formal protocols, very few staff have seen them and even less
follow them. Consequently, scene procedures, either at crime or fire scenes, can often become confused with duplication of effort or some areas
not being covered. Despite the author clearly explaining the need for scene protocols, there is still reluctance at all levels to develop and follow
them. Its yet another area that will need substantial work and enforcement at senior level.

The command of the fire service is given to a Superintendent of Police. He is supportive of the need for change but his hands are tied due
to the lack of finance and lack of support at Government level. He comes from a policing background and has no formal firefighting training or
experience of fire command. There is no clearly defined Command Team but the Commanding Officer (CO) is keen to encourage as many of
his officers as possible in the decision making process. Some of these junior officers are keen to remain in the fire service and be a part of its
development, whilst others would prefer to be in other departments. Consequently, the author feels that there should be a more robust selection
process in the future, to encourage the development of junior officers. Again, once the CO understands the rationale behind the selection of
junior officers and the need for the police training department to also understand this, the fire service should start to see a change for the better
in candidates joining the department.

Petty politics can cause delays in areas which are not normally found in western governments. Despite using the latest in information tech-
nology, Rwanda Government still insists on using rubber stamps and copious amounts of signatures on all documents. This is not best practice
in modern Government. Coupling this with other forms of petty bureaucracy makes doing business in Rwanda time consuming.

However, there is a genuine desire to improve its capabilities within RNP. This is obviously an important area to consider. Without this
desire the service would find it difficult to achieve its strategic aims. This would also have a knock-on effect with funding from donor organi-
sations. But another area to consider is culture. This might take longer to overcome. The idea is to mold the culture and bring it into the 21st
century and not change and eradicate the Rwandan culture. This is a proud nation with a long history and does not deserve to be taken over by
modern technocrats.

As the reader can see, there are a lot of unique issues arising from developing a nation-wide fire service. Finance is obviously the biggest
issue but closely followed by the development of departmental protocols. It is felt that if we just deliver ad-hoc training and obtain new equip-
ment, this would not produce a professional service. We would need to ensure that money is wisely used and that capacity is also built into the
service. It is a goal of the project to ensure that the Rwanda National Police Fire Service can develop to take its place at an international level
and deliver its services without continual involvement of foreign trainers. There is a genuine desire at all levels of the Fire Service for change.
All staff are very positive about future outcomes, as are the senior management of the Rwanda National Police. Consequently, despite the many
hurdles, which have to be overcome, it is felt that the project will be successful and the fire service can look forward to taking its place with
international partners on an equal level.

19
 Starting From Scratch Building A New Service In Rwanda

Gareth W. Roberts, BSc (Hons), MSc, DipCSE, PGCE, Grad.I.Fire.E, MInstLM, MIfL
Gareth joined the British Army in 1977, joining his fathers regiment, 1st Bn The Royal Welch Fusiliers.
During his service he served all over the world in many operational units and was injured during service in
Northern Ireland during the troubles.

On retiring from the British Army with an exemplary discharge, Gareth applied and was accepted into the
UK Police Service and joined the Crime Scene Unit. He was one of the first CSIs in the UK to be awarded
a university qualification in crime scene science. During his service he covered all types of crime scenes
including counter terrorism, fatal fires, murder and kidnapping. He retired from the police service as a Crime
Scene Manager and Force Forensic Trainer.

During his police service Gareth took the opportunity to specialise in fire investigation techniques. As part of the UK Governments
Arson Control Forum, Gareth assisted with the development of a national qualification base. He is a qualified police trainer, military
instructor and registered Further Education teacher and as such has particular interest in teaching methodologies.

Gareth holds an Honours degree in Policing, a Masters degree in Forensic Archaeology, a Diploma in Crime Scene Science and
a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Along with his professional qualifications Gareth strives to ensure that his knowledge
remains current and as such he regularly attends fire scenes. As a private consultant Gareth now delivers training and operational
services all over the world and currently has contracts in Africa, Middle East and the UK.

Graduate Certificate
in Fire Investigation
Introduces students to key technical
skills in recognising and interpreting the
patterns and phases of fire, and a working
knowledge of fire-setting behaviour in
relation to carrying out an investigation.
Graduate Diploma
of Fire Investigation
Equips students with specialist knowledge
for the investigation of a range ofcomplex
and novel fire scenesincluding explosions,
motor vehicle fires, fires involving electrical
equipment and fires involving ships/boats
and the marine environment.
Master of Fire Investigation
Under the guidance of a supervisor
students identify and research current fire
investigation issues that impact on their
work environment.
Fire Investigation at
Charles Sturt University
The Fire Investigation courses at Charles Sturt University
(CSU) aim to develop and increase the knowledge of
practitioners in the field through applying sound investigative
practice together with an understanding of fire science, fire
dynamics, fire causation and fire setting motives. Assessment
topics encourage students to apply theory to practice and
exercise best practice within their own investigations.
Studying by Distance Education
at Charles Sturt University
Your studies in Fire Investigation will be through distance
education and there are no compulsory residentials.
The presentation of Study Guides on CDROM enables
the inclusion of large video files, clickable readings and
interactive activities, all designed to encourage your
engagement with up-to-date learning materials.
Further Information: See our Handbook at http://www.csu.edu.au/courses/
postgraduate/fire_investigation/course-overview or contact the Course Coordinator,
Dr. Val Ingham, Australian Graduate School of Policing & Security, Charles Sturt
University, Telephone: +61 2 62726245 or e-mail: vingham@csu.edu.au
www.csu.edu.au/courses/postgraduate/fire_investigation

20
 Commercial, Residential, Structural, Vehicle, Heavy Equipment,
Marine, Appliances and Wild Land

Forensic Fire Facts, Inc.

