IAAI-CFI flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

NFPA 1033 purpose

It sets the minimum job performance requirements for fire investigators, covering knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to conduct origin and cause investigations competently.

NFPA 921 relationship

NFPA 921 is the guide for fire and explosion investigations; NFPA 1033 requires investigators to know and apply the current edition of NFPA 921.

Scientific method sequence

Identify the problem, define it, collect data, analyze data inductively, develop a hypothesis, test it deductively, and select a final hypothesis supported by evidence.

Inductive reasoning

Reasoning from specific observations and data toward a general explanation. In fire investigation it generates candidate hypotheses about origin and cause.

Deductive reasoning

Reasoning from a general hypothesis to predicted observations. The investigator compares predicted evidence against what is actually found to test the hypothesis.

Area of origin

The general location where a fire began, typically a room, compartment, or exterior region, established before narrowing to a specific point of origin.

Point of origin

The specific spot where the ignition source and the first material ignited came together, determined from fire patterns, witness data, and physical evidence.

First material ignited

The fuel that first sustained combustion at the point of origin, identified from char, melting, or residue evidence and required for a complete origin and cause determination.

Ignition sequence

The ordered chain of events from the ignition source contacting the first fuel through sustained combustion, reconstructed to explain how the fire started.

Cause classification

Every fire is classified as accidental, natural, incendiary, or undetermined; the classification follows the analysis, it does not precede it.

Undetermined classification

Used when the evidence is insufficient to support any cause to a reasonable degree of certainty after a complete investigation; it is a valid, defensible outcome.

Incendiary fire definition

A fire intentionally set and known to have been set, established by evidence of an ignition source, intent, and the absence of an accidental or natural explanation.

Accidental fire definition

A fire that does not involve intentional ignition or a natural cause, arising from equipment failure, misuse, unattended cooking, or similar unintentional mechanisms.

Natural fire cause

A fire ignited without human involvement, such as lightning, spontaneous combustion, or other natural phenomena, supported by physical evidence at the origin.

Negative corpus

Concluding a fire was incendiary because no accidental cause was found. This reasoning is rejected; absence of an explanation does not prove intent.

Fire dynamics knowledge

Understanding heat release rate, ventilation, flashover, and smoke movement, which is required to interpret fire patterns and damage correctly.

Thermodynamics requirement

The investigator must understand heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation, and how energy balance shapes fire growth and resulting damage patterns.

Fire chemistry requirement

Knowledge of combustion, the fire tetrahedron, ignition energy, and material pyrolysis is required to explain how fuels ignite and sustain burning.

Building construction knowledge

Understanding structural systems, compartmentation, and concealed spaces is required to predict fire spread and interpret damage in walls, ceilings, and floors.

Electrical systems knowledge

The investigator must understand wiring, overcurrent protection, grounding, and arc mapping to evaluate electrical ignition sources and distinguish them from fire damage.

Fire protection systems knowledge

Knowledge of detection, alarm, and suppression systems is required to interpret activation evidence, system performance, and their effect on fire growth and patterns.

Fire pattern analysis

Interpreting char, melting, spalling, and smoke deposition to trace fire spread and locate the origin, accounting for ventilation and fuel effects.

Scene security duty

The investigator must secure and control the scene, prevent contamination, and document conditions before evidence is disturbed or removed.

Chain of custody

A documented record of who collected, handled, transferred, and stored each item of evidence, preserving its integrity and admissibility.

Evidence documentation

Photographs, sketches, measurements, and notes must record the scene and evidence location before collection so the analysis can be reconstructed later.

Evidence collection duty

Identify, collect, package, and preserve physical evidence using methods appropriate to the material, preventing loss, contamination, or degradation.

Written report content

The report states the investigator's qualifications, methodology, evidence examined, conclusions, cause classification, and any limitations or unresolved issues.

Investigator qualifications

Education, training, and experience must be documented and match the complexity of the investigation; qualifications are stated in the report.

Continuing education

NFPA 1033 expects investigators to maintain and update knowledge and skills over time, keeping current with fire science and investigative methods.

Hypothesis testing

Each candidate explanation must be compared against physical evidence; a hypothesis that contradicts observed data is discarded rather than retained.

Competent ignition source

An ignition source must have sufficient energy and duration, and be physically present at the origin, to ignite the first material under the conditions found.

Reasonable degree of certainty

The standard for stating a cause conclusion: the evidence supports it more strongly than alternatives, and the reasoning is documented and reproducible.