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Accidental Fires
Those resulting from unintentional acts or omissions (failures to act).
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Natural Causes
Things such as lightning, spontaneous heating, & friction between dehydrating logs on top of each other.
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Incendiary Fires
- Arson fires
- Leading cause of fire loss.
- Cause of 1 out of 8 fire deaths
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Maliciously
With criminal intent
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The three factors to the cause of fires
- Fuel that ignited
- Form & source of heat ignition
- Act or omission that helped to bring these two factors together
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Chain of Custody
The continuous changes of possesion of physical "evidence" that must be established in court to admit such material into evidence.
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What should FF's be able to recognize?
- Signs of area of origin
- Signs of arson
- Preserve signs of arson
- Protect evidence
- Locate fire's origin
- Recognize possible fire causes
- Protecting evidence
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Point of Origin
The exact physical location where the heat source & fuel come into contact with each other and a fire begins.
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In most cases who has the legal responsibilty for determing the cause of the fire?
The fire chief
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Who is in the best position to observe signs of a potential arson fire?
The first-arriving firefighters
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First arriving FF's should make mental notes of the following:
- Vehicles & people present
- Status of doors & windows
- Evidence of forced entry
- Contents of the room
- Indications of unusual fire behavior or more than one point of origin
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Who may conduct arson investigations?
- Fire marshals
- Fire inspectors
- Other members of fire prevention bureau
- *Fire investigators are also sworn peace officers that can carry weapons & make arrests.
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When does a FF begin gathering information?
When the alarm is received
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Oberservations En Route
- Time of day: Normal behavior for time
- Weather & natural hazards: Should furnace be on?
- Barriers: Blocking streets, driveways, entrances
- People leaving the scence: Leaving in a hurry
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Observations Upon Arrival
- Time of arrival & extent of fire
- Wind directions & velocity
- Doors or windows locked or unlocked
- Location of fire
- Containers or cans
- Burglary tools
- Familiar faces (from other fires)
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Observations During Fire Fighting Operations
- Unusual odors
- Abnormal fire behavior with water: Flame splattering
- Obstacles hindering fire fighting
- Incendiary devices (Molitov Cocktails)
- Trailers
- Structural alterations
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Trailer
- Combustible material, such as rolled rags, blankets, newspapers, or flammable liquids.
- Used to spread fire from one area to another.
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Incendiary Devices
Material or chemicals designed & used to start a fire.
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Observations During Fire Fighting Cont'd
- Fire patterns
- Heat intensity
- Availabilty of documents
- Fire detection & protections systems
- Intrusion alarms
- Location of fire
- Personal possessions
- Household items
- Equipment/inventory
- Business records
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How is valuable information sometimes found on a fire scene?
By allowing owners or occupants to be allowed to talk freely.
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Should FF's attempt to interrogate a potenial arson suspect?
Not unless they are trained to do so
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What is a sufficient reply to questions regarding a fire?
" The fire is under investigation."
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Who should FF's make their statement to?
The investigator only
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Hearsay
Evidence presented by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else.
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Group Statement
When members of a group discuss the events and come to a concensus about what happened.
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Should hearsay be reported?
Yes, it should be reported to the investigator for validation.
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What is a way to help preserve evidence?
Delaying overhaul operations
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FF's should keep a log of anyone who enters the scence with the following information:
- Person's name
- Time of entry
- Time of departure
- Any items the person took
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What should rope or tape used for cordoning off an area never be tied to?
A vehicle that may have to be moved
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What case is responsible for FF's to obtain a search warrant once they leave a scene?
- Michigan vs. Tyler
- * If there is incendiary evidence at least one FF should remain at scene until an investigator arrives
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When can evidence be disturbed at a scence?
When absolutely necassary for the extinguishment of a fire
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What is a good way to preserve footprints?
By placing carboard over them.
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Where is a good place to dump debris after an investigation?
On inexpensive tarps.
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