Welcome to the

Fire Investigations Unit

By Indiana State Law (I.C. 36-8-17.7, 22-14-2-8), it is the responsibility of the jurisdictional Fire Chief, or their designee, to determine the origin and cause of every fire within their service area. To address this need, a Fire Investigations Unit has been established within the structure of the Fire Prevention Bureau.

The general mission of the Investigations Unit will be to assist in the enhancement of life safety and reduction of property damage by providing skilled, professional assistance in identifying the origin, cause and circumstances of fires occurring within the area served. The philosophy of the Investigations Unit is to operate in an atmosphere of cooperation and communication with all branches of the Wayne Township Fire Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, the Indiana State Fire Marshal and any other agency legitimately involved in this mission.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 921 regarding fire investigations, a benchmark recognized anywhere in the United States fire service community, is used as recommended by all Wayne Township investigators. This standard addresses training, practice and procedure for conducting such operations.

Personnel within Fire Investigations must first be well trained and seasoned firefighters before they may request permission to attend classes that will qualify them to work in this area. During weeks of training in the cause and origin of fires, candidates learn how to rule out accidental causes before making a determination of human involvement. After this is completed, the new investigator must also graduate from any and all training required by the Marion County Sheriff’s Department to qualify the individual to be sworn in as a Special Deputy Sheriff. Fire Investigations Unit personnel must function as both firefighter and law enforcement detective.

Investigators from this unit respond to the requests of Fire Incident Scene Commanders at any time when there is any question regarding the origin and cause of a fire. This does not automatically mean that a fire is suspicious in origin and may have been caused maliciously by a human being.

It is the responsibility of the investigator to accurately determine the true cause of a fire, which in many cases is purely accidental. This is accomplished by searching for:

The human element (smoking, over fusing)

Faulty equipment (heating, electrical)

Natural causes (lightening, spontaneous combustion)

Animals (knocking over items)

Incendiary

In the event that a fire is determined to be suspicious in nature, Investigations Unit members work closely with detectives from area law enforcement agencies to prepare a case for presentation to the Prosecuting Attorney’s representative.

Indianapolis, Indiana 46214

(317)-247-8501

	Wayne Township Fire Department Fire Chief Larry Alcorn - Trustee David K. Baird
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