There was an IFE TSAG (Technical Strategy and Advisory Group) meeting yesterday. Among the subjects discussed was the very real prospect of a separate IFE examination for fire investigation. Please let me have your views. It was also another opportunity to express the need for more investment in the IFE website.

The new (and most welcome) IFE journal also came up. All special interest groups will be expected to play a significant part in the journal. Like any journal, it will stand or fall on it's content so please start writing. Let's get some quality content and some lively debate going.

Our SIG

There will be an IFE TSAG (Technical Services and Advisory Group) meeting this Friday at which the special interest groups will be discussed. Please forward any views and opinions to me if you have time.
I will continue to lobby for investment in a good quality forum site for our group. I believe it is the best, most immediate and cost effective way of developing membership involvement.
In the longer term I will also lobby for a dedicated IFE FI qualification by examination.
I am sure the new IFE journal will require much involvement from SIGs so please start work on articles in advance.
With effect from May 1st I will be full time employed by IFIC Forensics. Part of my remit will be to recruit further investigators.
I personally see this as a conflict of interest and for that reason I would prefer to step down as chair. One or more of you may be better able or placed to take up the reins of this SIG. We are not burdoned by a formal constitution so please let me know if you would be interested. There is great potential.

Dynamic Risk Assessment (DRA)

Please check out this link to a lively and informative discussion: Who's using dynamic risk assessment (DRA)? This is a topic of interest to us all. Please participate.
Let's be honest. Do we all actually write a true and acurate Risk Assessment of our fire scenes? Do we all update them as we proceed? Or are we paying lip-service to a procedure that serves to protect us?
DRA absolutely applies to us: we will remove gloves, mask, helmet etc. for various reasons in the course of a site examination but how do we ensure we are taking right and proper action and how do we record it? How will we defend our actions if something goes wrong?
It is too easy to be complacent at a fire scene:
Some in the past have paid the price of not using masks and I suspect many of us are still not fully aware or appreciative of the dangers. Nitrile gloves are great for sample examination but are not suitable for the main scene work. And what use is a helmet without a strap?
Fire Service investigators are much better equiped. The private sector must follow suit. Yes it may look odd at some scenes to appear dressed up for a pot-holing expedition but we would look pretty stupid going pot-holing in a strap-less bump hat and Hi-Viz vest!

FI qualifications, standards and credibility

Once again the IAAI-UK have managed to put on a very useful event. From the theft of cables underground to fire tests in space! At the end of the meeting Pete Mansi raised the very important topic of how we, as forensic investigation practitioners, fill the credibility gap left by the loss of the CRFP. I agree with Pete that it falls upon us and the various organisations we belong to or are associated with to move this issue forward (before somebody does it for us). FI is in danger of becoming even more fragmented and inconsistent across the UK. I would like to open the discussion now in our small group. Let's discuss the issues and then think about any solutions. Here are some thoughts: CRFP could be replaced by a similar subscription based body that is involved only with FI but what organisation could take this on? FI Training is seemingly run by whoever wishes to do so. To what standards? What input? What evaluation? Is it really all down to cost? Degree courses etc. are many-fold. What is the career path for the candidates? What is the value to the industry? Private providers are becoming profligate. They will get work eventually but the private sector is a minefield and expert witnesses can be prosecuted. Are we heading for potential bun-fights in court? Fire Services are continually cutting back and dedicated, full time FI is a luxury item. What are the consequences? Are skills lost or diluted? The loss of FSS was a strange turn of events for many of us I am sure. The private sector is slowly responding but what are the required standards? As long as they find somebody to do the job at the right price do the Police care? What are their criteria for engaging forensic experts? Communication and sharing of information is still very poor. The IFE will, hopefully, be able to provide a forum when there is sufficient IT funds available but that will never be sufficient to fill the gap. I like what I hear about what appears effectively to be the Nationalisation of the Fire Service in Scotland. CFOA are working on FI standards for England and Wales (not sure about NI. Can someone enlighten me please?). But none of this will affect the private market. And what about the private market? They are not bound by any rules, procedure or guidelines but they get the job done. And in many cases they get the job done very well indeed. Over to you..........