Fatalities at The Fire Scene:Simple Steps for Strong Results By Cathleen Corbitt-DipierroInteractive Designer, interFIRE VR The U.S. has one of the highest fire death rates in the industrialized world: 13.4 deaths per million persons.Between 1992 and 2001, an average of 4,266 Americans died and another 24,913 were injured annually in fires. At least 80% of all fire deaths occur in residences.Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. and the leading cause of home fire injuries. Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths.Arson is both the second-leading cause of residential fires and residential fire deaths. In commercial properties, arson is the major cause of deaths, injuries, and dollar loss.--United States Fire Administration (www.usfa.fema.gov)Note: All statistics exclude the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.As these statistics illustrate, handling fatalities and injuries at the fire scene is a grim, and unfortunately far too commonplace, part of the fire investigator's job. Thorough investigation of the fire scene injuries and fatalities must be completed for several reasons:• A body subjected to fire effects can tell the investigator about the fire (and/or explosion), as well as about what occurred before, during, and after the fire. These facts may be crucial to fire origin and cause determination, as well as responsibility and motive in an incendiary fire.• Lửa chấn thương và người qua đời có thể được liên quan đến tội phạm khác, bao gồm đốt phá, giết người và cướp tài sản.• Khi điều tra một cảnh, nó là không thể biết nếu, và khi, các trường hợp có thể đi đến phiên tòa dân sự và/hoặc hình sự. Nó có thể là năm trước khi các điều tra viên lửa được gọi là để làm chứng, do đó nó là bắt buộc để tài liệu đúng và xử lý bằng chứng đúng cách để các trường hợp có thể được nhớ lại năm sau đó và thành công theo doõi tieán trình tư pháp.• Nhiều hơn khác cháy, cháy gây tử vong có thể tạo ra phương tiện truyền thông đáng kể quan tâm và giám sát điều tra của bên ngoài. Phương pháp điều tra và hành động phải đứng lên để giám sát này.Cháy nhà điều tra phải biết làm thế nào để xử lý các thương vong đúng cách để bảo tồn các giá trị căn cứ chứng cớ của họ. Sự thất bại để tham gia vào các thực hành thích hợp có thể thỏa hiệp kết luận điều tra và admissibility chứng cứ tại phiên tòa. Bài viết này bao gồm các nhà điều tra cháy bước rất quan trọng và lửa đầu tiên ứng phải biết để đúng cách bảo tồn và thu thập chứng cứ liên quan đến hỏa hoạn nạn nhân.Ngay cả khi một nạn nhân không phải là đã chết tại hiện trường, các điều tra viên cháy nên áp dụng các thực hành tốt nhất thích hợp trong bài viết này, chẳng hạn như bộ sưu tập của quần áo và bằng chứng, các tài liệu của chấn thương, và sự tư vấn giúp nhân viên y tế. Còn sống sót nạn nhân có thể chứa bằng chứng quan trọng và các mẫu mà nên là một phần của các điều tra viên phân tích. Ngoài ra, nếu đúng thủ tục được theo sau và một nạn nhân chết sau khi loại bỏ cho chăm sóc y tế, sẽ có tính liên tục của điều tra toàn vẹn.A Strong Start: First Responder ActionsFirst responders to the fire scene (fire service, police, and EMS) have the first contact with victims either inside the fireground while performing rescue and suppression or outside when escaped or rescued victims are being treated. There are simple actions first responders can practice to preserve evidence from deceased victims or seriously injured victims.• Quickly remove all injured persons who can be assisted, administer medical treatment as per your training, and transport them to the hospital. According to Michael M. Baden, M.D. Forensic Pathologist NY State Police and Former Chief Medical Examiner, City of New York, "The first responder may need to quickly assess victims. As a general rule, the fire investigator should treat each injured fire victim as if they have a critical, life threatening injury…Administration of oxygen by the first responder may be necessary for anyone having difficulty breathing due to the inhalation of smoke and carbon monoxide. Intubation and insertion of an airway may be required for those who have suffered facial burns or if there is evidence of rapidly developing airway obstruction due to swelling and edema of the air passages caused by the inhalation of hot gases. Stabilization of injured persons should proceed as recommended by the prescribed Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) protocol."• Upon discovering a victim who is beyond medical aid, minimize fire suppression activities in the area so that evidence is preserved to the highest degree possible. Avoid fire suppression techniques, such as straight-stream, that disturb evidence or alter body positions.• Treat the body with respect. The deceased victim is someone's spouse or child or parent or sibling or friend. Even as you carry out necessary professional duties, do not lose sight of the dignity of each individual person. Respect should also be accorded to non-human animal remains.• Notify the fire investigator, police, and medical examiner as soon as a body is discovered.• Cordon off the area where a victim's body is.• Minimize foot traffic and equipment in proximity to the body.• Do not remove or move a victim who is beyond medical assistance. The position and condition of the body can give the medical examiner and fire investigator crucial information. Exceptions to the "do not remove the body" practice may be necessary in cases such as imminent collapse or very dangerous conditions. Consult command before disturbing a body.• Note any injuries to victims and statements made by victims. Make as many observations about victims as possible and communicate them to the investigator. Observation is especially important when victims are removed from the scene and the original body position may not be able to be determined. Your information about how the victim was found may be critical to the investigation.When first responders take these steps, the fire investigator can do his/her job more effectively.
