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SAVE THE DATE

CCAI October 21-24

Fire Investigation Training Seminar

 

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From Out of the Abyss...

This week’s article from the past is titled Incendiary Fires Can Be Spotted and was written by Benjamin Horton, CPCU, who was President of the National Adjuster Traing School in Louisville, Kentucky..  It is taken from the Decembe 1968 Vol. XVI No.5 issue.

Incendiary Fires Can Be Spotted 

In the new issue of NFPA Journal®, President Jim Shannon said the Association will focus on the leading causes of home fires, including cooking. "We also need to continue to push hard for home fire sprinklers. That's still a large priority for NFPA, and we plan to work very aggressively in 2014 on our residential sprinkler initiative," he said.

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From the Danish Journal of Archaeology

Abstract

During excavations of the Viking-age ring fortress Borgring, Denmark, traces of a devastating fire was uncovered. The National Forensic Services of the Danish Police were invited to participate in a novel collaboration, applying contemporary forensic fire investigation to an archaeological site. This paper presents the results and sets a benchmark for future applications. The investigation leads to a revised reconstruction of the fortress and the development of the fire. The application of fire investigation methods, following the Daubert standard criteria, enhance the documentation and analysis of archaeological sites, while archaeological methods show significant potential at modern fire scenes.

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BY VYTO BABRAUSKAS

SHOCK, INJURY, OR DEATH {ELECTROCUTION) from the passage of electric current through a human body has been studied for more than a century. The level of response or injury depends on the magnitude of the current and also on the frequency, whether it is direct current (DC), power line alternating current (AC), or AC voltages of higher frequency. Some typical values are shown in Table 1.1 Children are generally more sensitive than adults; thus, guidelines often assume that a child is the person to be protected. With firefighting, however, this assumption is not reasonable. Furthermore, protection against a startle reaction is the most severe level of protection. A startle reaction is described as one in which a person jumps because of a small shock that does not injure the person. No direct electrical injury occurs because of startling; there is some hazard caused by jumping, but it is remote.

The "inability to let go" of an energized conductor that has been accidentally grabbed can cause pain and injury if the current increases to an injurious level. This is also called "muscle tetanization." Thus. Many safety requirements are based on a safety-factor-reduced value of the let-go current, even though this is quite a conservative stance. Matters are further complicated. Since individuals show variation in their responses and standards, bodies typically pick a very conservative level (often the 0.5 percentile) instead of the 50-percentile value. Physiological effects of electric current, furthermore, depend strongly on frequency. The most dangerous frequencies are the 50- or 60-Herz (Hz) power line frequencies. The human body becomes less sensitive to electric current at high frequencies.2 Dalziel3 has published a useful summary of safety guidance on electric shock.

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Scholarships
Tom Campuzano Memorial Scholarship

tomc2Tom Campuzano, our good friend and a dedicated California Conference of Arson Investigators Board member, passed away in 1999.  Tom served on the Board of Directors for CCAI from 1995 until his passing.  He became very active during the 1995 IAAI Conference, which was hosted by CCAI in the City of Los Angeles.  He had decided, after much persuasion, to work his way through the chairs in CCAI.  He had announced that he would accept the nomination for the office of Second Vice President, which he would have assumed in January of 2000 in San Luis Obispo.

Shortly after his passing, the Board of Directors established the "Tom Campuzano Memorial Scholarship Fund." The goal of the fund is to promote, recognize, and foster dedicated service in the field of Fire Investigation. The fund will be financed through donations, with a recurring donation of $1,000 per year by Attorney Sandy Burnette.

This notice is being posted in hopes that some in-need fire investigator out there may be interested in attending the next CCAI Conference, compliments of the Tom Campuzano Memorial Scholarship Fund. The CCAI Board of Directors will award a $500.00 scholarship for each seminar to a worthy investigator who may not otherwise be able to attend either of the semi-annual seminars.

"CAMPY" Scholarship applicants can be either public or private fire investigators. Applicants must provide documentation indicating that their employer does not have funding available for the conference. "Campy" scholarships are limited to one awardee per conference. The "Campy" scholarship award is $500. This scholarship funding can be applied toward:

1) Membership registration (if not a current member)
2) Conference registration
3) Hotel lodging
4) Meal expenses
5) Travel expenses

Go here to print and fill out the application .

Please contact me with regard to any questions, comments or suggestions.

Respectfully,

Tom Pierce
Chairperson Scholarship Committee
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"Ski" Scholarship

Ski_web"SKI Scholarship" applicants must be a public sector investigator and be from an agency that does not have funding available. Applicants that are forced to pay out of pocket in order to attend our conferences are encouraged to apply. The number of available scholarships is dependent on the amount of contributions we receive, but there can be as many as three recipients per conference. Scholarship funding can be applied toward:

1) Membership registration (if they are not current members)
2) conference registration
3) hotel lodging
4) meal expenses
5) travel expenses


Go here to print and fill out the application.

Please contact me with regard to any questions, comments or suggestions.

Respectfully,

Tom Pierce
Chairperson Scholarship Committee
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Scholarship Process & Application

 

The California Conference of Arson Investigators offers scholarships to each of their training conferences. Both the “SKI” and “CAMPY” scholarships are a result of generous contributions from our corporate sponsors.

Application Process

  • Applicants must fill out and submit an application to the CCAI office.  (Mail, E-mail, or Fax) Applications will be forwarded to the Scholarship Committee to award the scholarships.
  • The application must include a letter from your supervisor indicating the need for you to receive this training and your agency’s financial circumstances that require you to apply for a scholarship.
  • Applications are only valid for the next conference.  Applications will not be carried over for the following conference.
  • Applications must be submitted to the CCAI office no fewer than 45 days prior to the next scheduled conference.  Selection(s) will be made and awardee(s) will be notified at least 30 days before the conference.

 

Please contact me with regard to any questions, comments or suggestions.

Respectfully,

Tom Pierce
Chairperson Scholarship Committee
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Scholarship Donations

Donations can be made at the CCAI online store.

Thank you for your support.

 


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Location

1279 North White Avenue
Pomona, California 91768
Phone:  (909) 865-5004
Fax (909) 865-5024
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
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