Module Seven

Question 1

What is the difference w fire protection engineering and fire and arson investigators

Answer 1

Engineers:::: engineers w training in physics and chemistry, attempt to understand physical process and how to control its growth in different environments, mathematical equations and computer modelling, constantly evolving to accommodate new technologies and materials

Investigators::: police/fire fighters, high school diploma, determine whether or not accidental or incendiary, mentor apprentice training, follows rules of thumb: natural fires had one origin, arson a burn hotter and faster than natural fires, no required training, no required certifications, no standards of protocol, since bias is subjective and experiential

Question 2

What is a fire investigators job

Answer 2

Only brought in after fire is out and circumstances seem suspicious

Determine cause and origin - decided if crime actually occurred

Decide is fire was used to cover something up

Can be hard because physically evidence destructed

Question 3

Why is there no standards of protocol

Answer 3

Because every fire can be different - use skill set to find out what happened it is a subjective and experiential knowledge

Question 4

What is in toolkit

Answer 4

Rules of thumb
Experience and training
3rd party reports and photographs (colleagues, other investigators, other people’s photoS)
Chemical testing (samples of different things from fire site and see if the chemical is associated w fire making) not mandatory
Eyewitness accounts
Medical reports of victim injuries
Interviews w victims and potential suspects
Arson indicators

Question 5

What are the categories for origin of fire

Answer 5

Surface deposits 
Surface thermal effects eh melting
Charring - only on surface
Penetration - charring below surface 
Consumption charring completely through a material or actual destruction

Question 6

Case study: Cameron Todd Willingham

Answer 6

Convicted of murders of 3 daughters by arson 1991. Past history of dv. Pleaded innocent. 12 yrs jail. Executed by lethal injection 2004. Was calm after incident. 12 negative arson chemical testing. 1 positive on porch - was bbq grill on porch so? Different expert testimonies bad evidence concluded he was exonerated