Take A Team Approach
Fire investigations involving injures and fatalities require a team approach. When a severe injury and/or death occurs at a fire, other agencies immediately become involved, including the police, the district attorney and the medical examiner's office. The investigator must work with the medical examiner, coroner, pathologist, toxicologist, evidence technician, police detective, photographer, EMTs, and medical personnel to ascertain what happened to the victim and what the victim did at the scene. Each of these professionals contributes analysis and a piece of the puzzle. All must work together to construct a complete picture of the incident.
The fatal fire investigation team should already know each other from the pre-investigation organization stage where relationships are established according to the team approach to fire investigation. Taking this step before the fire ensures that things will go smoothly during all subsequent investigations and that all victims will be treated with respect. Other resources may be necessary according to the case requirements, such as a forensic anthropologist.
The team should determine how to divide the investigative duties at this scene to ensure both the fire origin and cause and fire death investigations are completed. Set a regular time interval during the day to check in and share information. Continue this process throughout the scene investigation and follow-up investigation. Communication is key to linking up all the facts and occurrences into an accurate picture of the incident.
Adopt the Right Attitude
First, fire investigators should treat deceased victims with respect and be sensitive to the grief of loved ones who survive. At the same time, it is crucial to gather evidence around, on, and in the body, as well as the body itself. A good investigator will strictly preserve the integrity of the body as physical evidence, but remain sensitive to the family's feelings. All of the information and recommendations in this article are given with the utmost respect for the deceased victim.
Second, approach the scene with an open mind and follow the evidence where it leads. Frame your investigation of the victim by considering several questions:
• Who is the victim?
• What was the cause and manner of death?
• What injuries did the victim sustain? Was the victim alive and conscious at the time of the fire? Why did the victim not escape? If the victim did escape, how?
• What is the victim's relationship to the fireground? What does the fireground evidence say about the victim's actions and about cause and origin?
• What, if any, crimes took place on the victim?
• What is the timeline of events of the fire and what actions did the victim take in this timeline?
• What relationship, if any, did the victim have to cause and origin?
Third, it is crucial to treat the fatality as a homicide until proven otherwise so that the strictest standards of preservation and access are maintained. Baden recommends, "When you encounter a fire death, whether at a residence, a commercial area or after a transportation vehicle crash or an explosion, you should approach it as if it were a homicide until proven otherwise. Due to the severity of the situation you should always consider collecting debris samples for analysis regardless of the suspected cause of the fire. The body should not be moved until it has been fully documented in writing, through diagrams and photographically, including distant and close-up views."
Secure the Body and the Scene
If the body has not already been secured, the investigator's first job on arrival is to secure the area and limit foot traffic to only the investigator and medical examiner unless extenuating circumstances exist. Secure not only the body, but also secure the clothing, shoes, and personal effects; they may contain trace evidence such as accelerants, hair, or fiber. Cordon off the area with yellow caution tape or other physical barrier, and, if necess
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