There is nothing wrong with your thoughts. I do agree there are basics that an investigator should know. Here is what my problem is as it relates to 1033. The document is making it a requirement that all the JPR’s must be met immediately. Now let’s take real life. We have thousands of persons conducting fire investigations. Many have been doing it for decades. The training during these decades did not come close to what you are saying they should know. If we as a profession want to have the average knowledge of an investigator me our standards, we must come up with a way of educating them. Right now, we are wanting it to be like turning on a light switch. It is seldom I hear anyone talking about how we can educate these investigators.

If you do not mine, I would like to address what you said about an investigator being able to define a watt. I have no problem with this being required. It seems that the questioning always revolves around electricity. What I am saying I can use the same methodology in questioning and change the subject to codes or alarm systems. I would be most of those that could define watt would have trouble defining occupancy type, construction group, and even the difference between a fire alarm and a life safety notification system. These are all part of the required knowledge of 1033. I do not say a person that can not address these items should not conduct fire investigations. They need to be taught. Now, with all mentioned above, I believe once they are given the instruction and still cannot define these items there is a question if they should be conducting investigations.

Jim Mazerat
Forensic Investigations Group