Investigations include:

F Assessment of Risk
F Fire Scene Analysis
F Photography
F Debris Removal
F Fire Scene Reconstruction
F Diagrams
F Analysis of Burn Patterns
F Identification of Area of Origin
F Potential Sources of Ignition Identified
F Collection and Storage of Evidence
F Interviewing Witnesses and Fire Officials
F Subrogation
F Product Liability
F File Review
F Expert Witness Testimony

1565 W. Main #208-143, Lewisville, Texas 75067

phone: 214-432-5824 toll free: 855-4F3FIRE fax: 214-234-9497

e-mail: info@F3Fire.com website: www.F3Fire.com

Licensed by the Texas Private Security Bureau License #A17000

21
22
 Since the very name of this series of articles hints at the fact that I will be challenging some long-established fire inves-
tigation concepts, I feel that in this first installment I should explain my purpose and motivation behind the articles. I would,
of course, like to claim insight, brilliance, even genius; however, I cannot. I have been forced into certain conclusions simply
from attempting in court to defend theories which the evidence does not support. Recently, many people in fire investigation
have contributed to positive changes in our profession, but the fact of the matter is that investigative techniques often change
with glacier-like slowness.

If history were to be divided into two different time periods, one

could easily make a separation in the 17th Century when Francis Bacon
introduced the scientific method. Before the scientific method of obser-
vation, deduction, and induction was applied, doctors normally worked
from barbershops and commonly bled the sick. Doctors bled the sick not
because they were stupid but because it was as easy for them to argue log-
ically for bleeding people as it was to argue against it. Neither argument
was confused by any facts based upon research or the scientific method.

Once the scientific method was introduced into medicine, the fact
that bleeding the sick was usually more harmful than helpful became
obvious. The application of the scientific method made it inevitable that
sooner or later hearts would be transplanted, there would be a cure for
polio, and in the future people would live much longer lives. It is also
inescapable that we must apply valid scientific methods to fire investiga-
tion. Before this process can be effective, we must first argue either for or
against processes similar to those the doctors were using when they were
using blood-sucking leeches and working out of a barbershop. I know
leeches are used in medicine today, but for very specific and quite scien-
tifically legitimate reasons.

But back to my point, there are highly intelligent people in the fire
investigation industry who try very hard to interpret fires accurately sim-
ply because their livelihoods depend upon their success. But like doctors
prior to the scientific method their attempts are often ineffective because Once the scientific method was introduced into
of the use of subjective methods. The poorly trained investigator often medicine, the conclusion that bleeding the sick was
does not apply any scientific principles to arrive at his conclusion as to the usually more harmful than helpful became obvious.
origin and cause of fires, and, therefore, often times the judgment has all It is also inescapable that valid scientific research
the validity of a 17th Century doctors. The investigator is often articulate. methods must be applied to fire investigation.
He is systematic and his decisions can be defended in all ways except with
an abundance of evidence obtained by scientific methods.

I hope in these articles to offer better investigative methods and to rely more upon scientific research than upon subjec-
tive reasoning in fire investigation. I do not claim to be the Francis Bacon of fire investigation. I have, however, had the
unique opportunity to have conducted a large number of fire investigations, to have reviewed a large number of investigation
reports, and to have worked with attorneys who insist upon strong facts that can be presented with credibility in a courtroom.
And I do know that accurate conclusions can be drawn from evidence only by using the scientific method of observation,
deduction, and induction. It is with this object in mind that I offer the following series of articles.

23
 PART I
Misconceptions About V Patterns
V patterns are probably one of the most discussed phenomena
by fire investigators attempting to determine the origin and cause of
structure fires. Although understanding the causes of V patterns is
not difficult, fire investigators can misinterpret these indicators.

Sometimes the most simplistic indicator can easily be misinter-

preted and result in incorrect conclusions because the causes are so
basic one wants to make the issue more complicated than it really is.
In order to understand why misconceptions arise in the meaning of
V patterns, we must first examine what causes them to occur. In or-
der to do this, we must first review some basic physics and chemistry
of fire. All matter in the universe exists in one of three physical states:
solids, liquids, or vapors. Solids and liquids will not burn until they
are transformed into a gas or vapor, and this process takes some kind
of heat. We call this thermal decomposition of a substance into a gas
or vapor pyrolysis.

Almost all combustible substances in our world contain the
chemical elements hydrogen or carbon or both. Once these elements
have been vaporized, they can easily mix with oxygen, which, along
with more heat, is necessary for ignition. After ignition occurs, the
combustion or oxidation of the hydrogen and carbon in turn produces
heat. This combustion is called an exothermic reaction because it pro-
duces rather than takes up heat, and it is self-sustaining as long as
Photo of a large V pattern showing that the V pattern is actually a
cone shape. The center of the floor is the point of origin.
there is an adequate amount of fuel and oxygen. Once ignition has
occurred, the fire will normally continue until all the available fuel or
oxygen has been consumed or until the flame is extinguished by water
or by some other means of reducing the number of excited molecules.

