201.002 - Fire Reporting and Investigation Procedures.pdf

Fresno City Fire Department 200 Standard Operating Procedures Manual SECTION 201.002 FIRE REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION PROCEDURES PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to establish the responsibilities and procedures taken by the Fresno Fire Department (FFD or Department) when conducting fire scene...

Fresno City Fire Department 200 Standard Operating Procedures Manual SECTION 201.002 FIRE REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION PROCEDURES PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to establish the responsibilities and procedures taken by the Fresno Fire Department (FFD or Department) when conducting fire scene reporting, and fire origin and cause documentation. APPLICATION Any member of FFD that will complete an incident report or fire scene investigation. OPERATIONAL POLICY Department officers and members will investigate fire origin and cause as outlined in the National Fire Protection Association 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations and as mandated by the California State Fire Marshal’s Office, local ordinances, and this policy. Investigations will be pursued in a proficient and professional manner, and to an acceptable conclusion in line with this section, while always maintaining the high standards of this Department. All fire reports are to be accurate and completed prior to the end of the shift or prior to going off duty. OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE Fire Reports: Fire reports will be completed in a timely manner, accurately, and completely. The accuracy of reports is critical as it provides valuable statistics for the Department to use for budgets, grants, and educational purposes. Battalion chiefs are to review all structure fire reports for accuracy. Inaccurate reports will be returned to the originator for correction. Fire Loss Value/Property Value: The Department should provide an annual update to the current market value of residential, light industrial/commercial, and commercial construction costs. These numbers will assist members to accurately calculate the cost of fire loss and property value saved through Department firefighting efforts. Effective Date: February 2009 Current Revision Date: 07/05/2022 Next Revision (1) Date: 07/05/2026 Lee, Wilding, Staff Investigator Section 201.002 Page 1 of 9 Utilize the table below when entering values for all structure fire reports. Values are obtained from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/tsresources.targetsolutions.com/F6623D82-06E9-1A78A5E3-02CFA4E53357.xlsx: 2017 Rates: • Storage: $60/square feet • Single-Family Residential: $116/square feet • Multi-Family Residential: $106/square feet • Business (Office buildings): $126/square feet • Assembly (Restaurants, nightclubs etc.): $136/square feet • Assembly (Church’s): $157/square feet • Factory and Industrial (Warehouse): $67/square feet Multi-Company Incidents: Individual narratives and assigned personnel for all multicompany incidents are to be completed by each company officer to accurately track actions taken and appropriate personnel counts for each company. FireRecords: If FireRecords is not operational, all documentation may be retained, and such information entered into FireRecords when restored to service. If the FireRecords system is not restored at the conclusion of the shift, a written narrative will be completed, along with all documentation, and kept in the fire station in-basket of the appropriate shift for completion on the member’s next duty day. The battalion chief should be notified if the member will be off duty the following shift. Missing or Incomplete Reports: Listings of missing or incomplete reports, which are the responsibility of the Department members, will be provided to the responsible captain for follow up. Reports Generated by Outside Agencies: For incidents within the City when an outside agency unit is the only response unit, the officer on duty at the station assigned to those outside units is responsible for the incident report. Information for the report Effective Date: February 2009 Current Revision Date: 07/05/2022 Next Revision (1) Date: 07/05/2026 Lee, Wilding, Staff Investigator Section 201.002 Page 2 of 9 can be obtained from CAD notes and/or contact with the responding company officer from the outside agency. The following is a list of FFD Stations that are responsible for outside unit reports: FFD Station Auto Aid