OurSon Flashcards
(39 cards)
Speaking to the Incident Controller, what questions do you ask him?
- Time and date of the call and the manner in which it was received.
- What appliances attended.
- The state of the fire when the Fire Service arrived.
- What action the Service has taken, particularly in entering the building and ventilating it after the fire
What information the Fire Service has about the building’s security. - What alterations they’ve made to the scene eg force door or windows open.
- Whether they think the fire is suspicious and why.
- Their opinions of the informant eg a person who regularly attends or reports fires may have lit them.
- Details of 1C people or vehicles in the vicinity.
Indicators to consider when determining seat of 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 speed and weather.
- Direction of spread.
- Colour of flames and smoke (may also point to cause).
- Severity of damage (because fire and heat rises, the area at the lowest level of burning with the most severe damage is often the place where fire started.
- 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.
Note- The most severely damaged area is not necessarily the seat of the fire.
Common sources of electrical ignition:
- Heaters and clothing.
- Electric lamps and petrol igniters- Petrol introduced into a lightbulb.
- Ignition of the main switchboard wiring by use of a gas torch applied to the earth or neutral bars.
- Fallen table or standard lamp in conjunction with combustible materials.
- Toaster with nearby curtains.
- Pot of stew left on stove element.
- Ceiling exhaust fan.
- Electric urns, beadmakers, water heaters, deep fryers and rice cookers.
Damage caused by explosion includes:
- Cratering
- Spread of debris
- Shredding of materials
- Smell peculiar to the exploded material
- An overlay of dust
- Shrapnel marks
Containers
May find pieces of device’s container scattered a distance from the explosion centre.
Search warrants- steps to carry out at suspect’s address
- Search the suspect’s clothing, residence, vehicle, workplace, and any other place with evidence.
- Accelerants
- Containers
- Igniters
- Wick fabric
- Traces of debris from the scene
- Photos taken in situ- take care not to destroy fingerprints
- Ask and note suspect’s explanation for evidence
- Provide appropriate paperwork for items seized to owner
- Ensure all exhibits seized are labelled, examined, and uplifted by exhibits officer
Considerations- What to do when conducting an external examination
- Adjoining premises which often reveal
- accelerant containers
- attempts at forced entry
- broken windows
- forced doors - Nearby alleyways/streets/driveways
- Yards and outbuildings of the fire effected property
- The periphery of the structure itself
- What distance debris was scattered, particularly if drums or cylinders have exploded
- The surrounding area of the involved premises may also reveal:
- accelerant containers
- contents of outbuildings missing
- property rundown
- business appears to be struggling - The damaged structure itself may reveal:
- jemmy marks or other signs of forced entry on windows or doors
- window glass broken before the fire was ignited
- burn patterns above doors and windows and “V” shaped burn patterns on external cladding
Responsibilities of Fire Investigation Liaison Officers (FILO)
1- attending every fire that results in serious injury or death
2- coordinating fire investigations in their designated area or district
3- arranging police attendance at fire scenes where required
4- maintain effective working relationships with the relevant Fire Service Investigation Liaison Officer (FSILO) and Fire Service Specialist Fire Investigators
5- assisting areas or districts with fire investigation-related queries
6- ensure maintained communication with Police National Fire Investigation Coordinator, Police District intelligence Manager and District Manager Criminal Investigations where appropriate
7- coordinate fire investigation training for any police employees within the area or district when needed
8- providing other advice and expertise as required
Non-intentional causes of fire:
- Carelessness
- Faults
- Nature- Caused naturally by combination of fuel, heat source and air
Non-intentional causes of fire: Carelessness
- Misusing electricity
- Children playing with matches or lighters
- Burning off paint
- Vagrants lighting fires for warmth that get out of control
- Wielding and other industrial processes
- Leaving clothes near heating
- Wrapping live ashes in paper
- Ironing
- Setting off fireworks
- Using or storing flammable materials
- Burning rubbish
- Using domestic or camp fires
- Leaving a stove or heater on
- Leaving fat unattended when cooking
- Smoking
Non-intentional causes of fire: Faults
- Chimneys and flues (indicated by a honeycomb type of solid soot)
- Heating systems
- Appliances
- Televisions on standby
- Dust extractors
- Fans and ventilation systems
- Electrical wiring- shorting and arcing
- Machinery- friction can cause overheating
- Gas pipes and fittings
- Broken powerlines
Non-intentional causes of fire:
Nature- Caused naturally by combination of fuel, heat source and air
- Chemical reactions
- The suns rays
- Lightning
- Static electricity
- Rodents eating through wiring or building nests out of flammable material
- Spontaneous combustion and ignition of eg damp grain hay or wool, cloth soaked in oil paint or turpentine, fine dust in joinery factories or flour mills.