The Endothermic Reaction

The flame part of this reaction occurs in the gas or vapor above
the solid or liquid and is primarily restricted by the supply of fuel and
oxygen. The burning rate is restricted by the supply of fuel and oxy-
gen rather than the basic chemical reaction within the flames. The gas
phase combustion process occurs in regions reaching fuel vapor en-
riched with oxygen. Fuel and oxygen combine to produce combustion
products and heat. The opposite type of reaction in which substances
absorb heat is called an endothermic reaction. For our purposes, the
fire investigator is mostly concerned with exothermic reactions where
the ordinary oxidation or combustion of substances gives off heat and
energy.

The Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy

When pyrolysis occurs, the chemical composition of the prod-
uct being heated changes and a char formation develops. We must
remember the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy which
states matter and energy in all ordinary transformations are neither
created nor destroyed but are merely changed in form. This presents
quite a problem for the fire investigator because, although evidence of
the material is often still at the fire scene when he arrives, usually the
form of the material has been changed by its thermal decomposition.
The char pattern left is usually dependent upon the type of com-
bustible substance at the fire scene. The most plentiful and most fre-
quently encountered substances are organic substances such as wood,
paper, or cellulose materials containing carbon and hydrogen in vary-
ing proportions. Petroleum hydrocarbons such as gasoline, are the
most common gaseous carbon-hydrogen compounds. Each type of
combustible substance has its own peculiar reaction when exposed to
heat. In most fires, the conditions surrounding the combustible mate-
rials will vary in many ways and consequently will result in various
kinds of heat and char patterns.
In general, bulky fuels such as thick wood, books, and heavy fur-
niture give off flammable vapors very slowly. As a rule, the amount of
heat given off during the combustion process of most organic material
is proportional to the materials weight. The rate at which the heat is
given off, however, depends on how quickly the substances approach
the gaseous state and also upon temperature balance. This in turn af-
fects how fast oxygen mixes with the flammable vapor. Solid lumber
is slow to pyrolyze compared to wood shavings which burn at a very
rapid rate because they have such a large surface area in relation to
their mass. Not all substances that are combustible give off the same
amount of heat during this oxidation. For example, oak wood gives
off 7,180 BTUs per pound while gasoline gives off 20,100 BTUs per
pound.

The K Factor
Another factor that affects the heat of fires is the materials ability tivity coefficient. If a fire plume impinges heat on metal, the metal
to conduct heat. When a substance is heated, heat is conducted in all will quickly transmit the effects of the heat to its surroundings, thus
directions away from the point of heating and materials vary in their increasing the scope of the fire. Copper, for example, will conduct heat
rate of heat conduction. This thermal conductivity of material is often about 2,000 times faster than wood.
called the K Factor, which measures the materials thermal conduc-

24
 Conduction, Radiation, and Convection
Heat is transferred in any of three ways: conduction, radiation and convection. Some fire investigators refer to direct impingement as a
form of heat transfer; however, this method is so closely associated with convection that it is impossible for anyone other than a scientist to
separate the two.

Conduction

Heat that is transferred by direct contact from one body to an-

other is conductive heat; although, when heat is generated, it flows in
all directions. Substances differ in their ability to accomplish this con-
duction. Gaseous substances like air conduct heat very slowly because
their molecules are so far apart. The reason a down jacket keeps you
warm is that there is air trapped in the feathers. Heat conduction can-
not be completely stopped and is the reason a vacuum bottle will not
keep its contents hot indefinitely. The thermal conductivity of a mate-
rial may take on great importance when heat is transferred through
conduction. For example, a copper pipe may be heated to a very high
temperature when a joint for an air conditioner or a heater is sweated
in and may cause a fire within the wall when the heat is transferred to
the flammable materials inside the wall.

Radiation
Radiation is the transfer of heat from one area to another by infra-
red rays. It is not necessary for particles to come in contact with each
other for heat to be transferred by radiation. Radiation energy travels
in straight lines and at the same speed in a vacuum as the speed of
light. Heat from the sun is a good example of radiated heat transfer.

Radiated heat is very important in the combustion process and

becomes the dominate heat transfer in mature structure fires but is
sometimes not considered enough by fire investigators. Everyone
knows it is very difficult to burn one large piece of wood by itself.
One reason for this is that there is no radiated heat to assist in main-
taining a high temperature. The geometry of a building greatly affects
the radiated heat in a fire, and this in turn greatly affects temperature
and char patterns. For example, radiated heat in an attic will usually
cause low burning on the cross beam and the uninitiated investigator
may interpret this phenomenon as an ignitable liquid burn pattern. In
my opinion, the failure to recognize the effects of radiated heat causes
the misinterpretation of a very large number of fires.
Convection

Convection and/or direct flame impingement are the most fre-

quently observed methods of heat transfer in the propagation of fires.
Convection involves the specific gravity of a vapor in relation to sur-
rounding gases, such as air. Accordingly, the heat transfer by convec-
tion involves the earths gravity. Hot gases and vapors rise by convec-
tion, and the cooler, heavier air moves in to sustain the oxidation and
combustion processes. The burning gases travel upward in all direc-
tions, and this process continues until the entire fuel load has been
consumed. The upward draft of the flame will continue with varying
strength depending on the temperature and fuel available at the time.

Heat transfer by convection is very familiar to us all and is the

reason warm air inside a hot-air balloon will cause the balloon to rise.
It is the same reason that most air-conditioning ducts are at the upper
levels in a room since the cold air is heavier than warm air, and a mix-
ing process is desired.