Report Unit Responsibilities FS06 FS07 FS08 FS10 FS13 FS15 FS17 E42, T41 E89 E87, SQ87 & L87 E44, WT44 E43 E82, E84, E86, WT86 E45, E85 PROCESS Fire Investigation Activity: Every reasonable attempt will be made to conduct the following investigation activities: 1. Determination of point/area of origin 2. Determination of cause 3. Preservation of evidence 4. Identification of involved parties 5. Interview of involved parties 6. Contact of appropriate parties for needed follow-up 7. Documentation of activity Documentation Responsibility: The responsibility for documenting the fire origin and cause investigation rests with the incident commander or his/her designee. Complex origin and cause investigation of fire scenes may be documented by the investigator in a separate report upon mutual agreement of the incident commander or his/her designee and the investigator. Effective Date: February 2009 Current Revision Date: 07/05/2022 Next Revision (1) Date: 07/05/2026 Lee, Wilding, Staff Investigator Section 201.002 Page 3 of 9 Tiburon NFIRS – Fire Reports: Reports in Tiburon are to be completed thoroughly and professionally. The following fire origin and cause narrative template is a guide to be used for completing fire report narratives: SYNOPSIS This report documents the suppression and fire cause investigation of a (residential, commercial, apartment, vehicle, etc.) fire incident. SOURCE OF ACTIVITY On DAY, MONTH, DATE, YEAR, at approximately 0000 hours, Fresno County Dispatch received a 911 emergency call reporting a residential fire at 0000 E. STREET, FRESNO, CA. in the County of Fresno. A full residential/commercial fire alarm response responded. While on duty working as Engine/Truck 3 Captain, I responded code 3, along with my crew, to this incident, and arrived on scene at approximately XXXX hours. OBSERVATIONS/ACTIONS Upon my arrival I observed a (single/two/three story, etc.) (residential/commercial/apartment) structure with fire and smoke showing from the (A/B/C/D side) of the structure. SUMMARY OF SUPPRESSION ACTIVITY Upon arrival I conducted a walk-around of the incident structure and observed (briefly describe observations). After completing a walk around I assigned (detail suppression assignments & activities). Upon extinguishment of this fire, the structure was secured for fire origin and cause investigation. INVESTIGATION My investigation actions and findings are the result of conducting a fire origin and cause investigation including scene processing, Effective Date: February 2009 Current Revision Date: 07/05/2022 Next Revision (1) Date: 07/05/2026 Lee, Wilding, Staff Investigator Section 201.002 Page 4 of 9 interviews of identified and available parties and taking field notes used to compile this report. The methodology I utilized during this investigation consisted of identifying all available data for origin determination including witness accounts, an initial scene assessment, development of a preliminary fire spread hypothesis, examination of the fire scene, reconstruction of the fire scene, and identification of the fire’s origin. I identified all available data for cause determination including identification of ignition sources and circumstances. During the course of my investigation I was able to obtain witness statements. I conducted the interviews in full uniform. The following is a summary of the statements I collected. Summary of Statements Last Name, First Name Statement narrative…. END OF STATEMENT After all available statements were obtained, I began to examine the scene. Scene Examination This fire involved a (single/two/three) (residential/commercial/apartment) structure. story General Construction: Building Type: (Type of construction, i.e., Type V Wood framed) Square Footage: (Approximately 1500 Sq. Ft.) (Zillow.com) Foundation: (Type of foundation, i.e., Concrete, etc.) Exterior Siding: (Type of siding, i.e., Wood siding, Stucco, Brick, etc.) Roof: (Type of material, i.e., Composite, Ceramic Tile, Wood Shake, etc.) I began my investigation by walking through the fire scene, from exterior to interior identifying all available data relevant to determining where and how the fire started. Effective Date: February 2009 Current Revision Date: 07/05/2022 Next Revision (1) Date: 07/05/2026 Lee, Wilding, Staff Investigator Section 201.002 Page 5 of 9 I walked through the exterior in a clockwise fashion, noting: visible exterior damage; condition/security of the doors and windows; condition of exterior electrical wires; condition of utilities