Fire Investigation

Catalog description

Three Lecture. Methods of determining point of fire origin and fire cause, and detection of incendiary fires. Includes simplified physics and chemistry necessary to analyze fire behavior. Students will be able to: identify the main elements determining fire behavior; recognize the proper methods of investigating and documenting a structural fire; recognize laboratory services available to assist the fire investigator; develop the mental processes of fire and arson analysis; describe the main elements that determine fire behavior; define the methods of heat transfer; describe the classification of building construction; describe the elements of construction most important to a fire investigator; identify the relationship between point of origin and fire cause; cite the primary cause of accidental fires; cite the primary motivator of fire-setters; describe the methods of photography and sketching commonly used by fire investigators; describe the proper methods of investigating and documenting a structural fire; describe the primary legal aspects of fire investigation; know the laboratory services available to assist the fire investigator; know the mental processes of fire and arson analysis.