IAAI-ECT case studies

IAAI-ECT · Put your knowledge to work in context.

The IAAI-ECT® is a credential from the International Association of Arson Investigators for personnel who are tasked with evidence collection related to fire scene investigation. It sits alongside the association's other credentials, but its focus is narrower: not the full origin-and-cause analysis expected of a fire investigator, but the disciplined recognition, documentation, packaging, and chain-of-custody handling of physical evidence recovered at a fire scene. The IAAI-ECT case studies are 5 cases and about 3,138 words.

Post-Fire Inspection at a Landmark Restaurant

At 02:14 a sprinkler-controlled fire in the kitchen of a 120-seat restaurant was extinguished by the automatic system before the first engine arrived. Damage was limited to the cook line, but the fire marshal is conducting the post-fire inspection the next morning.

510 words, about 3 min 2

First-Arriving Company Officer and a Reported Trapped Occupant

At 19:42 a first-arriving engine company reports heavy smoke from the second floor of a two-story wood-frame dwelling. The company officer has three firefighters, including a probationary member on the hoseline.

675 words, about 3 min 3

Demolition Order During Origin Determination at a Strip Mall

At 06:10 a fire in a four-unit strip mall destroyed three units and heavily damaged the common attic. The fire investigator arrives at 08:00 and begins an exterior and interior examination.

641 words, about 3 min 4

Near-Miss and Repeated PPE Noncompliance by a Senior Firefighter

During a post-incident review, a battalion chief serving as shift supervisor learns that a senior firefighter with 18 years of service removed his SCBA during overhaul and worked for 12 minutes in light smoke. This is the second documented instance in 60 days; the first was handled by informal counseling.

679 words, about 3 min 5

Peer Review of a Cause-and-Origin Report Under Insurance Pressure

A newly certified fire investigator submits a report on a single-family house fire. The report concludes the cause was 'accidental electrical' and names a kitchen receptacle as the origin.

633 words, about 3 min