Initial Action - Fire Flashcards
Initial Action - Fires
INITIAL ACTION - FIRE
- Briefly interview your informant (could be offender)
- Secure and control the scene
- Initial interview of Specialist Fire Investigator and O/C of the first fire appliance to attend the scene.
- Interview incident controller at scene
- Once safe, hold initial conference and conduct prelim exam of scene (if suspicious regroup)
- Brief and deploy staff to control scene, interview witnesses, area enquiries
- Request specialist units
What to Ask the Incident Controller
INCIDENT CONTROLLER QUESTIONS (must liaise)
- Time, date of call and manner it was received
- What appliances attended
- State of the fire when fire service arrived
- What actions fire service has taken
- Any information fire service has about building security
- Any alterations made to the scene
- Whether they think the fire is suspicious/why
- Opinions on informant
- Details of people/vehicle acting suspicious in area
Controlling The Scene
CONTROLLING THE SCENE/SCENE SECURITY
- Ensure scene is not interfered with
- Preserve evidence
- Prevent looting
- Exclusion of on-lookers, property owners
- Be vigilant/looking for possible suspects/witnesses
- Be aware of re-ignition from hot spots
Report all matters of significance to O/C investigation and scene coordinator
Preserving The Scene
PRESERVING THE SCENE
- Scope: How much needs to be preserved
- Cordon: Identify centre and make as wide as practicable
- Common Approach Path: Limit traffic to ‘corridors’ which will make minimal disturbance
- Difficult: Sketches, photos, plans videos
Scene Exam Method and Approach
Examined systematically, from inside out. Commencing in undamaged area and progressively working through point of origin.
Personnel
- Specialist fire investigator, ESR, building/electrical/ explosives inspector, pathologist etc. O/C should appoint exhibits officer, crime scene coordinator, scene examiner, advised the FILO
External Exams to Take Into Account
EXTERNAL EXAM
- Surrounding area may reveal distance debris scattered, accelerant containers, missing contents of building, property run down, business struggling
- Adjoining premises can reveal accelerant containers, attempts at forced entry, broken windows, forced doors
- Damage structure itself may reveal signs of forced entry, glass broken prior to fire, burn patterns in V shapes
Exterior Exam - Fire Still Burning
Gather information about wind direction, bystanders, where hoses have entered, smoke colour, flame colour,
Preliminary Internal Exam
PRELIM INTERNAL EXAM
- From area of least damage to most taking note of;
- Building areas in need of repair, signs of hardship, missing family photographs/personal items, lack of clothing/position of clothing, open filing cabinets, presence of accelerants, unusual odours, owner/occupier attitude
After Prelim Internal Exam
PRELIM INTERNAL EXAM COMPLETE
FURTHER CONFERENCE
Hold another conference with all involved parties to plan course of action. The plan/considerations made in formulating it should be documented in a decision log. Confirm that all parties agree, set your timings and specific roles. Conduct a site risk assessment and develop a site safety plan that is relayed to those entering the site.
Detailed Internal Exam
DETAILED INTERNAL EXAM W SFI
- Smoke deposits/burn patterns
- Spalling (cracking concrete)
- Damage to wall studs, roofing timbers, windows sills, door edges, skirting boards
- Soot deposits on window glass and craze patterns
- Floor areas burned through
- Elimination of false low burns, removal of fire debris, under floor inspection.
Specialist Fire Investigator (SFI) Be Able to Determine
- Area of origin/point of origin/seat of the fire
Determining the Seat of the Fire
DETERMINING SEAT OF THE FIRE SFI WILL
- Consider: Witness reports, when they first noticed the fire, 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
- Colour of the flames and smoke
- Severity of the damage
- The depth of charring
- Presence of ‘starting devices’
- Reports and opinions of other specialists.
Evidence of Wilful Causes
WILFUL CAUSES LOOK FOR
- Evidence of accelerants, such as - containers, smell, uneven burning, burning under boards where the liquid has run through the cracks
- Evidence of intentional tampering, such as alarm/sprinkler system, hindering access, misdirecting fire fighters, evidence of intentional removal of valuable property, foreign material and objects, signs a crime had been committed, signs that a heater/electrical appliance has been left on
Purpose of Conference
PURPOSE OF CONFERENCE
- Assessing information obtained, reconstruction, establishing motives, identifying suspects, planning further enquiries
- Are vital to a successful scene examination and ultimately a successful investigation. Forms the basis of your scene examination and risk assessment planning
- Attendees: O/C CIB/Investigation, crime scene co-ordinator, FILO, SFI, photography, fingerprinting/SOCO
