NFPA 921, "Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations", is a peer reviewed document that is published by the
National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. As of 2018, the NFPA claims to have 50,000 mem ...
(NFPA). Its purpose is "to establish guidelines and recommendations for the safe and systematic investigation or analysis of fire and explosion incidents" (section 1.2.1). Familiarity with NFPA 921 is strongly recommended by
National Association of Fire Investigators The National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI) is a professional association of people who investigate cases of fire and arson. It was created in 1961 and is located in Bradenton, Florida. The purpose of the group is to increase knowledge a ...
and the
International Association of Arson Investigators The International Association of Arson Investigators (abbreviated IAAI) is a professional association of individuals who conduct fire investigations. The IAAI provides resources for training, research, and technology for fire investigators around th ...
(IAAI). NFPA 921 forms a large basis of the information which a professional fire investigator must know to pass the various Fire Investigator Certification (NAFI and IAAI) examinations.
While not every recommendation in NFPA 921 will apply to any particular fire or explosion investigation, the document itself recommends that if a particular fire investigator does not apply certain sections to an investigation where they are called-for, the investigator must be prepared to justify the exclusion.
This standard was long resisted in legal circles, with civil and criminal
arson
Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...
investigations leading to convictions later proven wrongful,
such as that of
Cameron Todd Willingham
Cameron Todd Willingham (January 9, 1968 – February 17, 2004) was an American man who was convicted and executed for the murder of his three young children by arson at the family home in Corsicana, Texas, on December 23, 1991. Since Willingha ...
.
See also
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Fire investigation
Fire investigation, sometimes referred to as origin and cause investigation, is the analysis of fire-related incidents. After firefighters extinguish a fire, an investigation is launched to determine the origin and cause of the fire or explosion ...
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National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. As of 2018, the NFPA claims to have 50,000 mem ...
(NFPA)
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Kirk's Fire Investigation
''Kirk's Fire Investigation'' by David J. Icove and Gerald A. Haynes has long been regarded as the primary textbook in the field of fire investigation.J.F. Decker and B.L. Ottley, Arson Law and Prosecution, Carolina Academic Press, , 2009, p. 22 ...
''
External links
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References
Fire investigation
Safety organizations
Firefighting in the United States
NFPA Standards
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