including gas meter, electrical meter, and electrical panel; and any other pertinent data pertaining to the fire scene. I then walked through the interior of the structure. I walked through each of the rooms and storage spaces, noting: the condition of the spaces, the contents, housekeeping, indicators of maintenance, and type of construction, interior finishes and all furnishings/fuel loads. I searched for fire, smoke, and heat damage to each room and in each room any indicators of fire travel and/or origin. EXTERIOR (Describe general fire damage visible from exterior.) INTERIOR (Describe damage, from least burned to most burned.) Area of Origin (Smallest Area possible.) After careful consideration of all information known to me at this time, it is my opinion this fire originated… FIRE CAUSE I examined the area or origin for ignition sources. The only ignition source(s) that were/was identified were (list of all ignition sources). After examining each of the ignition sources, it is my opinion, based upon the scene examination, that the only ignition source which could have contributed to the ignition of this fire is (identify ignition source). 1. IGNITION SOURCE: (Heat source item) 2. MATERIAL FIRST IGNITED: (first fuel which came in contact with heat source) 3. EVENT: (Event that brought the heat source in contact with the first fuel ignited) Effective Date: February 2009 Current Revision Date: 07/05/2022 Next Revision (1) Date: 07/05/2026 Lee, Wilding, Staff Investigator Section 201.002 Page 6 of 9 CLASSIFICATION OF CAUSE (Pick one of the below, delete the other three) • ACCIDENTAL: The proven cause does not involve an intentional human act (2017 NFPA 921 20.1.1) • INCENDIARY: A fire that is deliberately set with the intent to cause a fire to occur in an area where the fire should not be (2017 NFPA 921 20.1.3) • NATURAL: Fires caused without direct human intervention or action (2017 NFPA 921 20.1.2) • UNDETERMINED: The cause cannot be proven to an acceptable level of certainty (2017 NFPA 921 20.1.4) FIRE ALARM SYSTEM I observed a smoke detector in the (list locations). The smoke detector (was/was not) sounding an alarm at the time of my examination. There (was/was not) a battery in the detector. EXPOSURES 1. ACTUAL EXPOSURES: (List exposures effected by the fire) 2. POTENTIAL EXPOSURES: (List potential exposures which could have been effected by the fire if the fire had not been extinguished) NUMBER OF FATALITIES AND/OR INJURIES (List any/all injuries and/or fatalities, including firefighters, involved in this incident.) CONCLUSION Based upon my scene examination, it is my opinion this fire incident was caused (Briefly explain the circumstances of the fire cause). Effective Date: February 2009 Current Revision Date: 07/05/2022 Next Revision (1) Date: 07/05/2026 Lee, Wilding, Staff Investigator Section 201.002 Page 7 of 9 DISPOSITION 1. Summary/Status of other actions taken towards the disposition of the case (list only what applies). a. Status of victims b. Status of suspects c. Notification of related parties d. Disposition of property e. Related incidents f. Disposition of any evidence g. Other EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WHO CAN TESTIFY 1. (List of personnel whom assisted in investigation) END OF INCIDENT REPORT INFORMATION This section intentionally left blank. DEFINITIONS 1. NFIRS: The National Fire Incident Reporting System is a reporting standard that fire departments use to uniformly report on the full range of their activities, from fire to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to equipment involved in the response. 2. Automatic Aid: Automatic aid is defined as the immediate dispatch of a fire unit from a different jurisdiction than that of the requesting party under predetermined terms and conditions, using NFPA 1221 as a guideline. 3. Mutual Aid: Mutual aid is defined as a request of resources from a different jurisdiction than that of the requesting party based on the needs determined by Effective Date: February 2009 Current Revision Date: 07/05/2022 Next Revision (1) Date: 07/05/2026 Lee, Wilding, Staff Investigator Section 201.002 Page 8 of 9 the managers of the incident and subject to authorization by the responding party for each request. CROSS-REFERENCES National Fire Protection Association 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations Effective Date: February 2009 Current Revision Date: 07/05/2022 Next Revision (1) Date: 07/05/2026 Lee, Wilding, Staff Investigator Section 201.002 Page 9 of 9