Arson (PT 3) **Police instructions** Flashcards
A preliminary internal examination, should involve a slow walk through premises, from the area of least damage to that of most damage, taking note of what indicators?
- Low stock levels
- building in need of repair
- signs of hardship
- missing family photographs, furniture, personal items
- lack of clothes in wardrobe/drawers
- rifled premises
- open filing cabinets, missing files
- forced entry into an empty till
- presence of accelerant containers or trails
- seperate unrelated seats of fire
- owner/occupier attitude during walk through
- unusual odours
- burn patterns
Once you have completed your prelim internal examination, what should you do?
- Hold another conference with all involved parties to plan course of action.
- Plan and considerations made in formulating it should be documented in a decision log, confirm that all parties agree, set timings and specific roles.
Also conduct a site risk assessment and develop a site safety plan relayed to those entering the site.
Following the prelim exam, you will accompany the specialist fire investigator while they complete a detailed examination of the scene, in this exam they will note and take into account what things?
‑ smoke deposits and burn patterns
‑ spalling (the cracking or chipping of concrete as a result of being heated and cooled)
‑ damage to wall studs
‑ damage to roofing timbers
‑ damage to windows sills and door edges
‑ soot deposits on window glass and craze patterns
‑ floor areas burned through‑ skirting board damage
‑ elimination of false low burns
‑ removal of fire debris, and
‑ under floor inspection.
At the conclusion of the specialist fire investigators examination they will be able to determine what?
- Area of origin
- Point of origin
- The seat of the fire
What considerations will a SFI make in relation to the seat of the fire?
‑ witness’ reports
‑ when they first noticed the fire, and where they were at the time
‑ the state of the fire at that time
‑ wind direction and speed, and the weather
‑ the direction of spread
‑ the colour of the flames and smoke (this may also point to the cause; for example, black smoke may indicate a petroleum
product based fire)
‑ the severity of the damage (because fire and heat usually rise, the area at the lowest level of burning with the most severe
damage is often the place where the fire started. Remember that lateral and downward burning can occur with some materials
and in the presence of accelerants or draughts)
‑ the depth of charring (probing may indicate where the fire has been burning or smouldering the longest)
‑ the presence of ‘starting devices’
‑ the reports and opinions of other specialists.
In relation to wilful causes of fire, what evidence of accelerants should you look out for?
‑ containers
‑ traces in debris
‑ smell
‑ unusually rapid spread or intensity of fire
‑ uneven burning
‑ burning under or behind boards where the liquid has run through the cracks
‑ multiple seats of fire
In relation to wilful causes of fire, what evidence of intentional interference should you look out for?
‑ tampering with the alarm or sprinkler system
‑ hindering access
‑ misdirecting fire fighters
‑ evidence of intentional removal of valuable property, or substitution of property
‑ signs that furniture was rearranged to create a fire base
‑ signs that windows and skylights were opened to create a draught
‑ foreign material and objects, such as screws/batteries, that might be part of a device
‑ signs a crime had been committed. The property may have been burned to destroy the evidence. Even when a building has been
burnt to the ground, the state of the recovered locks and fasteners may show whether it was secure at the time of the fire
‑ signs that a heater, soldering iron or other electrical appliance has been left on
‑ inconsistencies (for example, that the fire is rapid burning but there is no obvious cause)
‑ unusual burn patterns or unusual time factors (for example that the fire started after the building was secured).
In relation to exhibits what steps should be taken?
- photograph in situ, label and preserve in containers.
- Used approved arson kits, if not available use any suitable container such as unused four litre paint tin.
-
Take these control samples:
- charred timber and ashes or debris from the seat of the fire for examination and comparison with samples from other points.
- any accelerants found near the scene
- soil from the surrounding area
Conferences must be held during the scene examination to assist you with?
‑ assessing information obtained
‑ reconstructing
‑ establishing possible motives
‑ identifying suspects
‑ planning further enquiries.
People attending conferences could include?
‑ O/C CIB
‑ crime scene co‐ordinator
‑ Fire Investigation Liaison Officer
‑ O/C Investigation
‑ investigating officers
‑ Specialist Fire Investigator
‑ Police photographer
‑ fingerprint technician/SOCO
‑ other specialists as required.
Conferences must be chaired by who?
Either:
- Fire investigation liaison officer
- Crime scene co-ordinator
- senior police employee
Conferences form a basis of your scene examination and risk assessment planning, what should be recorded?
- All considerations should be documented
- Detailed plan of action completed and agreed upon
- Plan of action should include: timings and specific roles for parties at the scene.
When present this function will be completed by the Fire Investigation Liaison Officer
Where possible who should be called and attend the scene prior to a body being removed?
The forensic pathologist
Consideration should be given to recording the body removal on video.
To stimulate the flow of information and identification of suspects, consider:
‑ making media releases
‑ sending bulletin board messages to local and neighbouring Police
‑ informing staff at line up
‑ using special notices, if there is a pattern to the fires.
Plan enquiries and ensure these people are interviewed:
‑ The owner and occupier of the premises.
‑ The person who last secured the building. Find out what position the doors and windows were left in.
‑ The person who found the fire. Find out whether the premises were secured at the time.
‑ The person who gave the alarm. Find out why and whether the person was acting under instructions.
