Ch 11 the company officer’s role in fire investigation Flashcards
A major part of any active fire prevention program should be the
Investigation of fires
Fire investigation’s help identify the communities fire risk by determining the
Frequency and causes of the fire
Every fire should be investigated to determine its
Origin and cause
The majority of fires are accidental and nature, what percent overall?
70 to 80
The term intentionally set is probably a more appropriate term for what is often referred to as
Arson
(Blank) is a legal term and means the result of a deliberately set fire
Arson
Arson has two elements which are
Criminal intent and a deliberate or intentional act
The heat side of the fire triangle is referred to as
Energy
The second essential element of fire is
Fuel
The third requirement of fire is
Oxygen
Fire is usually defined and simple scientific terms as the process of (blank) Of a fuel by atmospheric oxygen
Oxidation
What is the leading cause of fires in residential occupancies
Cooking
What is also by far the leading cause of fire related injuries
Cooking
Fires occur when what is Miss used, improperly installed or maintained, or placed too close to combustible materials, like bedding or clothing
Heating equipment
The leading causes of what type of fires include: cooking and cooking equipment, heating equipment, the careless use and disposal of smoking materials, and electrical distribution systems
Accidental fires
What are the source of many of the nations fire fatalities
Smoking and the careless discarding of smoking materials
When undetected, fires from (blank) are often significant in terms of their intensity, and because they frequently occur after bedtime, or when the smoker is intoxicated, the results are fatal
Smoking and the careless discarding of smoking materials
What usually leaves a distinctive mark on the wire either in the form of beaded ends or on one or more cavities in the wire itself
Arching
Many wildland fires are the result of what
Lightning
What is a result of a chemical reaction; it does not require a spark or flame to start the fire
Auto ignition
This process is usually associated with rags or other combustible materials containing a residue or flammable liquid
Autoignition
What are the four levels or degrees of arson
The burning of dwellings, buildings, property, or the attempted burning of both
NFPA reports that there were how many intentionally set fires in the United States in 2007
32,500
The reason a person set a fire is known as what
Motive
Every fire officer should become proficient in determining the what of every fire
Origin and cause
Its suggested a fire investigator should be called in the following Situations
- Incendiary fire
- Death or serious injury
- Burn injury
- Explosion or incendiary device
- Fires that spread beyond the room of origin
- Damage to government property
- Vehicle fire not an accident
- Unable to determine cause
It is an assumption that fires are accidental what percent of the time
80 to 90
By performing what, the investigator can define the extent of the scene
fire Scene assessment
During a (blank), most investigators prefer to start with the area that has the least damage and finish in the area with the most damage
Scene assessment
Most fires are reported today by what ?
Telephone
Multiple calls pertaining to the same event indicate that it is probably something
Significant
Who has a unique opportunity to help determine the origin and cause of the fire
The first emergency personnel to respond to the scene
What is one of the most important observations that first responders can make
Noting the appearance of the fire itself
For first responders, what activity may present the best time to determine the cause of the fire
Overhaul
There are two categories of evidence To look for at the scene of a fire, The first is
Non-fire evidence
Victims, blood stains, forcible entry marks
The second category of evidence to look at after a fire is
Fire related
Evidence
(Unburned ignition sources, fuel containers, ignitable liquids or solids)
The chronological order in which evidence is moved after a fire starts with who
The first responders
At a fire, the Company office should document what about evidence
What is removed, who removed it, and how it was Transferred
What refers to the chronological documentation, and or paper trail, showing the seizure, custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of evidence
Chain of custody
The information gathered at the time of the alarm, observations made during the response, size up, and suppression activities and post fire information can be combined To help determine what
the cause of the fire
What amendment of the US Constitution And other laws hold that all citizens have the right to be secure in persons, houses, papers in a fax, against unreasonable searches and seizures
The 4th
True or false, the fire department has the right, within reason, to enter an adjacent property as needed to check for extension or facilitate fire extinguishment
True
What are the three methods by which the fire department may re-enter a property after the fire is extinguished
The owners consent, administrative search warrant, and a search warrant
A criminal search warrant requires (what) and spells out the conditions of the search, the area Or areas that may be searched, and the material that may be seized
Probable cause
True Or false, as company officers, you should remember that you have a right to complete an investigation and that you should have continuous presence On the property until the investigation is complete or an investigator has released you
True
In 1978, the US Supreme Court lay down the rules for post fire searches in a landmark case known as
Michigan versus Tyler
The Supreme Court ruled that the fire department has the right to enter property under emergency conditions and has the right to remain on the property until
The emergency is over to extinguish the fire
What amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that citizens have the right to privacy in their property, and that evidence obtained during warrantless searches will not be admissible in an effort to convict someone of arson
The 4th
It’s easier to write and easier to read a narrative if it is written in the
First person
As soon as the fire is over and conditions permit What should be done
An organized series of pictures should be taken to document the entire scene
Just as the investigator follows a path toward the point of origin, so should the photograph or follow a path that starts
With external views, followed by internal views
What refers to those fires that are the result of unplanned or unintentional events
Accidental
What is a body of law that creates public regulatory agencies and defines their powers and duties
Administrative process
What is a written order issued by the court specifying the place to be searched and the reason for the search
Administrative search warrant
What is the intentional setting have a fire where there is criminal intent
Arson
What term is the capacity to do work; in the fire triangle, heat represents energy
Energy
What is the goal or object of one’s actions; the reason one set a fire
Motive
What refers to the chronological documentation, and or paper trail, showing the seizure, custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of evidence
Chain of custody
What is a chemical reaction in which oxygen combines with other substances causing fire, explosions, and rust
Oxidation
What is a reasonable cause for belief in the existence of facts
Probable cause
What is a legal writ issued By a judge, magistrate, or other legal officer that directs certain law enforcement officers to conduct a search of certain properties for certain things or persons, and if found to bring them to court
Search warrant
What term means open to the atmosphere by the fire burning through windows or walls through which heat and fire by products are released, and through which fresh air may enter
Vented
