The Fire Trailer News

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1 The Georgia Fire Investigator s Association The Fire Trailer News SPRING 2010 GFIA 2010 Officers President: Doug Byron Forensic and Scientific Testing, Inc. Phone: First Vice President: Ken LeCroy Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services Phone: Second Vice President: Robert (Keith) Bell R. K. Bell Consulting Inc. Phone: Secretary: James (Mike) Kennedy Kennedy & Kennedy, Inc. Phone: Treasurer: Ed Canipelli Phone: Newsletter Editor: Ken LeCroy Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services Phone: The Fire Trailer News is the official publication of the Georgia Fire Investigator s Association and is published four times a year: Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. Views and opinions expressed in articles herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the officers or membership of the Georgia Fire Investigator s Association. Articles, manuscripts and photos are solicited for this publication. No payment is made for contributions. Submissions should be sent to the editor. Appearance of advertisements in the Fire Trailer News does not constitute endorsement by the Georgia Fire Investigator s Association. Advertisers shall not use the Georgia Fire Investigator s Association name or image in its commercial activities in any manner. President s Message I would like to thank everyone that attended the Spring Seminar in McDonough. We had almost 100 participants present with some great information and interaction between the instructors and the participants. I would like to extend a special thank you to the Henry County Fire Department and the Training and Education Committee for the planning the seminar. Because this years seminar was such a success, the GFIA Board has approved Henry County to host next years spring seminar, March 22-25, Now the time to begin planning the 2011 Spring Seminar. Please contact a member of the Training and Education Committee, if you would like to suggest a speaker or topic for consideration. The GFIA in cooperation with Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services presented a vehicle fire seminar. Participants were able to examine a vehicle fire where a non-petroleum based air freshener was present and another where foods containing a high amount of vegetable oil (potato chips), were used. Questions answered were, could the remains be located, detected, and tested in the lab. After the investigation and testing, it was learned that the oil in the chips could be detected. It has come to our attention that there are several vacant houses in the Albany, GA area that can be used for live fire training. If there is any interest in the use of the houses, please contact any Board member for additional information. In an attempt to make the newsletter self-sufficient, we are once again offering the opportunity for business card sized ads to be placed in the letter. The cost of the ad is an annual fee of $100. If you have an article that you feel would be beneficial to the members of the Georgia Fire Investigator s Association, please send it to Ken to be published in the newsletter. For association updates and GFIA news please visit the website at The Southeastern Annual Training Conference in Savannah, GA will be held August 2-6, We have planned a seminar with speakers from around the country and new techniques for fire investigators from both private, public and the insurance industry. We will need to begin getting head counts for the hotel, so if you know you will be attending, please send an to dbyron@fast-lab.com or Kevin@cunninghamfire.com. Georgia Fire Investigation s Association Officer nominations for Secretary and Second Vice President can be submitted to a member of the Nominations Committee. Nominations must be received by June 4, A Georgia Fire Investigator group has been added to Facebook. It is a closed group so approval is required to participate or view the contents. There are currently 22 members and some discussions are ongoing. I also encourage the members to visit the International Association of Arson Investigators at for other training and educational through CFITrainer.net. Take care and I look forward to seeing you at the Annual Training Conference. Respectfully yours, Doug Byron President GFIA PAGE 1

2 PAGE 2 THE FIRE TRAILER NEWS SPRING 2010 GFIA Board Meeting Minutes March 24, 2010 In Attendance: Keith Bell, Doug Byron, Kenneth LeCroy, Jimmy Maddox, Wade Crider, Ed Canipelli, David Adams, Charlie Mangan, Thom Burruss, Ronnie Jones, Jane Cox. Meeting called to order: 12:15 pm A motion was made to accept the minutes as published by Doug Byron. 2nd by Ken LeCroy. Motion Passed. Training and Education David Adams presented: Spring Seminar has 92 participants. Everything has gone well with the seminar. The 2011 Spring Seminar was set to be at the same location (Henry County) March 22-25, Ed Canipelli made a motion to accept the report on T&E Spring Seminar. 2nd by Keith Bell. Motion Passed. Membership Jane Cox presented membership information. Renewed Membership: 185, New Applicants: 16, Total Members GFIA: 371. Motion by Bill Knight to accept the membership report. 2 nd by Ken LeCroy. Motion Passed. Finance Report: Ed Canipelli presented the report and a copy of the record is attached. Charlie Mangan made a motion to accept the Finance Report. 2 nd by Keith Bell. Motion Passed. New Business with Chapters: Northwest: Ronnie Jones presented. 20 to 25 members. Meet bi-monthly Southwest: Bill Knight presented. 25 members. Offer training with participating in last session. Have approximately $500 in checking. Northeast: Wade Crider presented. 25 members. Had Post-Blast class. Meet bi-monthly. Have $900 in checking. Metro: Kenneth LeCroy presented. Meet 3 rd Wednesday of the month at Manuel s Tavern. Offer training credit. Elections Committee Report: Presented by David Adams. Everything is moving forward and will be presented in the edition of the Fire Trailer. Keith Bell made a motion to accept report. 2 nd by Charlie Mangan. Motion Passed. Old Business: A general discussion was made in reference to the Unification Agreement. Keith Bell made a motion that we (GFIA) not participate in the Agreement. 2 nd by Ed Canipelli. Motion Passed. New Business: A general discussion was made in reference to creating an operating procedure for hosting a seminar. Ed Canipelli made a motion that David Adams with assistance create a S.O.P. for hosting a seminar and then present it to the Board at a later time. 2 nd by Bill Knight. Motion Passed. Motion to adjourn meeting. 2 nd by Doug Byron. Motion Passed.

