Name some of the various ways that fires are classified.

Directions: Answer the following questions.   Your response to each should be at least one half of one page in length and use APA guidelines for formatting and citations.

1. Name some of the various ways that fires are classified.

2. What are the elements of the crime of arson?

3. Name some of the special challenges that investigators face at an arson scene.

4. What are some items of concern that first responders should be conscious of while approaching a fire scene?

5. List several of the more common burn indicators found at a fire scene and their importance to investigators.

6. Describe the two-part warrant process that is required by the U.S. Supreme Court for investigating fires involving crime.

7. Why would an investigator use a K-9 in an arson investigation?

8. Summarize the Model Arson Law.

9. When responding to a fire scene, what should an officer observe, note and record?

10. Describe how to find the point of origin in a fire and what it can reveal to the investigator.

PART II: Journal Activity

 

Directions: In a 2 to 4 page essay using APA guidelines for formatting and citations, please answer the prompt below.  Be sure to answer each of the questions within your essay.

You are an officer with a collateral assignment as an arson/bomb investigator. You have been called to assist fire investigators in a suspected arson involving an explosive device as the ignition source.

• What are the first steps you must take?
• What resources are available to you?
• What “tools” will you need for this investigation?
• What information do you need?
• Which investigation takes priority and why?