Title Page
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Assigned to
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Agency name
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Date Initiated
Pre-Requisites
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18 years old or older?
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High school diploma or equivalent?
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Background and character investigation complete?
Requisite Knowledge
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Provide evidence of training or education in each category. Must have been completed within the past three years.
Fire Science
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Fire Chemistry
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Thermodynamics
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Fire Dynamics
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Explosion Dynamics
Fire Investigation
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Fire Analysis
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Fire Investigation Methodology
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Fire Investigation Technology
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Evidence Documentation, Preservation, and Collection
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Failure Analysis and Analytical Tools
Fire Scene Safety
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Hazard Recognition, Evaluation, and Basic Mitigation Procedures
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Hazardous Materials
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Safety Regulations
Building Systems
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Types of Construction
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Fire Protection Systems
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Electricity and Electrical Systems
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Fuel Gas Systems
Job Performance Requirements
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For each time a JPR is performed on a scene, add a note with the incident number and the Field Training Officer’s name who supervised the task.
Scene Examination
4.2.1 - Secure the Scene
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The scene is clearly marked to notify unauthorized persons of restricted areas.
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Unauthorized persons are kept from restricted areas.
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Items of potential evidentiary value are protected from damage or destruction.
4.2.2 - Conduct an Exterior Survey
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Items of potential evidentiary value are identified and preserved.
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Fire damage to the exterior is interpreted and analyzed.
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Hazards are identified and mitigated.
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Accessibility is assessed and potential means of ingress and egress are determined.
4.2.3 - Conduct an Interior Survey
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Items of potential evidentiary value are identified and preserved.
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The evidentiary value of contents is determined.
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Hazards are identified and mitigated.
4.2.4 - Interpret and Analyze Fire Patterns
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Fire effects and patterns are identified and analyzed.
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Consideration is given to the burning characteristics of the materials involved.
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Consideration is given to the stage of fire development.
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Consideration is given to the effects of ventilation.
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Consideration is given to the relationship between all effects and patterns observed.
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Consideration is given to the methods of heat transfer that led to the formation of the effects and patterns observed.
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Consideration is given to the sequence in which patterns were produced.
4.2.5 - Interpret and Analyze Fire Patterns
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Provides a description of fire development, fire spread, and the sequence in which fire patterns were developed.
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Analyzes the methods and effects of fire suppression.
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Fire effects/patterns indicating potential areas of origin are recognized and hypotheses on the origin of the fire are tested.
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False or refuted hypothetical areas of origin are eliminated.
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Conclusions about fire effects/patterns are tested against all available data, so that the area of origin determinations are as accurate and precise as the data allows.
4.2.6 - Examine and Remove Fire Debris
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Fire effects/patterns that are concealed by debris are discovered and analyzed.
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All debris within the potential areas of origin are checked for fire cause evidence.
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Potential ignition sources are identified.
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Items of evidentiary value are preserved without investigator-inflicted damage or contamination.
4.2.7 - Reconstruct Potential Areas of Origin
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All protected areas and fire effects/patterns are identified and correlated to contents or structural remains.
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Items potentially critical to cause determination are returned to their pre-fire location as a means of hypothesis testing.
4.2.8 - Inspect and Analyze Building Systems
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This includes fire protection systems, HVAC, electrical systems, fuel gas systems, and building compartmentation.
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The need for expert resources is determined.
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Each system is analyzed to determine the impact it had on fire growth and spread.
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Electronic data collected and stored by systems are preserved and analyzed.
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Defeated or failed systems are identified and evaluated.
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The system's potential as a fire cause is recognized.
4.2.9 - Explosion Effects
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An explosion is identified.
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Evidence of the explosion is preserved.
Documenting the Scene
4.3.1 - Diagram the Scene
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The scene is accurately represented.
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The location of evidence is marked on the diagram.
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Pertinent contents are illustrated on the diagram.
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Significant fire effects/patterns are illustrated on the diagram.
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Areas of origin are identified on the diagram.
4.3.2 - Photographically Document the Scene
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The scene is accurately depicted.
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The photographs support scene findings.
4.3.3 - Construct Investigative Notes
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Includes notes on the fire scene, pertinent documents, and interviews.
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Notes are accurate.
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Notes provide further documentation of the scene, as necessary.
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Notes represent complete documentation of the scene findings.
Evidence Collection / Preservation
4.4.1 - Manage Victims and Fatalities
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All evidence is discovered and preserved.
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Applicable protocols and procedures are followed.
4.4.2 - Process Evidence
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Evidence is properly identified, preserved, collected, packaged, and stored.
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Cross-contamination and investigator-inflicted damage to evidentiary items is avoided.
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Chain of custody is established.
4.4.3 - Select Evidence for Analysis
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Items selected for analysis support specific investigation needs.
4.4.4 - Maintain a Chain of Custody
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Written documentation exists for each piece of evidence.
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Evidence is secured and access is limited to authorized personnel only.
4.4.5 - Dispose of Evidence
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Disposal is timely and conducted in a safe manner.
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Disposal is in compliance with jurisdictional or agency requirements.
Interviewing
4.5.1 - Develop an Interview Plan
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The plan reflects a strategy to further determine the fire cause and affix responsibility.
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Includes relevant questioning strategy for each individual to the interviewed.
4.5.2 - Conduct Interviews
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Pertinent information is obtained.
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Follow-up questions are asked.
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Responses to all questions are elicited.
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The response to each question is documented accurately.
4.5.3 - Evaluate Interview Information
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All interview data is individually analyzed and correlated with all other interviews.
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Corroborative and conflictive information is documented.
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New leads are developed as necessary.
Post-Incident Investigation
4.6.1 - Gather Reports and Records
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All gathered documents are applicable to the investigation, complete, and authentic.
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The chain of custody for all documents is maintained and materials are admissible in legal proceedings.
4.6.2 - Evaluate the Investigative File
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Areas for further investigation are identified.
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The relationship between gathered documents and information is interpreted.
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Corroborative evidence and information discrepancies are discovered.
4.6.3 - Coordinate Expert Resources
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The expert's competencies are matched to the specific investigation needs.
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Financial expenditures are justified.
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Utilization clearly furthers the investigative goals of determining cause or affixing responsibility.
4.6.4 - Establish Evidence of Motive and Opportunity
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Motive and opportunity are supported by documentation.
4.6.5 - Origin, Cause, and Responsibility
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Opinion regarding the origin of the fire is supported by data, facts, records, reports, documents, scientific references, and evidence.
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Opinion regarding the cause of the fire is supported by data, facts, records, reports, documents, scientific references, and evidence.
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Opinion regarding the responsibility for the fire is supported by data, facts, records, reports, documents, scientific references, and evidence.
Presentations
4.7.1 - Prepare a Written Report
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Report accurately reflects the facts, data, and scientific principles on which the investigator relied.
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Clearly identifies and expresses the investigator's opinions and conclusions.
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Contains the reasoning by which each opinion or conclusion was reached.
4.7.2 - Verbally Express Investigative Findings
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Information is presented accurately.
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Presentation is completed within an appropriate amount of time.
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Includes only need-to-know information for the intended audience.
4.7.3 - Testify During Legal Proceedings
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Testimony accurately reflects the facts, data, and scientific principles on which the investigator relied.
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Clearly identifies and expresses the investigator's opinions and conclusions.
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Contains the reasoning by which each opinion or conclusion was reached.
Final Approval
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Date of Completion
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Field Training Officer's Signature
