Wednesday, April 11, 2012
 
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Fire investigators attend continuing education seminar

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[April 11, 2012]  Recently Nick Hanson, Andy Anderson and Ryan Anderson of the Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District spent a weekend in a refresher seminar on fire investigation.

Hanson, who is the assistant chief for the department, and Ryan Anderson have been certified fire investigators for three years. Andy Anderson has been an investigator for two years.

The event the three attended is part of their continuing education requirement for maintaining their certification.

As investigators, the three men are required to be recertified every four years. Between recertifications, investigators are required to accumulate 100 points total among four categories: training, investigation, court testimony and ride-alongs. Sixty points must be accumulated in training, 30 points in investigation. The remaining 10 points can come from ride-alongs or court testimony.

Fire investigation is a routine part of every fire. According to Andy Anderson and Hanson (Ryan Anderson was not available for this interview), every fire that occurs has to be investigated, regardless of whether or not it is considered suspicious.

When investigating a fire, the entire department and the community where the fire takes place contribute to the investigation.

Anderson explained that even as the fire department is arriving on the scene, firefighters are trained to be observant of their surroundings. They note who is leaving the scene, if anyone; what physical items around the fire may look out of place; and who is in the area watching the fire.

In the case of arson, there are many times when the fire starter will stay close enough to watch his or her work go up in flames. Firefighters can catch this if they notice everyone at a fire, because there may come a time when they see someone they've seen before.

Folks who live in the vicinity of the fire can also be important to an investigation. Potential witnesses are often questioned by the investigators and share what they saw at the onset of the fire, or even right before.

Hanson said this is all part of the process, to get the story, and then see if the evidence matches the story.

While firefighters are working to extinguish a fire, they are also playing a role in the investigation. Hanson said one misconception is that the department will flood everything with water. The fact is firefighters are trained in extinguishing fires with as little water as possible and as little damage to the structure as possible.

Anderson added there are standard procedures that are required for firefighter safety, such as breaking windows or chopping holes in roofs. This is done to get ventilation into the building. This makes for a safer environment inside the structure for firefighters or victims who may still be trying to get out of the building.

Beyond what has to be done for safety, the goal of the department is to get the fire put out without destroying evidence that might lead to the determination of the cause.

Once the fire is out, the investigators go to work trying to determine what the cause could have been.

Anderson said the process begins on the outside. The point where there is the least amount of damage is where they begin, then methodically work their way into the burned structure to the point where the fire did the most damage. In most cases, that is the point of origin.

Along the way and from beginning to end, they use photography to document what they see and take note of the fine details of the fire. This includes looking at burn patterns, noticing where furniture and fixtures are in the house, and later comparing that with what they hear from a property owner.

Anderson said there are several things that can influence how a fire works through a building. Something as simple as a change in the wind can change a burn pattern. Also, with certain types of home insulation, the fire will travel from its starting point to another location.

He also noted that is something the firefighters have to watch out for when they are determining if a fire is completely out. One of the tools they use to help with this is a thermal imagining camera that will detect heat even when sparks or flames are not visible.

Once the investigators have completed their physical assessment of the structure, their next step is to compare what they've seen with what they've been told.

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The first indication that something isn't right is when the stories from witnesses don't match up with the physical evidence.

When the witness accounts and the evidence don't agree, then the fire department calls in the state fire marshal for further investigation.

Hanson said once an arson investigator is called, it is his department's responsibility to keep the scene secured until the investigator arrives.

"As long as we are on the scene, we have control. But if we leave, then the property owner has control," Hanson explained.

If arson is suspected, the department does not want to give anyone an opportunity to alter or remove something that could be evidence.

Hanson also noted the state investigators don't always come immediately. He said if no death has occurred, or if the local investigation doesn't conclude it is obviously arson, the investigator may not arrive for several hours.

The state fire marshal is a funded program through the state of Illinois. When the state personnel are called to the scene, there is no charge for their services to a local department. Hanson said that is a good reason to use them when the local department isn't certain they can rule out arson.

And of course, the other reason is they are more experienced and can make better determinations that will stand up in court if it comes to pressing criminal charges against someone.

Anderson said there is a relatively small percentage of fires in the state that are actually arson, and of that small percentage, only 2 percent of those charged are ever convicted.

Testimony in a court of law from an investigator is crucial to getting a conviction.

Anderson said testifying in court is the one thing a firefighter doesn't want to have to do, but it is sometimes necessary. He explained that at the recent training the fire investigators attended, an entire day was spent on providing testimony in a court of law because it is so important when trying to convict.

Another day at the training was devoted to learning the standard codes associated with firefighting. Hanson said codes for the fire department are like a lot of other rules or guidelines, constantly changing and evolving to keep up with current times.

The training also included specific training on identifying causes of fire.

Anderson said the training is a good event for the investigators as it acts as a refresher course for what they learned to acquire their original certification.

To become a certified investigator requires 120 hours of intense schooling in a consistent three- to four-week session.

Hanson noted the investigators for the Lincoln Rural Fire District are members of the Central Illinois Fire Investigator Association and the International Association of Arson Investigators, the Illinois chapter. He said becoming a part of these groups expands the local department's knowledge base and gives them more resources when investigating fires.

For Anderson, he said the experience of becoming an investigator has been very informative. He said he learned things about fires and causes that he had never imagined.

The Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District is funded by tax levies in Logan County. The firefighters serve all of rural Lincoln and offer their assistance to all local fire departments, including the city of Lincoln.

[By NILA SMITH]

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