Seminar Title
Practical Fire/Arson Scene Search and Evidence Recovery
Dates of Events
09/10/2024 through 09/11/2024
Last Updated: 10/25/2023
Instructor(s): Steve Riggs
Location: Allendale Twp. Fire Department - 6660 Lake Michigan Drive, Allendale, MI 49401
Course Registration Fee: $295
Instructor Bio
Steve Riggs
Steve Riggs, IAAI-CFI, CFEI, CVFI & CFII Certified
State of Oklahoma (Retired)
Steve Riggs retired after twenty-two years of Law Enforcement, and Fire Service Experience in Oklahoma. Steve has been examining fire scenes for 40 years. Steve holds a Bachelors Degree in Emergency Management, and has extensive training in Fire Cause Determination, Criminal Investigation, Arson Investigation, Evidence Processing, Interviewing Techniques, and Case Management. He is a Certified Police and Fire Instructor and a Certified Fire Investigator Instructor. Mr. Riggs has successfully been involved in many Fire/Arson Prosecutions in Oklahoma and was involved in a Federal Prosecution. To date, he has never lost an Arson Case. Steve has authored and co-authored several fire training manuals and written “A Critical Analysis of NFPA 921 User’s Manual 2nd Edition”. Steve lectures nationally to Local, State, Federal Agencies, Insurance Companies, Private, and Military Investigators, Prosecutors, Vehicle Manufacture Represent-atives and their Engineers. Steve is on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Fire Investigators.
Steve Riggs, IAAI-CFI, CFEI, CVFI & CFII Certified
State of Oklahoma (Retired)
Steve Riggs retired after twenty-two years of Law Enforcement, and Fire Service Experience in Oklahoma. Steve has been examining fire scenes for 40 years. Steve holds a Bachelors Degree in Emergency Management, and has extensive training in Fire Cause Determination, Criminal Investigation, Arson Investigation, Evidence Processing, Interviewing Techniques, and Case Management. He is a Certified Police and Fire Instructor and a Certified Fire Investigator Instructor. Mr. Riggs has successfully been involved in many Fire/Arson Prosecutions in Oklahoma and was involved in a Federal Prosecution. To date, he has never lost an Arson Case. Steve has authored and co-authored several fire training manuals and written “A Critical Analysis of NFPA 921 User’s Manual 2nd Edition”. Steve lectures nationally to Local, State, Federal Agencies, Insurance Companies, Private, and Military Investigators, Prosecutors, Vehicle Manufacture Represent-atives and their Engineers. Steve is on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Fire Investigators.
Course Objectives
Course Overview:
Practical Fire/Arson Scene
Search and Evidence Recovery
Tactics, Techniques and Procedures Used in Processing the
Fire/Arson Crime Scene and Collection of Evidence
Course Objectives:
The scene of any fire itself is evidence, and the testimony of a trained Fire Investigator, Law Enforcement Officer, D.A. Prosecutor, Insurance Investigator, or Private Investigator concerning observation and findings at an unchanged fire scene is vitally important to the successful clearance of the case. Improper protection of the fire scene will usually result in the contamination, loss, or unnecessary movement of physical evidence.
The First Law Enforcement Officer or Firefighter to arrive at the scene of the fire automatically incurs the serious and critical responsibility of securing the fire scene and must take precautions to protect its remains unchanged. Physical evidence in and about the fire scene is highly fragile in the sense that the elements, time, inadvertent movement, improper handling and packaging, and numerous other influences can reduce or destroy its evidentiary value. The Legal and Scientific Standards concerning the collection and processing of physical evidence are rigid. Thus, mistakes can easily be made in processing the crime scene, however, the more important fact is that mistakes can be easily avoided if sound procedures are followed.
The proper means of processing a fire scene, photographing, marking, tagging and packaging evidence and transporting requires specialized training. However, this is of a nature that is within every investigators ability to acquire. What is required in addition to procedural knowledge is an appreciation of what could potentially be evidence and what types of information the investigator might obtain from different physical material.
A competent search of a fire scene demands an understanding of basic procedures and appreciation of the “Why” of certain actions, and close attention to detail in carrying them out.
This training deals with the considerations, guidelines, and procedures that will help avoid an oversight, insure thoroughness of the search, and to comply with both legal and scientific requirements that always bear on the use of physical evidence.
The Purpose Of This Course:
The purpose of this course of training is to provide Fire Investigators, Law Enforcement Officers, Insurance Investigators, and D.A. Prosecutors with an in-depth course on Fire Scene Investigation and Evidence Collection Procedures
