| Part detective, scientist, engineer, and law | | | | State Fire Marshal. Because fire |
| enforcer, the fire investigator represents | | | | investigators must follow due process of law |
| the collusion of multiple careers rolled into | | | | in matters such as collecting evidence, |
| one. It is the fire investigator who must | | | | search and seizure, interrogation, and court |
| explore, determine, and document the origin | | | | testimony, police or criminal justice |
| and cause of the fire, establish what human | | | | training is extremely helpful.How To Get |
| actions were responsible for it, then bring | | | | ThereFire investigators may work in either |
| authoritative testimony to the courtroom to | | | | the public or private sector. Typically, |
| win a conviction in cases of arson."This | | | | those in the public sector are employed by |
| isn't a job for a lazy man," says Paul | | | | municipalities, fire or police departments |
| Horgan, accelerant detection canine handler | | | | and state and federal agencies. Those working |
| and state trooper assigned to the Office of | | | | in the private sector may be employed by |
| the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal. "You | | | | insurance companies, attorneys, or private |
| have to be conscientious and have a mind that | | | | origin and cause firms, or organizations such |
| likes to figure things out. You really can't | | | | as the National Fire Protection Association. |
| take shortcuts. You must take your own | | | | In some states, the local fire chief has |
| photographs, collect the evidence, do follow | | | | jurisdiction over the fire ground and is |
| up investigations. In instances of incendiary | | | | ultimately responsible for determining the |
| fires, you must find the criminal."Although | | | | origin and cause of a fire, says Robert |
| many people use the terms "fire investigator" | | | | Corry, fire investigation specialist at |
| and "arson investigator" interchangeably, | | | | American Re-Insurance Company. There are |
| they are not one and the same, says Special | | | | 26,354 fire departments in the US. The fire |
| Agent Steve Carman, CFI in the Bureau of | | | | chief may have a fire investigator on staff. |
| Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) | | | | However, in some smaller communities, it may |
| Sacramento field office. An arson | | | | be the chief himself. Depending on the |
| investigator will try to determine who is | | | | severity of the case, the fire chief or |
| responsible for setting a fire; a fire | | | | investigator may call in more experienced |
| investigator will attempt to determine the | | | | county, state or federal investigators. "A |
| cause and origin of a fire. Most of the time, | | | | prudent investigator won't attempt to work |
| fire investigators are also arson | | | | alone but will instead use a team approach," |
| investigators, says Agent Carman, who was an | | | | Corry says.The career path for becoming a |
| ATF arson investigator for four years prior | | | | fire investigator may be as complex and |
| to becoming a fire investigator and serving | | | | varied as the job itself. Fire investigators |
| on ATF's Western National Response Team for | | | | working in the public sector typically come |
| nine years. "Frequently arson investigators | | | | up through the ranks, starting out as |
| might be a police officer of ATF agent who | | | | employees or volunteers within fire or police |
| doesn't have the background to perform a fire | | | | departments, gaining experience in various |
| investigation - an area that is becoming | | | | aspects of fire behavior as well as criminal |
| increasingly grounded in the science and | | | | law, and sometimes in their free time, |
| engineering of fire behavior," says Special | | | | pursuing formal education and training. These |
| Agent Carman. The job of fire investigation | | | | fire investigators may work either within a |
| is complex, challenging and intriguing - and | | | | municipality, county, or state office. At the |
| requires a wide range of skills to perform it | | | | national level, the ATF employs approximately |
| effectively. Every fire investigator has a | | | | 80 certified fire investigators who are |
| personal perspective on what skills are | | | | generally called in to assist with local and |
| needed most."A background in mechanical, | | | | state investigations of large fire scenes. |
| electrical, civil, and even chemical | | | | ATF investigators first serve as ATF special |
| engineering plays a big role," says Robert | | | | agents, and then are selected to undergo a |
| Duval, a senior fire investigator with the | | | | rigorous two-year training program in fire |
| National Fire Protection Association. "You | | | | investigation. Some undergo advanced training |
| are looking at something that was destroyed | | | | in highly specialized aspects of |
| and you have to be able to put it back | | | | investigation, such as computer modeling, |
| together again either in your mind or | | | | fire sprinkler systems, and fire growth.Those |
| physically to determine the origin and cause. | | | | seeking employment in the private sector may |
| Technical training plays a role in | | | | come in from the public sector, or they may |
| determining a lot of the factors in terms of | | | | undertake an academic curriculum on fire |
| fire behavior and how it attacked the | | | | science or engineering, such as those offered |
