Firefighter and Fire Cause Determination

Target Audiences

Fire safety education

Fire Prevention Officer

The duties and responsibilities of the fire prevention officer are often not well understood by suppression firefighters. They are seen around the station or at headquarters, but little is known about their daily routines. Fire prevention officers play a key role in ensuring that the fire department meets its goal of preserving life and property in the community.

Fire prevention officers have long been guided by the adage, “The Three E’s of Fire Prevention – Education, Engineering, and Enforcement.”

All fire departments have a fire safety education program and one of the functions of Fire Prevention Officers is to visit schools to educate the children both in how to prevent fires and the actions they should take in the event of a fire occurring.

All programs tend to mix messages of general injury prevention, safety, fire prevention and escape in case of fire. In most cases the fire department representative is regarded as the expert and is expected to present information in a manner that is appropriate for each age group.

In the United States, the very young and the elderly are considered to be "at risk" populations. These two groups represent approximately 33% of the population and are targeted to receive fire safety information.

The typical duties of a fire prevention officer are:

- Assist the fire chief in planning and implementing the local fire prevention program.

- Inspect places of public assembly like halls, auditoriums, theaters,

- Business and industrial establishments for existing or potential fire hazards, and order correction of dangerous conditions.

- Receive complaints on fire hazards, investigate them, and recommend or order methods of correction.

- Inspect schools for fire hazards, conduct fire drills, and give talks to students on fire hazards and drill measures.

- Cooperate with inspectors or field service workers of other municipal departments in making inspections to correct or remove hazards involving structural, electrical, and utility service safety.

- Cooperate with and assist fire companies in district fire prevention and inspection activities.

Prepare reports of inspections and maintain files on all records.

All too often the fire company rushes to the scene, rushes to extinguish the fire, rushes to clean up the mess – and all evidence with it – and rushes back to the station. Seldom does the fire company take time to help determine the fire cause. If a department does not know the causes of fires, whether accidental or intentional, the department cannot work to decrease their number and severity.

Although the chief of the fire department has the legal responsibility for fire cause determination, the firefighters at the scene are the ones with the responsibility of being sure the true and specific cause of the fire can be determined. The properly trained firefighter can draw important conclusions by observing the fire and its behavior and other circumstances upon arrival, while entering the structure, and while finding and extinguishing the fire.

The firefighter, more than anyone, is aware of the color and consistency of the smoke, is more apt to recognize unusual odors such as those of flammable liquids and chemicals, and to note the color of the flames. The firefighter is best able to answer important questions: Are the contents of the rooms as they should be, or are they ransacked or unusually bare? Is there evidence of forced entry made before arrival? Are there indications of more than one point of origin, of fire spreading unnaturally fast?

The firefighter’s importance cannot be overemphasized. The firefighter’s use of a fire stream, for example, often determines whether evidence is saved or destroyed. Judicious, careful overhaul might uncover important evidence.

There is a checklist for firefighters which can help determine the fire cause, whether accidental or intentional. The most important of them are as follows:

Immediately upon arrival ascertain:

• Whether doors and windows are open or shut, including any sign of forcible entry, and particularly whether locked or unfastened
• How entry to the property was first made and by whom
• Notice if any clothes, furs, sporting goods, guns, etc. were removed from closets or missing from their usual place

The type, color and odor of the smoke, and flames should be noted to learn whether gasoline, kerosene, turpentine or other accelerant has been used; and whether there was an explosion or unusual occurrence

Ascertain whether there is one point of fire or more than one

It is important to observe whether the fire spreads with undue rapidity

In fighting the fire and in salvage work every possible care should be taken not to destroy or disturb evidence of incendiarism that may exist

Careful examination should be made to see where the fire started and to endeavor to ascertain whether there is a natural explanation for the origin and extent in such a place

Any suspicious articles which may have fingerprints should not be touched or handled

If there is a series of fires, which may indicate a pyromaniac, careful note should be taken of persons who are frequent attenders at fires

Fire fighters should maintain silence as to thoughts or expressions concerning the probable cause of fire, while at scene

Any information or observation gathered by the fire fighters who assisted in extinguishing the fire should immediately be brought to the attention of the chief in charge

Дата добавления: 2014-12-27