Forensics Fire Investigator Expert:, Manufacturing Plants, Vehicles, Heavy Equipment, Commercial and Family Buildings

Expertise

• Conducted thousands of fire investigations as a private fire cause and origin investigator working in the Legal, Insurance, and Safety industries.
• Providing loss reviews, fire investigations, technical expertise, and litigation support for numerous major insurance carriers and attorneys through the Midwest.
• Report writing, evidence collection, still and video photography, interviewing of witnesses, and deposition and expert witness appearances. Testified in both state and federal court.

Fire and Explosion Origin and Cause

• Single family homes to complex commercial structures.
• Vehicles and heavy equipment.
• Manufacturing plants and equipment.
• Hazardous sites - Asbestos and hazardous material incidents.

Expert Witness Experience

Fire and Explosions Litigation

• Arson defense and prosecution; gas explosions; vehicular fires/ structure fires, fire deaths and injuries.
• Analysis and evaluation, consultation, expert testimony and strategy for pending litigation.
• Civil arson defense.
• Civil claim denial.
• Criminal arson defense.
• Criminal aggravated arson defense.

Building and Fire Codes

• Fire and building code violations; Life Safety Code violations; smoke detector issues; fire prevention analysis.
• Analysis and evaluation, consultation, Expert Testimony and strategy for pending litigation.
• Inspections, code compliance, egress, fire alarm systems, sprinklers, hazardous material storage and code compliance.
• Life Safety Code Analysis.
• Exits, sprinkler systems, extinguishing systems, egress, code compliance and inspections.
• Locations, operations, code compliance, testing.

Fire Department Practices

• Fire department operations, practices and management; firefighter deaths, injuries and safety.
• Strategy and Tactics used in fire operations.
• Communications and response.
• Incident Command operations.
• Safety Operations.
• RIT Team operations, communications.

Experience

Undisclosed Company Fire Department, Chief - Member

• Progressed from a Firefighter and Paramedic to the position of Deputy Fire Chief.
• Responded to hundreds of major fire and crime scenes and has testified in court on the conclusions of these investigations.
• These investigations have led to successful criminal indictments and convictions.
• Fire department responsibilities included the review of all construction plans for compliance to fire and building codes.
• This expertise in building construction and fire code compliance, coupled with the knowledge of firefighting techniques and fire spread, lends a unique blend to fire investigation capabilities.

Projects

• Fire and building code analysis.
• Automobile accident reconstruction.
• Gas Leak Surveys.
• Distribution gas pipe ruptures and leaks.
• Investigation of fire fatalities and electrocutions.
• Investigation of bombings.
• Investigation for cause and origin of fires and explosions:
• Incendiary Fires.
• Boiler and furnace fires and explosions.
• LP and Natural gas fires and explosions.
• Kitchen range fires.
• Spontaneous combustion.
• Automobile, truck, boats, and heavy equipment fires.
• Electrical fires.
• Home appliance fires.
• Fireplace, flue and chimney related fires.
• Industrial fires and explosions.

Independent Fire and Explosion Expert, 2001 - Present

• Fire Analyst

PROBE Inc., Skokie, IL, 1990 - 2001

• Consultant and Fire Analyst

Skokie Fire Department, Skokie, IL, Deputy Fire Chief, Division of Fire Prevention, 1991 - 1997

• Acting Fire Chief, 1990 - 1991
• Deputy Fire Chief, 1987 - 1990
• Fire Captain and Shift Commander 1, 1986 - 1987
• Captain Division of Fire Prevention, 1963 - 1996
• Fire Lieutenant and Paramedic Coordinator, 1981 - 1983
• Fire Fighter and Paramedic, 1969 - 1979

Dole Valve Company, Morton Grove, IL, 1968 - 1969

• Lab Technician

United States Army, 1965 - 1968