25
 Three Dimensional Thermal Column
Most accidental fires are low-heat-source fires which occur at in- what causes the mushroom effect and sometimes causes a rolling mo-
ception usually in a very small area. As the material is heated and the tion of the fire once it hits a wall. Investigators misconceptions of V
fire is initiated, convection causes the fire to burn upward and outward patterns result from the fact that they tend to think in two dimensions
often resulting in a V shape char pattern on the surrounding materi- rather than in three dimensions. We often speak in two dimensional
als. The fire will continue to burn upward and outward until it meets terms of V patterns; when in reality, heat is radiated upward and
resistance, such as a ceiling. Once the fire cannot travel vertically, outward in all directions thus creating a cone.
then it will extend horizontally until it meets further resistance. This is

A V pattern is the usual result of a thermal column that has manifested itself by the thermal decomposition of the surrounding materials.
In reality, the V pattern is a conic and is three dimensional.

Reading the V Pattern

The V pattern, simply put, is nothing more than the result of a
thermal column that has manifested itself by the thermal decomposi-
tion of the surrounding materials. The shape of the thermal column
is determined in part by the flammability of the material burning and
may range from a wide cone to a vertical cylinder. For example, a
bucket or a container of shredded paper will burn very rapidly and
will produce a thermal column shaped like a cylinder. A slow-burning
glow fire in a wall socket will burn slowly and will usually produce
a cone with a very wide angle. Although the thermal column is three
dimensional, the evidence that it leaves on a wall after the fire is out is
usually a two dimensional V pattern.

Inverted V Pattern

Sometimes when an ignitable liquid is poured on the floor, the V pat-

tern will be inverted, particularly in areas where the fuel load is not sufficient to
establish rapid burning away from the accelerant. But, after the accelerant has
been consumed, if there are available combustible materials, normal convection
processes will cause the fire to burn upward and outward resulting in a second-
ary normal V pattern or thermal column. The resultant char pattern will then
either be an inverted V, which occurs only when the ignitable liquid has been
consumed, or an hourglass shape when the ignitable liquid has burned long
enough to ignite other combustible materials.

When a flammable is poured on the floor, the V pattern will be inverted,
particulary in areas where the fuel load is not sufficient to establish rapid
burning away from the accelerant.
After the accelerant has been consumed, if there are available combustible
materials, normal convection processes will cause the fire to burn upward
and outward resulting in the normal V pattern or thermal column. The
resultant char pattern will then be an hourglass shape when the accelerant
has burned long enough to ignite other combustible materials.

26
 Multiple V Patterns
In the case of a low-heat-source accidental fire, such as a glow indicators used to determine the origin of the fire. If suppression never
fire in a wall outlet or a coffee maker, the fire will burn upward and occurs, then the material continues to be consumed further destroying
outward until it reaches the ceiling and then will travel horizontally. many of the investigators indicators as to the origin and cause of the
Sometimes the progression of the fire will ignite flammable materials, fire. That is why it is normally much easier to determine the origin and
such as curtains and plastics, which will drop and will continue to cause of a fire if fire suppression occurs rapidly and without delay.
burn. The material that has dropped to the floor level and
has continued to burn will also cause a V pattern and
will burn upward and outward.

The V pattern or thermal column is often below

where the fire originated, and this causes misinterpreta-
tion as to the origin of the fire by new investigators or in-
vestigators who have failed to check such things as depth
of char and thermal decomposition. If the fire continues
to burn, it may travel to many parts of the structure caus-
ing material to drop and form many V patterns or ther-
mal columns within the structure. I have seen accidental
fires where these multiple naturally-occurring thermal
columns or V patterns were interpreted to be separate
and unconnected origins. An accidental fire originating in
one spot and burning slowly should create many sepa-
rate and different V patterns throughout the structure
if the fire is not quickly extinguished. Unfortunately, this
very natural phenomenon is often interpreted as arson be- Fire will burn upward and outward until it reaches the ceiling, then will travel horizontally.
cause the fire investigator failed to understand fully the The progression of the fire can ignite flammable materials away from the point of origin,
char patterns, fire language, and fire path. In arson fires which can drop and continue to burn. The material that drops to the floor level and
where copious amounts of accelerants are used, one does continues to burn will also cause a V pattern and sometimes investigators mistakenly
not normally find many V patterns since the ignitable interpret this phenomenon as a separate and unconnected origin of the fire.
liquid generally causes pyrolysis to occur very rapidly
and evenly throughout the room. One must remember that the determination of the origin and cause
of the fire is nothing but ones opinion based upon facts. The fire in-
As the fire continues to burn, the hot gases will rise; and as the vestigator must approach all fires as being accidental in nature and
temperature reaches somewhere around 900 F, the vapors in the top arrive at the fire scene with that point in mind. If the fire is arson, then
portion of the structure will ignite all at once. This is commonly re- the investigator must have a sufficient number of facts to support his
ferred to as flash-over. Flash-over is a problem for fire investigators opinion and not rely upon only one phenomenon, such as several V
in that the flash over causes the heat factor to increase very rapidly patterns within the structure which are often misinterpreted as sepa-
sometimes masking and hiding many of the V patterns and other rate and unconnected points of origin.

V Patterns? So What!

In an accidental fire, and even in arson fires, they help only to It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one
interpret the language of the fire and to assist the investigator in iden- begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts.
tifying the origin. At the origin the investigator can start looking for a Scandal in Bohemia, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
cause, and that cause and opinion should be predicated upon fact. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1892

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT FIRE INVESTIGATION PART 1

Carter D. Roberts is the founder, president and CEO of the International Fire Investigation
Research Institute, Inc., an international forensic training, investigation and research company.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and an MBA from Samford University. Carter
has written and published numerous articles concerning fire investigation and has over thirty-
seven years of investigation experience.

