Police Manual Flashcards
Powers & Duties
Firefighters are in charge at a fire and have the following powers:
- Enter private property
- Close roads
- Remove vehicles
- Remove people
- Anything to protect life
Police can exercise these powers is called upon to do so but have no right simply because they are present at a fire.
Specialist Fire Investigators will attend:
Fires involving:
- Fatalities
- Serious life threatening injuries
- Suspicious structure fires
- Fire spread
- Built-in fire safety features have failed
- Structure fires of 3rd alarm equivalent
- any other fire request made by Police or other agency
Fire Scene Control, Notification and Handover
- Fire service has authority over the fire while it is in progress.
- The fire service will notify Police when they believe the fire has been deliberately lit or is suspicious.
- Police will have to confer with the incident controller to seek authority over the fire.
- The fire service will not handover the fire till the danger to life, exposure to dangers have been removed and it is safe.
- Multiple agencies = an investigation plan.
- The investigation plan will outline how the investigation will proceed and the role of each agency.
Fire Scene Examination and Investigation (After)
Fire investigators will liaise with Police after a fire in regards to:
- Handover of the fire scene
- Access to the fire
- Process for examination and investigation
- Identification and collection of evidence
Police responsibility
Police must:
- Conduct a criminal or coronial investigation
- Undertake the protection, collection and recording of forensic evidence
Clothing Protection
- Helmet
- Overalls
- Face respirator or mask
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
- Heavy duty footwear
Fire Scene Risk
- Timber - take note of its thickness, load its carrying and any sounds.
- Steel - steel will expand and contract and can fall or come loose
- Concrete - tilt slab is unpredictable, and can topple like a deck of cards in all directions.
- Masonry - mortar can weaken by deterioration. Cracking, leaning or bowing
General Enquires in Respect to Fires
- Submit articles to ESR early
- Complete an OR
- Obtain reports (CAD report & fire investigation report) , photographs and plans.
- Obtain information and ID suspects (media release, DIA, special notices)
- Plan enquires and conduct interviews (owner, last seen before fire, found fire etc)
- Area canvass interview witnesses
- Think about (motives, financial position etc)
- Contact the insurance company (value of the building, insurance policy etc)
- Similar fires in the area?
- Inform intel and FILOs
- Obtain weather conditions (meteorologist)
- Contact owner if property
Suspect Enquiries in Respect to Fires
- IDs through circumstances, forensics, witness info.
- Suspects - owner, employee, criminal, aggrieved person etc
- Obtain suspects full details
- Surveillance
- Enquires - opportunity, motive, mens rea, background etc
- SW
- Interview suspects
- Montage ID parade
- Enquires to corroborate or negate suspect
- Prosecution? Supervisor authority
- Arrest
- Prepare prosecution file
Conference
To help:
- Assess info
- Reconstruction
- Establish Motives
- Identify Suspects
- Identify further enquires
The conference forms and he basis for your scene examination. Record all decisions made, make a detailed plan of action, timings, roles, risk assessment etc.
Preserving a Fire Scene P1
- Guarding & Controlling the Scene - ensure the scene is not interfered with, exclude owners and public, preserve evidence, prevent looting.
- Fire scene contamination - reduce fire fighters inside or removing debris.
- SCOPE: how much of the area needs to be preserved.
- CORDON: tape off outside, identify centre of the scene, make cordons wide
- COMMON APPROACH PATH: path which will keep disturbance of the scene to a minimum.
- WHEN DIFFICULTY TO PRESERVE SCENE: sketch, photograph, plan, video
- PERSONNEL: FILO, ESR, photograph, SCO, Insurance assessor, electrical inspector etc
Preserving a Fire Scene P2
- Preparing the examination - scene, hot, cold zones etc
- External examination - neighbouring properties, alleyways, outbuildings, surrounding area
- Prelim Internal Examination - slowly start out and work in. Note repairs, missing items, forced entry, accelerant, owner attitude during walk through, burn patterns etc
- Detailed Internal Examination - accompany fire investigator. Smoke deposits, spelling, damage to wall studs , roofing, windows and doors, soot etc
At the conclusion of the exam the Fire investigator with be able to determine:
- area of origin
- point of origin
- set of the fire
Seat of Fire
Fire investigators will consider:
- witness reports
- state of fire at the time
- wind direction, speed weather
- direction of spread
- colour of flames
- severity of damage
- depth of charring
- starting devices
The Cause of the Fire
- smell
- containers
- rapid spread of intensity of fire
- uneven burning
- burning under the boards where the liquid has run through the cracks
- inference
- hindering accesses
- furniture rearrangement
- open windows
- inconsistency
- signs of a crime
Exhibit
Nylon Arson Bag - place in bag before placing in the tin
