Policy and Procedure Flashcards
Powers of an authorised person at the scene of a fire, and what act and sections do they come under?
Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017
Section 42
- Enter any land, building or structure
- Break into any building or structure that is on fire or otherwise endangered or that is near the emergency
- take or send any equipment or machine required to be used into or through land, building etc
- remove from any land, building or structure that is on fire any flammable, combustible or explosive found in the building.
Section 44
- Shut off any water
- Close any road or railway
- Remove any vehicle and break into it if necessary
- Remove any person using force if they are interfering with operation.
- Shut off gas, electricity, fuel etc to building and structure
When will the fire service notify Police at the scene of a fire?
A) the fire results in serious injury or death
B) a fire is considered suspicious
What is the role of a fire investigation liaison officer (FILO)?
- attending every fire that results in injury or death.
- co ordinating fire investigations in their district
- arranging police attendance at fire scenes
- maintain relationship with fire service investigation liaison officer, and fire service specialist fire investigators.
What is a Specialist Fire investigator and what is their role?
Fire Service Officers with extensive experience in fire fighting and fire safety, and have received specialised training in fire investigation.
Role - to attend and investigate:
- fire where fatalities occur
- life threatening fire related injury have occurred
- suspicious structure fires
- significant fire spread across property boundary
- buildings where safety features have failed
- requested by Police or other agency
What do FSILO’s do? (fire service investigation liaison officer)
- arranging specialist fire investigators to fire scenes where requested by Police
- establishing and maintaining relationship with Police FILO’s
Explain the process for handover of a fire scene, 6 points
1 - Fire service has authority over fire scene while fire in progress. Once fire extinguished and scene safe, handover to appropriate agency ie Police.
2 - Fire service will notify Police if it considers that a fire may be suspicious or deliberately lit. They will also notify Police of incidents where fatalities or serious injuries occur.
3 - When Police attend a fire scene and request authority over the scene, Police investigating officer will confer with the incident controller.
4 - Fire service will not normally hand over a scene until the danger of fire, structural collapse etc have been eliminated.
5 - Any fire scene involving multiple agencies, all agencies will consult with each other prior to investigation to develop investigation plan
6 - The investigation plan will include an outline of how the investigation will proceed.
What will a Specialist Fire Investigator liaise with designated FILO about? 4 matters
Specialist fire investigator will liaise with FILO or other member of Police in relation to:
- Handover of the fire scene
- access to the fire scene
- process for examination and investigation
- ID and collection of evidence at the scene
Specialist Fire Investigator will conduct independent investigation into the cause of the fire.
What is the Police’s responsibility at a fire scene?
- conduct the criminal investigation or coronial enquiry
- undertake responsibility for protecting and seizing exhibits etc
Collection and removal of material from fire scene will only be done by Police
Hazards and injuries at a fire scene, what can cause them?
- Inhalation of toxic substances
- Ingestion of particles
- Cuts and wounds from sharp objects
- Air borne dusts and particles etc
- Tripping on fire debris
- Falling down or over obstructions or cavities
- Items from above falling and hitting you
What protective clothing must be worn?
A suitable helmet, overalls, nose and mouth filter, gloves, safety glasses, heavy duty footwear with steel soles and caps
4 main building materials and their risks
Timber: will burn and char but if thick enough will maintain integrity. Take note of thickness, load its carrying, and any sound emanating.
Steel: During fire steel with expand and can push out external and internal walls. If sufficient fire, steel will lose strength and collapse, pulling walls inward. When it cools, it can fall off supports or collapse.
Concrete: is the most unpredictable (in particular tilt slab construction) as it can be affected by low fire temps and topple like a deck of cards in all directions. Steel reinforcing may lose its tensile strength. Spalling can be created when heat causes expansion of trapped moisture, resulting in steam explosion.
Masonry: Masonry and brick structures can be weakened by deterioration of the mortar, expansion of the wall or damage to supports. visible signs include cracking, leaning or bowing.
What are the common methods of setting fires?
Candles - A candle is left to burn down onto pile of combustible material (wood shavings soaked in accelerant). Traces of wax may be evidence of this.
Chemical igniters:
- Potassium permanganate, sugar and glycerine, this is best known and safest chemical igniter. potassium and sugar mixed, when glycerine is added the mixture ignites.
- Potassium chlorate, sugar and sulphuric acid (fire fudge), reacts faster than other mixture, normally used with timing device.
Electrical apparatus - Appliances left turned on so that they cause a fire, ie bar heated facing the wall, iron left flat on a surface, pop up toaster with lever tied down, pan of fat left on the stove.