Carter is an IAAI-Certified Fire Investigator and is a Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator, a
Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator and a Certified Fire Investigator Instructor by the National
Association of Fire Investigators.

Carter can be reached at the International Fire Investigation Research Institute in Dallas, Texas.
His email address is: croberts@ifiri.com

27
 2012
Arson Awareness Week:
Prevent Youth ETC ElectroTek
Firesetting Consultants
emmittsburg, md The United States incorporated
Fire Administration (USFA) is pleased
to partner with the International As-
sociation of Arson Investigators; Safe We hal/e ildded the Kevence YHX-lOOQ
Kids USA; USAonWatch; National Dianal 3D Microscope 10 o u, imaging
Volunteer Fire Council; and the Na-
tional Association of State Fire Mar- in spection capa bilities.
shals to announce the theme for the
2012 Arson Awareness Week: Prevent We also offer real-time digital . 'a\'S. evidence
Youth Firesetting.
"orage, and expert analvsi. <ervice . In,peion
USFA and its partners will use the rate. beg in al j~,t $175/hou r ~nd indude
week of May 6th to 12th to focus public unllmrt~d digital imag~ ,
attention on the importance of a collab-
orative effort with fire and emergency Independent LAborat ory Faci liti es are also
service departments, law enforcement, " 'Iabl e; pluse contact u. with your need.,
mental health, social services, schools
and juvenile justice to help reduce the
occurrence of juveniles engaged with
fire.
www.electrotekconsultants.com 260.238.3074

According to the National Fire Protec-

tion Association, fires started by chil-
dren playing accounted for an average
of 56,300 fires with associated losses
of 110 civilian deaths, 880 civilian in-
juries and $286 million in direct prop-
erty damage per year between 2005
V" TekPlcks
www .tekp i<:ks.com
- 2009.
RE SO URCES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL INVE STIG ATOR
The Federal Bureau of Investigations
Uniform Crime Reporting Program re- 30 years of indust ry e~pe rience built our store.
port states that juveniles (persons un-
der age 18) accounted for roughly 46 Offering eq uipme nt, supplies and specialty services
percent of arson arrest in 2005 - 2010. to support professional investigators.
In 2010, 40 percent of arson arrests
were juveniles with 47.6 percent of
those children under 16 years of age. www.tekpicks.com" 260.238.3074
Fire in the hands of children is dev-
astating - regardless of a childs age or
motive, said Ernest Mitchell, Jr., U.S. and fire. The most important thing a permit analysis of juvenile firesetting
Fire Administrator. It is imperative parent or caregiver can do is to always trends, including intervention strate-
that we do everything possible to pre- supervise young children. gies and repeated activity.
vent juvenile firesetting to protect the
nations most valuable resource, our In 1999, the USFAs National Fire In- For more information regarding the
children. cident Reporting System (NFIRS) de- 2012 Arson Awareness Week, go to
veloped and released the NFIRS 5.0 www.usfa.fema.gov/aaw. For more in-
Parents should teach young children Arson Module (NFIRS-11). The Arson formation regarding the Youth Fireset-
that fire is a tool, not a toy; keep match- Module can be utilized to document ting Prevention and Intervention class
es and lighters out of reach, in high, juvenile-set fires, whether determined or any of the other courses offered at
ideally locked, cabinets; set a good ex- to be intentional, unintentional, or un- the national Fire Academy, go to www.
ample by safely using matches, lighters der investigation. The information will usfa.fema.gov/nfa.

28
Fire in the hands of children is devastating - regardless of a child's age or mo-
tive. It is imperative that we do everything possible to prevent youth fireset-
ting to protect the nation's most valuable resource, our children.
ernest mitchell, jr., u.s. fire administrator

