3. Fire Service and Police Info

Question 1

What does s42 of the Fire & Emergency Act 2017 give powers to do?

Answer 1

• Enter any land, building or structure
• Break into any building or structure that may be on fire
• Take or send any equipment or machine required to be used through any land, building or structure
• Remove any land, building or structure that is on fire or that is near the emergency
• Cause any building or structure to be pulled down or shored up.

Question 2

What do Fire Investigation Liaison Officers have responsibility for?

Answer 2

• Attending every fire resulting in serious injury or death
• Coordinate fire investigations in district
• Arrange Police attendance at fire scenes
• Maintain effective relationships with Fire Service
• Assist district with fire investigation related queries
• Coordinate fire investigation training

Question 3

What kind of incidents do Specialist Fire Investigators get called to attend and investigate?

Answer 3

• Fires resulting in serious injury or death
• Structure fires where cause is suspicious or cannot be determined
• Significant fire spread across property boundary
• Fires in building where built-in fire safety features don’t work to expectations
• Structure fires of 3rd alarm or more

Question 4

What do Specialist Fire Investigators liaise with FILO’s for?

Answer 4

1. Handover of the fire scene
2. Access to the fire scene
3. Process for examination and investigation
4. Identification and collection of evidence at the fire scene.

Question 5

Outline fire scene control, notification and handover

Answer 5

1. Fire Service has authority at scene while fire is in progress. Once extinguished, and no longer threat to life or property, scene handed over to appropriate person or agency.
2. Fire Service notify Police if fire deliberately lit, suspicious, or serious injury or death.
3. Where Police attend a fire scene and want authority for the scene, they will confer with the Incident Controller to confirm the handover process.
4. Fire Service will not handover scene until all dangers and hazards have been identified and eliminated, isolated or minimised.
5. All agencies will consult with each other prior to any investigation or scene examination to develop an investigation plan.

Question 6

What are the police responsibilities at a fire scene?

Answer 6

• Conduct the criminal investigation or coronial enquiry.
• Undertake responsibility for the protection, collection and recording of forensic evidence.
• The collection and removal of material from a fire crime scene.
• The preservation, analysis, and subsequent disposition of any such material.

Question 7

What are some fire scene hazards?

Answer 7

inhalation to toxic substances, ingestion of particles, cuts/wounds from sharp objects, air borne dusts, particles, etc, trip hazards, items falling.

Question 8

Outline 4 main building material risks

Answer 8

• Timber – will normally burn and char but will usually maintain sufficient integrity. Check thickness of structural members and any sound coming from them.
• Steel – unprotected steel will expand and can cause walls to be pushed out, can also lose strength and collapse, pulling walls inwards. Check location and condition of steel beams and trusses.
• Concrete – can break away (spall) at the surface and steel reinforcing can be exposed to heat and lose tensile strength. Check for concrete spalling, exposed steel, discoloured areas of concrete and cracking.
• Masonry – can be weakened by deterioration of the mortar, expansion of wall or damage to support or structural members. Check for signs of damage or weakness including cracking, leaning, bowing, or collapse of supporting floors or roof frames.

Question 9

What are some common methods used to start a fire?

Answer 9

candles, readily available material e.g. rubbish, molotov cocktails, electrical apparatus, matches and cigarettes, trailers, timing devices, chemical igniters.

Question 10

Outline some examples of careless ness that could result in a fire?

Answer 10

children playing with matches/cigarettes, burning rubbish, welding and other industrial processes, ironing, setting off fireworks, leaving stove/heater on, smoking

Question 11

Outline some examples of faults that could occur?

Answer 11

heating systems, appliances, broken power lines, gas pipes and fittings, electrical wiring.

Question 12

Outline some examples of nature starting fires

Answer 12

lightning, static electricity, spontaneous combustion, chemical reations

Question 13

When will fire services notify Police?

Answer 13

if a fire results in serious injury or death, or if a fire is considered suspicious.