Electric matches - Commercial igniter designed to ignite a fast burning fuse. Similar to electrical detonator. Produces a spit of flame.
Matches and cigarettes - Cigarette left to burn onto the exposed heads or a box of matches. wood or wool left nearby.
Molotovs - Molotovs not efficient at starting fires due to fuel being fast burning. Can add other things to molotovs, such as polystyrene, rubber bands, soap flakes etc.
Timing devices - Examples, bottle containing acid suspended above dry ingredients attached to timing clock, incense stick or matches cut to length, electric timers.
Trailers - rags soaked in kerosene laid from ignition source to the site of intended fire.
What are some non intentional causes of fire?
Carelessness (misusing electricity, burning rubbish, lighting fires, leaving fat unattended etc), faults (heating systems, appliances), nature (chemical reactions, sun rays, lightning).
Initial action steps for attending fires
1) Brief interview of the informant (could possibly be offender)
2) Secure and control the scene
3) Initial interview of Specialist Fire Investigator (if present) and O/C of the first fire appliance to attend the scene.
4) Interview incident controller and find out:
- time and date of call and how received
- what appliances attended (fire trucks)
- state of fire when Fire Service attended
- what action they have taken, in particular entering the building and ventilating it after fire.
- what alterations they have made, ie forcing doors and windows.
- whether they think fire suspicious and why
- their opinion of informant
- details of people or vehicles acting 1C
5) If fire extinguished, ensure safety of scene before initial conference with SFI and Police, and conduct prelim exam.
6) If deemed suspicious, regroup and hold a briefing conference
7) Confer with other staff and determine a plan. Brief and deploy them to:
guard the scene, identify and interview witnesses, conduct local enquiries.
8) Contact COMMS and give sitrep. Ask for assistance and specialists (FILO, photography, fingerprints) if required.
What to consider when preserving a fire scene?
How much needs to be preserved, a single room, entire building, large area that includes several buildings, outside areas?
What should you do when it is difficult to preserve a scene, or areas are being demolished?
You must record the scene by, sketches, photographs, plans and video recordings.
What is the point of origin?
the exact location at which a component failed, a fire was maliciously lit or an accidental fire originated
What should you take into account when conducting external exam?
Adjoining premises, which can show accelerant containers, attempts at force entry, broken windows or forced doors. Nearby alleys, driveways. The yards of the effected property. what distance debris was scattered.
What to do in a prelim internal exam?
You should walk through the premises, starting from area of least damage to that of most damage. Take note of:
- Low stock levels in commercial building
- building in need of repair
- signs of hardship
- missing family photos
- lack of clothing in wardrobe and drawers
- open filing cabinets
- forced entry into empty till
- presence of accelerant containers
- separate unrelated seats of fire
- owner/occupier attitude during walk through.
- odours and burn patterns
What to do in detailed internal exam?
Following prelim exam, you accompany SFI while they complete a detailed exam of scene. They will be looking for:
- smoke deposits and burn patterns
- spalling, cracking or chipping of concrete as result of being heated and cooled.
- damage to wall studs
- damage to roofing timbers
- soot deposits on window glass and craze patterns
- floor areas burned through
- under floor inspection
- removal of fire debris.
At the conclusion of this, the SFI can determine, area of origin, point of origin, seat of the fire.
What will a SFI consider to determine the seat of the fire?
- witness reports
- when they first noticed fire and where they were at the time
- the state of the fire at that time
- wind direction and speed and weather
- the direction of the spread
- the colour of flames and smoke
- the severity of the damage
- depth of the charring
- the presence of starting devices
- reports and opinions of other specialists
The most severely damaged area is not necessarily the seat of the fire.
What evidence to look for in relation to accelerants?
- containers
- traces in debris
- smell
- unusually rapid spread or intensity of fire
- uneven burning
- burning under boards where liquid has run through cracks.
What evidence to look for in relation to intentional interference?
- tampering with alarm or sprinkler system
- hindering access
- misdirection fire fighters
- removal of valuable property
- furniture rearranged to create a fire base
- appliances or heaters left on
3 steps for dealing with exhibits at fire scenes?
1) photograph in situ, label exhibits and preserve in containers
2) use approved arson kits if available, if not use unused paint tins etc
3) take these control samples;
- charred timber and ashes or debris from the seat of the fire for examination and comparison with samples from other areas.
- any accelerants found near the scene
- soil from the surrounding area
always store tins in nylon bags as tins will rust out over time.