29

Fire Station Cutbacks
Create Greater Need for Fire Prevention
and Gas Safety Building Codes
Recent cutbacks to fire department
budgets across the country have in-
creased the importance of modern
household and commercial fire pre-
vention techniques and devices. A
new 2012 code proposed for the Inter-
national Fuel and Gas Codes looks to
provide inexpensive, automatic ther-
mal gas shutoffs for gas appliances,
reports TECO Americas. These ther-
mal shutoff devices stop the flow of
natural, propane, and butane gases in
the event of a fire, decreasing the like-
lihood of death, injury, or property
damage.
The 2008 recession and subsequent
weak economy have impaired many
communities abilities to provide ba-
sic civil services to their residents.
State and municipal budget cuts have
forced fire departments and emergen-
cy medical services (EMS) to drasti-
cally cut staff and engines, institute
rolling brownouts, and permanently
shut down stations. These cuts have
led to longer response times, and, in
too many cases, have proven deadly.
According to a report posted on the
US Homeland Securitys US Fire Ad-
ministration website, the United States
has one of the highest fire death rates
per capita among Western Nations.
Elizabeth, New Jersey, home to
125,000 city residents, industrial
warehouses, refineries, and one of the
busiest ports in the world the Port
Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal
has seen its fire department dwindle
by 26 percent, from 269 uniformed
firefighters in 2005 to 200 in 2012. In
a February, 2011 New Jersey Senate
Committee Hearing, Lathey Wirkus,
Elizabeths Deputy Fire Chief, testi-
fied that the current reductions
will [cause] increased life-loss not
only with civilians but with firefight-
ers. (1)
These drastic measures are not unique
to Elizabeth. A quick glance at only a
few of the nations fire station reduc-
tions and closures include:
G San Jose, California lets 49
firefighters go in 2010
G Lowell, Massachusetts lost
23 firefighter positions in 2010
G Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
instituted a rolling brownout
system in 2010, temporarily
closing three fire companies each
shift around the city
G San Diego, California insti-
tuted a rolling brownout sys-
tem in 2010, halving the opera-
tional staff at 13 of the citys 47
stations
G Closure of the Hesperia Fire
House in San Bernardino Coun-
ty, California
G East Point City, Georgia
closed two fire stations
G Baltimore, Maryland insti-
tuted rotating closures of fire sta-
tions
Fire Prevention
In order to provide better fire preven-
tion and safety standards, municipal
and state building codes must contin-
ue to evolve. The International Code
Council (ICC) was established in 1994
as a non-profit organization dedicated
to developing a single set of com-
prehensive and coordinated national
model construction codes. Since, all
fifty states and the District of Colum-
bia have adopted the ICC codes.
ICC International Fuel
Gas Code
One of the code sets that the ICC will
update in 2012 is the International
Fuel Gas Codes (IFGC). The IFGC
regulate fuel gas distribution piping,
gas-fired appliance installations, and
gas-fired appliance venting. The IFGC
protect public health and safety for all
building systems that use fuel gas for
30
the design, installation and inspection
of fuel gas systems by providing min-
imum standard safeguards for people
at homes, schools, and workplaces.
The IFGC is the most widely applied
Fuel Gas Code in the United States,
and it is updated every three years to
include the latest advances in technol-
ogy and safest mechanical practices.
Gas Appliance Safety
Most homeowners are familiar with
the IFGC-required manual gas shut-
off valves for gas appliances. These
valves allow gas dryers, ranges, and
gas furnaces to be replaced safely
when new appliances are installed.
Many European countries such as
Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
also require that these manual gas
shut-offs be equipped with thermal
activated gas shutoffs, which auto-
matically stop the flow of gas when a
fire raises the ambient temperature to
212 F.
The Case for Better Gas
Appliance Safety
Building occupants have a false sense
of security regarding gas applianc-
es. Occupants assume they have the
protection of thermal activated gas
shut-offs, when in reality the manual
valves have to be physically shut off to
prevent gas release. A thermal activat-
ed shut-off provides passive gas and
fire safety, and does not depend on a
homeowner or facility manager to lo-
cate and manipulate a manual valve.
Thermal activated gas shut-offs stop
the flow of gas to the appliance prior
to connection failure due to fire.
Thermal Activated
Gas Shutoffs
Although the current provisions of the
codes require manual shut-off valves
for all gas appliances for appliance
maintenance or replacements, current
codes fail to address the life safety
and property protection offered by
thermal activated shutoffs. Thermally
activated gas shutoffs improve the
safety of gas appliances at minimal
additional expense. The benefits of
improved safety at minimal cost come
from the characteristics of thermal ac-
tivated gas shutoffs:

G They prevent fire escalation,
protecting life and property
G They do not incur any addi-
tional labor costs when installed
G When activated, the thermal
gas shutoffs isolate the flexible
gas connection which in many
cases is only rated to 150F
G A valve can serve as a dual
purpose manual shut-off and ther-
mal activated valve allowing only
one installation at each gas appli-
ance
Thermal activated gas shutoffs stop
the flow of gas regardless whether the
fire fighters or emergency responders
experience delays in getting to fires
or if they cannot stop the gas service
at the meter. Note that delays to reach
fires occurred 43,222 times during the
five-year period from 2005-2009 in
the U.S.
31
When manual gas shut-off valves are
combined with passive, thermal ac-
tivated shut-offs, occupants and first
responders greatly reduce risk to their
lives. And they are much better pro-
tected from personal harm and prop-
erty damage. Automatic thermal gas
shutoffs greatly reduce the amount of
gas released to the atmosphere when
fire occurs. Uncontrolled gas leaks
pose a significant hazard to firefight-
ers, emergency responders, and the
public.
When fire fighters reach a fire, the
gas shut-off valve may not be eas-
ily found, preventing gas from being
turned off to the entire dwelling or
building. Also, a gas shut-off valve in-
side the dwelling or building may be
inaccessible to the fire fighters. Auto-
matic gas shut-offs stop gas flow from
exacerbating structure fires even in
these circumstances.
We too often take prevention and fire
safety for granted until the unex-
pected happens, which makes us rec-
ognize simple devices such as thermal
activated gas shutoffs can save lives
and property, observes Wally Arm-
strong, a partner at Liberty Sales and
Distribution, with over 25 years of gas
industry experience.
This year the ICC will consider a re-
quest to include thermal activated gas
shutoffs in the IFGC code. If the code
request is approved, new construction
and future generations will benefit
with better fire and gas safety.
(1)
http://larouchepac.com/node/17451
Reprinted with permission from TECO
Americashttp://www.tecoamericas.com/
 If youre looking for a comprehensive organization that will offer
everything you need to advance in your profession, then IFIRI
should be your first choice.

From the investigator needing to brush up on investigation

techniques or get the training required in his or her current
position to the new professional needing to learn the tech-
niques from the ground up, IFIRI has what you are looking for.

Membership Benefits

Membership in the IFIRI, $75 per year, includes discounts at

regional training classes. If you need a specific class in your
area or have a group that needs additional training for
recertification, give us a call. We have the instructors who can offer what you need.

IFIRI offers several certification programs to fit every phase of your investigation career.
Need to obtain a certified fire investigator designation? We have the programs that will allow
you to achieve this and other designations. Give us a call to find out what certifications
are currently available.

