Fire Investigation Protocol

Question 1

Memorandum of Understanding

POLICE and FIRE

Answer 1

An agreement between police and fire to share information and details the roles for both orginasationsin fire investigation.

Investigations of fire scenes are Efficiently co-ordinated and expertly and independently conducted

AND

Any relevant evidence is protected and collected for potential prosecution or coronial enquires

Fire will notify police if:

• FIRE RESULTS IN SERIOUS INJURY / DEATH
• CONSIDERED SUSPICIOUS

Question 2

Fire Investigation Liaison Officers (FILOs)

Responsibilities

Answer 2

• Attend every fire resulting in serious injury / death
• Co-ordinating fire investigations in their area/district
• Arranging police attendance at scenes when required
• Maintaining effective working relationships with relevant FSILO and fire service specialists fire investigators
• Assist areas/districts with fire investigation related queries
• Ensure communication is maintained with Police National Fire Investigations co-ordinator, police district intel manager and district manager criminal investigations
• Co-ordinating Fire investigation training for police employees within the district/area
• Providing other advice and expertise as required

Question 3

Specialist Fire Investigators

Attend and investigate when:

Answer 3

• Fatalities occur
• Serious life threatening fire related injury occurred
• Structure fires where cause is suspicious or cannot be determined
• Significant Fire spread across a property boundary
• Fires in buildings where built-in safety features have failed or not preformed to known/expected standards
• Structure fires of 3rd alarm equivalent (at least 6 appliances) that may have significant regional or national consequence
• Any other fire upon request from police/other agency

Question 4

Fire Service Investigation Liaison Officers (FSILO)

Responsibilities

Answer 4

• Arranging Fire service specialist Fire investigator attendance at scenes where requested by police
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with relevant police FILOs in respective districts/areas

Question 5

Fire Scene Control, Notification and Handover

Answer 5

1) Fire service has authority over scene while a fire is in progress. Once extinguished and threat to life/property ceases fire service must hand scene over to appropriate person/agency
2) Fire service will notify police if fire may have been deliberately lit or cause is suspicious. Also all incidents involving fatalities or serious life threatening injuries
3) Where police attend and seek authority over the scene the police investigating officer will confer with the incident controller to confirm handover process
4) Fire service will not normally hand over a scene until danger of fire, structural collapse, exposure to dangerous products of combustion or other fire related hazards have been eliminated, minimised or isolated
5) For any scene involving multiple agencies all agencies will consult with each other prior to any investigation or scene exam to develop an investigation plan
6) Investigation plan will include an outline of how the investigation will proceed and the role of each agency

Question 6

Specialist Fire Investigator will liaise with FILO in relation to

(HAPI)

Answer 6

• Handover of the fire scene
• Access to the scene
• Process for examination and investigation
• Identification and collection of evidence

Question 7

Police responsibilities

Answer 7

MUST

• conduct the criminal investigation or coronial enquiry
• undertake responsibility for protection, collection and recording of forensic evidence
• collection and removal of material from a fire crime scene will only be done by police or other agencies with authority to remove items
• preservation, analysis and subsequent disposition of any such material is the responsibility of police or other agency with appropriate authority