Scene exam and demolish- What to record scene before demolition.
Demolition of certain areas due to safety. The investigator must record the scene prior to demolition by:
- Sketches
- Photographs
- Plans
- Video recordings
4 Common methods used to deliberately light a fire
- Candles
- Chemical ignitors
- Electrical apparatus
- Electric matches
- Matches and cigarette
- Molotov cocktails
- Timing devices
- Trailers
Hazards when conducting scene exam and considerations to protect yourself
Injuries through hazards:
- Inhalation of toxic substances eg car fires emit
- Harmful toxins and chemicals
- Ingestion of particles
- Cuts/wounds from sharp objects
- Airborne particles/dusts etc
- Tripping on fire debris
- Falling down, over, onto or into any obstructions or cavities
- Items from above falling on to you or hitting objects and causing a chain reaction
To identify the best method of protection from Hazards consider:
- An assessment of possible hazards
- strategy to prevent an occurrence or mitigate its impact
- Check stairs and roof stability
- Clothing protection including
- Helmet
- Overalls
- Nose and mouth filter, full face respirator or full BA
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
- Heavy duty footwear steel soles and caps
Suspect enquiries
- Opportunity - Ability, proximity, experience
- Motive - Profit, fraud, jealousy, crime concealment, excitement, vandalism or pyromania
- Mens rea - Guilty mind, knowledge of act
- Connection with the scene and crime - Worker, owner, family, partner
- Character, mental background, history, movements and behaviour - History of arson, threats made, circumstantial evidence, aggressive behaviour
Observation of offender/suspect
- Burnt facial hair
- Smell of smoke
- Residues of fuel or products of combustion on the skin
How to handle liquid exhibits from scene.
- Store samples in bottles provided
- Tightly fasten tops
- Clean outside of bottle
- Place bottles in polystyrene box or
- Place in a tin and send
- Hand deliver or post box.
- Recover pools of suspicious liquids by drawing up the sample using a sterile adequately sized syringe and then decant into an accelerant container.
- Smaller amounts can be swabbed with cotton wool and then sealed in nylon bags.
MOU Police and Fire
Both agencies want to ensure that in determining the origin and cause of fires:
- Investigations of fire scenes by Fire Service and police are effectively coordinated and expertly and independently conducted
- Any relevant evidence is protected and collected for potential criminal prosecutions or coronial enquiries
Fire service will notify police if:
- A fire results in serious injury or death or
2. A fire is considered suspicions
8 step scene exam
1- Brief interview - Interview your informant
2- Scene - Secure and control the scene
3- Initial interview - Specialist Fire Investigator if present
-O/C of the first fire appliance to attend the scene
4-Interview incident controller at scene
5- If fire extinguished - Ensure safety of the scene before an initial conference is held with Specialist Fire Investigator, police and conduct a preliminary examination of the scene
6-Suspicious - Then regroup and hold a briefing conference
7- Plan of action with other staff Brief and deploy them to: -guard and control scene -identify and interview witnesses at scene -conduct local enquiries
8- Contact comms
Give sitrep ask for assistance like attendance of fingerprints, FILO, police photographer
Internal examination observations
PRELIM internal exam
Involves a slow walk through premises from area of
least to most damage taking notes of indicators:
- Low stock levels in commercial premises
- Building areas in need of repair
- Signs of hardship (empty flats, shops to let etc)
- Missing family photographs, furniture and personal items
- Lack of clothing in wardrobes and drawers
- Rifled premises
- Position of clothes if not in wardrobe or drawer
- Open filing cabinets or missing files
- Forced entry into an empty till
- Presence of accelerant containers or trails
- Separate unrelated seats of fire
- Owner/ occupier attitude during walk through (if access permitted)
- Unusual odours
- Burn patterns
DETAILED INTERNAL EXAM
- Smoke deposits and burn patterns
- Spalling (the crackling or chipping off concrete
- Damage to wall studs
- Damage to roofing timbers
- Damage to windowsills and door edges
- Soot deposits on window glass and craze patterns
- Floor areas burned through
- Skirting boards damage
- Elimination of false low burns
- Removal of fire debris and
- Under floor inspection.