As a member of the IFIRI you will receive the organizations publication fire insight. The
publication is sent out quarterly and is filled with articles pertaining to every aspect of forensic
investigations.

Other benefits of membership include our membership directory, membership pin,

certificate of membership suitable for framing, certification designation training, with
certificate and pin when completed, participation on our website forum and more. Join now!

International Fire Investigation

Research Institute, Inc.

223 E. Greenbriar Lane

Dallas, Texas 75203-1013

Toll Free: 1-855-755-8600

Office: 214-753-8600 Fax: 214-753-8601

Website: www.IFIRI.com

Join the IFIRI, the premier International Fire Investigation Research Institute, Inc. IFIRI is your
one source for the latest investigation techniques, up-to-date training and extensive research
capabilities for the fire investigator.

Education, Research & Training at its Best!

32
 Application for Membership in:

International Fire Investigation Research Institute, Inc.

223 E. Greenbriar Lane
Dallas, Texas 75203-1013

I hereby make application for membership in the International Fire Investigation Research Institute, Inc., and agree to honor its Code of Ethics.

I qualify as a member in one of the following categories: Attorney, Insurance Claims, Law Enforcement Officer, Government Employee, Adjuster,
Military Personnel, Engineer, Chemist, Metallurgist, Fire Investigator, Laboratory Analyst, Other (involved in some other phase of forensic investi-
gations.)

Applicants Full Name (Last, First, Middle Initial) Date of Birth

Home Address

City Province or State Postal/Zip Code Country

Home Telephone Number (Include Area Code) E-mail Address

Employer Phone Fax Immediate Supervisor

Business Address City State/Province Postal/Zip Code Country

Professional Status:
Public Service Private Investigation Insurance Engineering Scientist/Laboratory Attorney
Fire Investigator Forensic Accountant Chemist/Scientist Manager Instructor Forensic Engineer
Other
(Discipline)

Length of time in current position? Description of duties?

Have you ever been convicted of a felony or any crime, felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude?: Yes No If yes, explain offense and date/location of conviction:

Enclosed is my check in the amount of $75.

Charge my membership dues to:
American Express Visa MasterCard

Account
# Expiration Date 3-Digit Code on Back of Card

Name on Card

Signature

Mail Correspondence to: Home Address Business Address

Mail to:

International Fire Investigation Research Institute, Inc.

223 E. Greenbriar Lane
Dallas, Texas 75203-1013
FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Toll Free: 1-855-755-8600
Card No.: Office: 214-753-8600 Fax: 214-753-8601
Date Card Mailed:
Payment Type: www.IFIRI.com

33
Note from the CLASSIFIEDS
Editor:

Welcome to the first issue of FIRE WANTED

INSIGHT. We hope you enjoy your
complimentary magazine.
FIRE INSIGHT is the official
publication of the International Fire
Investigation Research Institute
(IFIRI). To continue receiving the
publication you will need to become a
member. A membership application is
on page 33. In addition to the publication
there are other benefits of membership,
such as: discounts at seminars, certifi-
cations, membership directory, forums
and more. As IFIRI grows so will the
benefits of being a member.
Do you have an article that you would
like printed? We are accepting articles
for future issues. Articles will be peer
reviewed. Authors will be notified
when their articles will be published
or if there are any changes.
Would you like to get involved in teach-
ing seminars? We are now accepting
white papers for our upcoming seminar
in September. The seminar will be held
in Dallas, Texas. Additional informa-
tion will be in the next issue of FIRE
INSIGHT.
There are many opportunities to get
involved and grow with IFIRI. If you
have any questions feel free to get in
touch with the office in Dallas or con-
tact one of our directors.
I would like to thank the advertisers
and authors for their participation
with this first publication. It was excit-
ing developing FIRE INSIGHT from
the beginning.
Old turn-out gear for an East Afri-
can Fire Service. Any gear needed
including helmets, gloves, jackets,
trousers and boots. Rwanda
National Police Fire Service is a
small brigade that desperately
needs help to redevelop its services
and skills. As such we are trying
to find donors that can supply as
much old turn-out gear as possible.
At the moment, this fire service has
no equipment. Please respond to:
gareth@gwrassociates.com. All
help most gratefully received.
WANTED
FIRE INSIGHT is accepting articles
for their upcoming publications.
Articles will be peer reviewed for
accuracy prior to printing. If you
would like your article to be considered
please e-mail a copy to info@mar-
ketinggraphics.biz. Any graphics
or photos should be sent along as
separate jpg files.
WANTED
The International Fire Investigation
Research Institute (IFIRI) is accepting
white papers for their upcoming
seminars. If you are an instructor
and would like to be considered
for an instructor position please
e -mail your white papers to
tsullivan@ifiri.com or mail to: IF-
IRI, 233 E. Greenbriar Lane, Dallas,
Texas 75203-1013.
FOR SALE
Protect your pants and shoes from
dirt and wet environments with
Garden Armours pant and show
covers. Pants are made out of Tom-
tex material that is light weight,
waterproof, chemical resistant and
easily slips on and off over clothes.
Pockets for cell phone and keys.
Check out our website at www.gar-
denarmour.com.
FOR SALE
One Golden Engineering XR-150
portable X-Ray Unit with Vidisco
VCU unit. This is one of the early
model units, but, it works, and is
capable of penetrating a 1/4 steel
plate. The LCD has a crack in it, but
the X-Ray tube functions just fine.
There are two batteries, but only
one holds a charge.This unit will function
with Polaroid film, or with digital
X-Ray software. This is the X-Ray
and VCU unit only, you must supply
your own laptop and software! The
unit retailed for $5,000 + VCU unit.
Asking $1,150, and buyer arranged
shipping with the shipper of their
choice, at their own expense. Ship-
ping is from the 75067 zip code. If
you have a shipping contract with
your favorite carrier, I can drop it off
at your shipper. For photos of the
unit, please check http://www.f3fire.
com/xr150. Contact Kelly Johnson,
214-432-5824.

