Fire
Investigation
Task Force (FITF)
Fire Investigation Task Force
| Craig Beazer | V | 91 | Clint Juntunen |
C | |
| Doug Bleeker | C | Steve Kellner | V | 97 | |
| Scott Blystone | C | Christian Livecchi | C | ||
| Jeff Evers | V | 91 | Eric McMaster | V | 92 |
| Pat Flannery | C | Kerry Roark | V | 94 | |
| Christine Hamp | V | 97 | Warren Rose | V | 91 |
| Tommie Hayes | V | 91 | Kevin Von Steuben | C | |
| Erik Highberg |
V | 94 | Dan Walsh | C | |
| Lanny Hughes | V | 93 |
C = Career V = Volunteer
Fire Investigation Statistics
1997
19 Total Investigations
5 Accidental 26%
8 Incendiary 42%
4 Undetermined 21%
2 ? 11%
1998
12 Total Investigations
4 Accidental 33%
4 Incendiary 33%
4 Undetermined 33%
1999
21 Total Investigations
7 Accidental 33%
4 Incendiary 19%
10 Undetermined 48%
2000
13 Total Investigations
6 Accidental 43%
3 Incendiary 43%
4 Undetermined 14%
2001
20 Total Investigations
9 Accidental 45%
1 Incendiary 5%
10 Undetermined 50%
2002
25 Total Investigations
9 Accidental 36%
10 Incendiary 40%
6 Undetermined 24%
2003
31 Total Investigations
17 Accidental 55%
9 Incendiary 29%
5 Undetermined 16%
2004
17 Total Investigations
10 Accidental 59%
5 Incendiary 29%
2 Natural 12%
2005
19 Total Investigations
10 Accidental 53%
1 Incendiary 5%
1 Natural 5%
5 Undetermined 29%
- 2 Other 11%
2006
20 Total Investigations
14 Accidental 70%
2 Incendiary 10%
- 4 Undetermined 20%
2007
20 Total Investigations
13 Accidental 65%
2 Incendiary 10%
- 5 Undetermined 25%
Program Description
The goal is to provide the necessary number of fire investigators to investigate and document origin and cause in accordance with RCW 48.48.060. The investigation team or FITF is administered under the Prevention Division. Investigators respond when called by normal dispatch procedure or when requested by the incident commander. Training is conducted on the second Monday of every month at the administration building from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. Training is coordinated and documented by Prevention Division personnel.
SCFD-9 Fire Prevention Division Operating Guideline
PURPOSE
To satisfy statutory requirements for investigation, we need to provide investigators that are fully trained to perform the entire investigation process from beginning to end. That individual may be assisted by investigators that are not fully trained to perform all phases of investigation without help or supervision. However, overall investigation supervision must be performed by a capable lead investigator.
The purpose of this document is to provide guidance for training investigators toward two categories: investigator, and lead investigator or senior investigator.
PROCEDURE
All personnel newly assigned to the investigation team will be required to successfully complete the 30-hour basic investigator course or equivalent as soon as possible to be considered investigators.
Lead investigators are investigators who have demonstrated ability to manage the investigation, record the scene, examine the scene, collect and process evidence, interview subjects, and write reports. Lead investigators must have completed the 30-hour basic investigator course and have successfully demonstrated all of the skills listed below. Some of these skills can be demonstrated in a classroom setting through performance and/or testing and some must be demonstrated on actual investigations. Skill demonstration must be documented and witnessed by another lead investigator, a chief officer, or an IC.
Scene Management
safety/secure
atmospheric monitoring
ICS
accountability
communications
law enforcement
documentation
fatalities
information releases
scientific method
due process of law
Scene Documentation
scene photography
sketches
notes
Examination
exterior examination
interior survey
burn patterns/origin indicators
debris removal/examination
scene reconstruction
building systems
cause classification
Evidence
collection/recording
marking
chain of custody
property room procedures
evidence locker procedures
crime lab procedures
ident lab procedures
Basic Interviewing
interview plan
witnesses
victims
suspects
canvassing a neighborhood
interview info analysis
Written Reports
SCFD-9 report format
WAFIRS
Police reports
slide log
evidence log
report filing management
Additionally, investigators and lead investigators must be trained in detecting the presence of hazardous materials, surveying hazardous materials from a safe location, and collecting hazard information. These issues are addressed in firefighter training through HAZMAT first responder, awareness level. The training section maintains training and record management on these topics.
Spokane County Fire District 9
3801 East Farwell Road
Mead, Washington 99021
Phone: (509) 466-4602
Fax: (509) 466-4698
E-Mail: admin@scfd9.org
Copyright © 1992 - 2008 Spokane County Fire District 9.
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