Fire & Explosion Investigation Subcommittee

The Fire & Explosion Investigation Subcommittee focuses on standards and guidelines related to the investigation, analyses and interpretation of crime scenes where arson or use of explosives is suspected.

Officers | Members | Standards | Other Work Products

Officers

Philip Crombie, Jr., Subcommittee Chair, Travelers Insurance

David Sheppard, Ph.D., Subcommittee Vice Chair, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Vacant, Executive Secretary

Members

Standards

On the OSAC Registry

• NFPA 921:2021 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations (added September 6, 2022).
• NFPA 1033:2022 Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigators (added September 6, 2022).

At an SDO for Further Development & Publication

• Standard for the Organization and Operation of Fire Investigation Units.
• REVISION to NFPA 921:20xx Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigation.

Under Development

• None currently.

Other Work Products  

Process Maps

• Fire Investigation Process Map (Current Practice), March 2023.

Research & Development Needs

• See the research and development needs identified by the Fire & Explosion Investigation Subcommittee.

Technical Guidance Documents

• Strengthening Fire and Explosion Investigation in the United States: A Strategic Vision for Moving Forward, April 2021. 
  • In this NFPA Podcast: The Future of Fire Investigation, hear from Phil Crombie, OSAC's Fire & Explosion Investigation Subcommittee Chair, as he shares insights about this report.

Discipline-Specific Bibliographies & Bibliographic References

These documents may contain information to help forensic scientists, judges, lawyers, researchers, and other readers better understand the nature, scope, and foundations of the individual disciplines as currently practiced. The identification of these documents does not represent an endorsement by OSAC or NIST. Only standards that are posted on the OSAC Registry and Technical Guidance documents are endorsed by OSAC. The referenced documents may be subject to copyright. Note: Subcommittee position statements or responses to data collections by the subcommittee do not necessarily represent the position of OSAC or NIST.

• Comparison of Fire Investigation Academic Programs, December 2019.

ASTM (https://astm.org):

• ASTM E620 Standard Practice for Reporting Opinions of Scientific or Technical Experts.
• ASTM E678 Standard Practice for Evaluation of Scientific and Technical Data.
• ASTM E860 Standard Practice for Examining and Preparing Items that Are or May Become Involved in Criminal or Civil Litigation.
• ASTM E1020 Standard Practice for Reporting Incidents that May Involve Criminal or Civil Litigation.
• ASTM E1188 Standard Practice for Collection and Preservation of Information and Physical Items by a Technical Investigator.
• ASTM E1355 Standard Guide for Evaluating the Predictive Capability of Deterministic Fire Models.
• ASTM E1459 Standard Guide for Physical Evidence Labeling and Related Documentation.
• ASTM E1492 Standard Practice for Receiving, Documenting, Storing, and Retrieving Evidence in a Forensic Science Laboratory.
• ASTM 1591 Standard Guide for Obtaining Data for Fire Growth Models.

Websites:

• CFItrainer.net (https://www.cfitrainer.net/)
• IAAI (https://www.firearson.com/)
• NAFI (https://www.nafi.org)
• UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (https://ulfirefightersafety.org/)