fsmt340 week 7 forum and responses

Why is a strong understanding of science so important to the fire investigator? What areas should they be proficient in?

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#1

Science is a major part of fire investigation along with mathematics. Fire investigators are like detective's on case, trying to figure out the crime. They need to have training in science and engineering. They wear many hats when doing their investigations.

Fire investigator look for clues and determine what and how the fire started. They also have to document and preserve evidence like cause and ignition sources.

The technical parts of their job requires them to have knowledge of building construction and materials and what fire can do to the materials that burnt.

They need to know what are the effects of fire suppression, burn patterns and fire behavior.  Fire destroys a lot and if you do not know what you are looking for, your investigation will probably never get solved and you will destroy key evidence.

This is why science plays a major role in fire investigation. The information gathered will determine whether it was arson or faulty wiring. 

#2

The importance of science in fire investigation. And the area fire investigator should be proficient in. Scientific method is legitimate scientific and engineering process. In which is also a skill and process that needs training and experience in order to complete the process.

For the scientific method process you need to define the problem, collect data, develop a hypothesis, and select final hypothesis. And depending on the type of fire will determine on the type of fire investigation and scientific method.

And lastly, and most importantly it requires education, training, and experience as well to deal with the science portion of fire investigation. With this knowledge and training it helps determine the root cause of the fire and how it started and what started it. In the end science plays a critical role in fire investigation.