Expert Witness Blog
In Planning a Fire Investigation, fire expert witness and Principal of Pyrocop Inc., Robert Rowe writes:
Whether you are a seasoned fire expert or just getting into the business, the need to properly plan your fire investigation is critical to its outcome. As quoted by Benjamin Franklin, commonly referred to as the “father of the fire service”, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
As a Fire expert, one must always carefully consider their resources prior to the commencement of his or her investigation and plan accordingly. Factors effecting the planning of a fire investigation may include but are not limited to, the complexity of the fire, size of the fire scene, cost associated with performing a thorough investigation and the need for additional assistance or other experts.
Once the fire expert has identified the resources needed to conduct the fire investigation, he or she must then identify the required tasks that must be performed, such as fire scene photography, documentation, evidence collection and witness interviews. Once the fire expert has a clear understanding of the incident dynamics, available resources and a list of tasks that need to be performed, it is so much easier to focus on the details of the fire investigation.