| structure you are looking at, whether it be | | | | by the University of New Haven, University of |
| an appliance, piece of equipment, or | | | | Maryland, Oklahoma State, or Worcester |
| building."This technical aspect of the job | | | | Polytechnic Institute. If you are in college |
| requires knowledge of building construction | | | | now, engineering, forensics, and photography |
| and materials and the effects of fire upon | | | | courses are all useful. After graduating, you |
| those materials. Evidence preservation | | | | might look for job openings within insurance |
| methods, the effects of fire suppression, | | | | or investigative firms at the entry level, |
| fire behavior and burn patterns are also | | | | and then attempt to work your way up. Or you |
| important technical aspects. Search | | | | might consider volunteering at your local |
| techniques must also be learned so that fire | | | | firehouse to gain a foothold in the public |
| cause evidence and ignition sources are | | | | sector.Virtually every fire investigator will |
| preserved during the investigation.Yet it is | | | | tell you to become active in as many |
| important not to become mired in the | | | | professional organizations as possible. |
| technical aspects of the investigation at the | | | | Training is available on the federal level |
| expense of the human component, suggests fire | | | | from ATF, the FBI, and the International |
| investigator Paul Zipper, who works in the | | | | Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI), |
| Office of the State Fire Marshall in | | | | and on the state level from the state police |
| Massachusetts. "I have made 300 to 400 | | | | and Fire Marshal's Office, as well as at |
| arrests of people who have set fires. | | | | various local agencies. Trooper Horgan says |
| Typically, there's a fight, an incident, and | | | | investigators in his state usually join |
| it's the interviewing that will tell you what | | | | professional organizations and then start to |
| happened. That's how you solve | | | | go to some of the training offered by police |
| cases."Consider two separate fires, both | | | | departments on basic arson investigation, |
| originating in a wastebasket under a sink. In | | | | attend the National Fire Academy's two-week |
| the first, someone emptied an ashtray into | | | | training program in Maryland, and start |
| the can, igniting a fire from burning ash. In | | | | trying to build up credentials and a resume. |
| the second, someone lit a match and threw it | | | | Chris Porreca, group supervisor of the Arson |
| into the trashcan in hopes of collecting an | | | | Explosives Group for the Boston field |
| insurance claim from damages. "Both fires | | | | division of ATF agrees that it requires a |
| originated in a trash can," says Zipper. "But | | | | high degree of self-motivation to pursue a |
| I challenge anybody to tell me how that fire | | | | career in fire investigation. "We ask |
| was started. If you can interview well and | | | | applicants whether they have worked fire |
| learn to read people, and mix that with | | | | scenes, signed up and gone to conferences on |
| diagramming, investigation, photography, and | | | | the local, state and national level, and |
| report writing, you will be a good fire | | | | taken the initiative to become a state |
| investigator."While not all fire | | | | certified fire investigator (CFI) to gain |
| investigators have a law enforcement | | | | experience and knowledge," he says. Prior to |
| background, many do. In the state of New | | | | becoming an ATF fire investigator, Porreca |
| York, investigators are fire marshals who are | | | | was certified by the State of New York for |
| full powered police officers (some "Fire | | | | fire investigation, which he said |
| Marshals" are fire service personnel who have | | | | demonstrated to the ATF his desire to go out |
| received police training and are sworn as | | | | and learn required skills on his own. "It |
| "peace officers"). In Connecticut, "local | | | | requires a lot of long hours and a lot of |
| fire marshals" are usually members of local | | | | weekends to do your job, and then to do this |
| fire departments or work under the municipal | | | | as well." |
| government and get some basic training on | | | | |
| code enforcement and origin and cause, but | | | | While the career has always been |
| who have no law enforcement powers at all! | | | | challenging, it has become even more so in |
| Who is a "fire marshal" may vary too much | | | | recent years. "The arsonist is becoming more |
| from one place to the next to make any | | | | sophisticated," says Trooper Horgan. "More |
| blanket statement. There are local (FD or | | | | fires are being set up to try to fool the |
| PD), state (State Fire Marshals) and federal | | | | investigators, to look accidental when they |
| (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) | | | | are intentional. This makes our job that much |
| fire investigators. Except for the ATF where | | | | harder and makes you have to be an even more |
| all certified fire investigators are ATF | | | | proficient investigator to solve the |
| agents, the rest of the system can vary. In | | | | case."This article was provided by a |
| New England and a number of other states, | | | | complete resource for fire services, fire |
| state police officers serve as fire | | | | insurers, law enforcement and others whose |
| investigators on behalf of the Office of the | | | | duties involve fire investigation. |