Enjoy! How to place an ad in the classified section

of FIRE INSIGHT
Pam White, Editor
Ads should be sent, as a word document, to info@marketinggraphics.biz.
Please provide contact information with ad submission in case
there are any questions regard the ad or its category placement.
The cost of the ad is .50 per word with a minimum charge of $25
per classified ad.

34

Michigan
April 17-20, 2012
Investigation of Gas and Electric
Appliance Fires
Fire Findings Laboratories
Benton Harbor, Michigan
For more information, visit www.
firefindings.com, e-mail info@fire-
findings.com or call (269) 925-2200
Michigan
May 9-10, 2012
Residential Electricity for Fire In-
vestigators
Fire Findings Laboratories
Benton Harbor, Michigan
For more information, visit www.
firefindings.com, e-mail info@
firefindings.com or call (269) 925-
2200.
Nevada
June 11-14, 2011
NFPA Conference & Expo
Las Vegas, Nevada
For more information, visit www.
nfpa.org/conference or call 888-
397-6209
New Jersey
July 25-26, 2012
2011 NFPA 921: Fire and Explosion
Investigations
Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey
For more information, visit www.
nfpa.org
Texas
September, 2012
International Fire Investigation
Research Institute
Fire Investigation Seminar
Dallas, Texas
For more information, visit www.
ifiri.com or call 855-755-8600
Michigan
October 10-11, 2012
Investigating Solid Fuel-Burning
Appliance Fires
Fire Findings Laboratories
Benton Harbor, Michigan
For more information, visit www.
firefindings.com, e-mail info@
firefindings.com or call (269) 925-
2200
35
SEMINARS
Michigan
November 6-9, 2012
Investigation of Gas and Electric
Appliance Fires
Fire Findings Laboratories
Benton Harbor, Michigan
For more information, visit www.
firefindings.com, e-mail info@fire-
findings.com or call (269) 925-2200
This complimentary
issue of FIRE INSIGHT,
Volume 1, Number 1, has
been shipped to over
14,285 individuals in
the United States and
several hundred
internationally.
If you would like to
continue receiving FIRE
INSIGHT, a membership
application to IFIRI is
available on page 33.
See page 36 for
advertising
opportunities.
 CORPORATE OFFICE

ADVERTISERS INDEX CARTER D. ROBERTS / President and CEO

214.753.8600; croberts@ifiri.com

PAM WHITE / Secretary

214.753.8600; pwhite@ifiri.com

Analytical Forensic Associates . . . . . . . . . . inside front cover

TERRI SULLIVAN / Office Manager
214.753.8600; tsullivan@ifiri.com

Armstrong Forensic Laboratory, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 DIRECTORS

BENJAMIN ARMSTRONG / Director
Charles Sturt University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 USA
barmstrong@ifiri.com

Electrotek Consultants, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 ROSS BROGAN / Director

Australia
rbrogan@csu.edu.au

F.A.S.T.Forensic and Scientific Testing. Inc. . . . . . back cover KEN GOODNIGHT / Director
USA
ken.goodnight@athiero.com
Firensics, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
KELLY JOHNSON / Director
USA
Forensic Fire Facts, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 kellyjohnson2@me.com

LORNE LOMPREY/ Director

Forensic Fire Facts, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 USA
lornelomprey@aol.com

Great Lakes Analytical, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 DAVID NOBLE / Director

New Zealand
firegate@xtra.co.nz

International Fire Investigation Research Institute, Inc.. . . 35 GARETH ROBERTS / Director

England
gareth.w.roberts@hotmail.com
Lapina and Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
EDITORIAL

Lomprey Investigations, llc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 IFIRI / Publisher

223 E. Greenbriar Lane
Dallas, Texas 75203-1013
855-755-8600
Marketing Graphics, llc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside back cover 214.753.8600
214.753.8601 (fax)

PAM WHITE / Managing Editor

NASP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 203.238.7028; pam@marketinggraphics.biz

BILL WHITE / Graphic Designer

Phil Ackland Holdings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 203.238.4700; mr.ubsy@cox.net

Editorial / Sales Office located at

Unified Investigations & Sciences, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 445 Colony Street, Meriden, CT 06451
213.238.7028; fax 213.238.3062

Advertising Deadlines
Spring Issue February 1
Summer Issue May 1
Fall Issue August 1
Winter Issue November 1

Accepted formats for advertising are: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign CS4 or high res pdf files. All type should be outlined
to maintain the true character of the ad. Ads can be e-mailed to info@marketinggraphics.biz.

36
Meet the demands of the most rigorous jobs with GAME Workwear from

GAME ACTIVE APPAREL Distributor

Free GAME Workwear catalog: Call 203 238-7028 or email info@marketinggraphics.biz

Online at www.gamesporswear.com
Custom silkscreen and embroidery available
 F
;=
G

JL
9LA

A>A
<AL

;9
=

L
;J

AGF
9;

KL9F<9J<AR9LAGF