Intro To Fire Investigation

Question 1

What role does the fire investigator play in losses caused by fire?

Answer 1

By accurately and efficiently identify the cause of the fire or most probable cause.
Whether the fire is accidental or non-accidental.
Reducing losses.

Question 2

What significant changes in legislation have fire investigators made?

Answer 2

The identification of flammability of clothing and bedding in the 1960s.
The introduction cigarette and flame resistant furniture in the 1990s

Question 3

What are the real reasons for searching a fire scene and analysis?

Answer 3

To save lives and prevent injuries

Question 4

What is the significant role that fire investigation plays?

Answer 4

It plays a significant role in the regulatory process

Question 5

How has the progress in reducing the frequency of fires and fire deaths Been influenced by fire investigation?

Answer 5

Through advances in improving life safety and fire safety regulation. Paragraph

Question 6

Why is it important to document the effects of fire in regulation compliant buildings and transport?

Answer 6

This is the only way to ensure the desired effect and not create other anticipated risks.

Question 7

Why does a fire scene need to be investigated?

Answer 7

So that it can be established if it is a crime scene of arson or not

Question 8

What must every fire scene be considered as?

Answer 8

The fire scene must be considered as a possible crime scene.

Question 9

When can a fire scene not be considered as a crime scene?

Answer 9

When there is clear proof that the fire was accidental.

Question 10

How is evidence Destroyed at a fire scene?

Answer 10

Through the fire, fire suppression and fire fighting, and the turning over of the fire scene.

Question 11

What is important for the fire investigator not to do?

Answer 11

To prejudge the fire and its cause

Question 12

For accurate fire investigation what should not be a pre-occupation?

Answer 12

The magnitude and the results of the fire damage

Question 13

What should be the investigators main concern?

Answer 13

The cause of the fire, not the extent of the fire

Question 14

What will be the effect of focusing on the extent of the fire?

Answer 14

It will obscure and complicate the search for the origin and cause.

Question 15

What must every investigator develop?

Answer 15

A comprehensive analytical approach

Question 16

What does the analytical approach recognise?

Answer 16

The analytical approach recognises that successful fire investigation involves numerous facets of fire, fuel and people.

Question 17

What must the investigator understand?

Answer 17

The investigator must understand how a fire burns and what factors control its behaviour and that all fires do not necessarily behave in a precise and predictable fashion.

Question 18

What must be correlated to establish a cause?

Answer 18

The nature of the fuel involved, the physical circumstances and the environment of the fire.

Question 19

What important knowledge is often neglected in fire investigation?

Answer 19

The understanding of the fundamental properties of the fuels involved.

Question 20

What are the fuel properties essential to fire investigation?

Answer 20

The density, thermal conductivity and heat capacity, which determine the ignitability and flame spread characteristics of the fuel.

Question 21

What do the ignitability and flame spread characteristics control?

Answer 21

They control the nature of ignition and the events that follow.

Question 22

What are the different ignition sources?

Answer 22

Glowing, flaming or electric arc.

Question 23

What information is required to establish if ignition is possible and the time factors involved?

Answer 23

The scientific data about the interaction of ignition sources with the first fuel ignited.

Question 24

What method is used by most fire investigators?

Answer 24

The scientific method

Question 25

Why is the scientific method important?

Answer 25

It allows the investigator to follow a series of logical steps.

Question 26

What is required before and hypothesis can be developed?

Answer 26

The collection and analysis of all available data and information, the physical evidence at the scene including witness accounts.

Question 27

What are the stages in the scientific method?

Answer 27

Define the problem
Collect data
Analyse the data
Develop a hypothesis
Test the hypothesis
Select the final hypothesis.

Question 28

Why is it important to carry out a small scale test on your hypothesis?

Answer 28

It is the only way to be certain that your hypothesis is the correct one.

Question 29

What are the key features of the scientific method?

Answer 29

It allows you to explain your findings to others,
Your logical analysis of the information,
And explains your deductive reasoning

Question 30

What is Locard’s principal?

Answer 30

When two objects come In to contact there is an exchange of material from each to the other.

Question 31

Why must the fire investigator know where forensic evidence may be found?

Answer 31

To enable areas to be preserved and so the police can be advised if necessary

Question 32

Who is responsible for taking fingerprints, casts of tooling Marks?

Answer 32

The police

Question 33

Why should the fire investigator have a solid basic knowledge of fingerprinting and costing of tooling marks?

Answer 33

To ensure potential evidence is identified

Question 34

Where can visual fingermarks be found?

Answer 34

Blood, oil, Greece, or paint

Question 35

How are visual fingermarks recorded?

Answer 35

They are photographed

Question 36

How are latent marks (fingerprints) found?

Answer 36

Using powders and lifted using tape

Question 37

Does water affect fingermarks retrieval?

Answer 37

No

Question 38

Can items be examined if contaminated?

Answer 38

Yes

Question 39

What surfaces are suitable for retaining marks?

Answer 39

Glass – petrol bombs,
Painted or varnished wood – doors and window frames,
Plastics – petrol cans or containers, plastic bags, bottles all lighters,
Paper – trailers, Paper Wix, match boxes, fireworks, insurance papers, books or other correspondence,
Smooth leather – handbags

Question 40

How can Shoemarks be enhanced?

Answer 40

Using powders

Question 41

How can shoe marks be lifted?

Answer 41

Using adhesive gel

Question 42

How are shoe marks recorded?

Answer 42

Photographed directly and casts taken from imprints such as soil or sand

Question 43

How are instrument or tooling marks recorded?

Answer 43

By taking a cast of the tooling mark

Question 44

Where are glass samples taken from?

Answer 44

Broken windows, to make a direct comparison with fragments found on the suspects clothing

Question 45

How can glass debris be used?

Answer 45

To determine from which side a pain of glass was broken

Question 46

Where can DNA retrieved from?

Answer 46

Blood,
Saliva,
Nasal secretions,
Skin and hair,
Body tissue

Question 47

How can evidence be preserved?

Answer 47

Avoid using or disturbing the affected area, door or window if it has high evidential value

Question 48

What should you do if items need to be moved?

Answer 48

Note why, from where, to where and tell the scene examiner or police officer on the scene

Question 49

What other forms of evidence is there?

Answer 49

Ignitable liquid detection,
Control samples,
Electronic records,
Appliances and equipment,
Burn tests to prove or disprove accounts,
Hard drives, phones, answer phones and cameras,
Gas, electric, liquid fuel that may have been Tampered with