NCJ Number
55845
Journal
FIRE CHIEF Volume: 21 Issue: 4 Dated: (APRIL 1977) Pages: 53-57
Date Published
1977
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THIS SERIES OF ARTICLES DESCRIBES THE ALL FIREFIGHTER ARSON SQUAD IN DENVER, COLO., THE COMBINED POLICE AND FIREFIGHTER TEAMS IN CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, AND THE ARSON INVESTIGATOR TRAINING PROGRAM IN SEATTLE, WASH.
Abstract
THE FIRST DENVER ARSON SQUAD WAS ORGANIZED IN THE EARLY 1950'S AND CONSISTED OF FIREFIGHTERS WITH NO POLICE POWERS. LATER THE CITY EXPERIMENTED BOTH WITH A TEAM OF POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS AND WITH AN ALL-POLICE ARSON SQUAD WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. NEITHER OF THESE ARRANGEMENTS PROVED SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING ARSON CONVICTIONS, SO DENVER RETURNED TO ITS INITIAL SITUATION--AN ALL-FIREFIGHTER SQUAD. SEVERAL ADVANTAGES ARE REALIZED WITH SUCH A SQUAD, E.G., FIREFIGHTERS ARE TRAINED IN THE STUDY OF FIRE, FIREFIGHTERS' EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FIRE MAKE THEM MORE EXPERT ARSON TRIAL WITNESSES, AND FIREFIGHTER SQUADS ARE BETTER ABLE TO COOPERATE WITH THE FIRE CHIEF. THE SQUAD MEMBERS SHOULD POSSESS POWERS OF ARREST, EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING IN DETERMINING FIRE CAUSES, AND KNOWLEDGE OF STATE AND LOCAL LAWS AND STATUTES. THE CALGARY FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS HAD SUCCESS WITH ITS TWO FIRE INVESTIGATION TEAMS, EACH CONSISTING OF A FIRE LIEUTENANT AND A POLICE DETECTIVE. THE FIRE LIEUTENANT KNOWS HOW TO INVESTIGATE FOR ARSON, AND THE DETECTIVE CAN QUESTION SUSPECTS. THE TEAMS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN 15 TO 20 CASES IN THE 1975 TO 1976 PERIOD COMPARED WITH THE SUCCESS RATE OF 1 TO 2 CASES A YEAR BEFORE THE TEAMS WERE ESTABLISHED. IN WASHINGTON, FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE SENDING ARSON INVESTIGATORS TO SEATTLE TRAINING SCHOOLS FOR A 286-HOUR TRAINING PROJECT. THE 3-PHASE PROGRAM CONTAINS A BASIC COURSE (166 HOURS), AN INTERMEDIATE COURSE COVERING LEGAL ASPECTS OF ALL TYPES OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE (40 HOURS), AND AN ADVANCED COURSE CONSISTING OF A LECTURE SERIES AND PRACTICAL TRAINING USING COURSE KNOWLEDGE. (80 HOURS). (DAG)