3 SPRING 2010 THE FIRE TRAILER NEWS PAGE 3 Semi-Annual Meeting McDonough, Georgia March 24, 2010 Doug Byron, Presiding Called meeting to order at 4:44 PM. Minutes of last meeting motion made to accept as last published motion made and approved. Committee Reports: T&E 94 attendees this year; looking forward to southeastern; notices being sent out by Keith & Ann to get number of attendees at SEATC; so we can adjust numbers at Savannah; Spring Seminar in 2011 here at McDonough, March 22-25, 2011 Membership 17 new members, one added after meeting Treasurer same as board meeting; motion made and seconded to accept report motion carried Chapter Reports: NE 25 members, $758.45, meet third Tuesday in the month; various locations (Joe Jones reporting) Metro: Meet every third Wednesday, Manual s Tavern, attendance is about 20, training is certified through FSTC. (Ken LeCroy reporting) SW None NW meeting on second Wednesday of odd months in Adairsville; last meeting had 30 members, membership picking up. Elections coming up to be voted on in August next newsletter Treasurer, Secretary & Second VP will be up for election. Old Business: Unification agreement discussions to unify the fire services; questions not answered, so GFIA will not be signing the agreement. New Business: 2011 Spring Seminar in McDonough; allocated and approved $2,500 to be used for updating projectors; the present ones will be used for back up/breakout sessions when needed; approved $1,000 to send to GPSTC for burn cells; will be working on CFI Courtroom Testimony class to see if we can get one for our members here; Ralph Newell just received a statement from IAAI on CFI s Georgia has one of the largest numbers of CFI s in the country encourage everyone to keep up their certification. Directory will be done again this year to be handed out at the SEATC. Motion made and seconded to adjourn- 4:55 PM.

4 PAGE 4 THE FIRE TRAILER NEWS SPRING 2010 Photos from the Spring Seminar in McDonough Approximately 100 people attended the 2010 Spring Seminar hosted by Henry County Speaker David Leone

5 Page SPRING THE FIRE TRAILER NEWS Spring PAGE 2007 THE FIRE TRAILER NEWS 5 Photos from the Spring Seminar in McDonough Speakers Ryan Thurmond and Chuck Ross Speakers Mark Dietrichs and Tony Kalka

6 PAGE 6 THE FIRE TRAILER NEWS SPRING 2010 NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC April 1, 2010 Alert # Agio International Recalls Outdoor Gas Fire Columns Sold Exclusively at Costco Due to Fire Hazard The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: Patio Glow Outdoor Gas Fire Columns Units: About 5,800 Distributor: Agio International Co. of Hong Kong. Hazard: Gas can leak from connections in the column, posing a fire hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: Agio has received five reports of fires. No injuries have been reported. Description: The recalled product is a propane gas fire column used for outdoor ambiance. The base of the column is rectangular with brick styling. The top has a bowl shape with lava rocks. This unit does not include ceramic logs. Only products with serial numbers running sequentially from SD through SD are affected. The model number GFP207 and the serial number is printed on a label that is located inside the door on the base. Sold at: Costco from August 2009 through February 2010 for about $200. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should stop using the fire columns immediately and return the columns to any Costco retail outlet to receive a full refund. Consumer Contact: For more information, call Agio-USA at (800) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or the company at customerservice@va-cs.com. Additional information is available on Agio's recall Web site:

7 THE FIRE TRAILER NEWS Spring FALL SPRING PAGE 7 Chaplains Corner For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 Have you ever thought about life after death? What happens when you draw your last breath? The Bible tells us that we will spend eternity in Heaven or Hell. What determines our final destination is outlined in God s word, the Bible. God s word tells us in Matthew 7:21, Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven God cannot allow sin into heaven. We are all sinful. Sin is defined as violating God s character and he is sinless. Romans 3:23 says, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The question then becomes How can a sinful person enter heaven, where God allows no sin? In Luke 13:3b the Bible says, But unless you repent, you shall likewise perish. Repent means to turn your life from sin and self and turn to Christ only. 1 Corinthians 15:3b-4 says, Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. Romans 10:9 says, If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. So, how does a person have God s forgiveness, heaven, eternal life, and Jesus as their personal Savior? The answer is you pray a heartfelt prayer admitting that you have sinned and want to be forgiven. You believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and you want to turn from those sins. Accepting this free gift from God is all you need to spend eternity in Heaven. You cannot earn your way into heaven by doing good deeds. The only way to have eternal life is by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you prayed this prayer to become a follower of Christ, you need to become part a Bible teaching church to continue growing in your relationship with Christ. Surround yourself with other Christians and continue to learn more about God s plan for your life by reading the Bible daily. Life is short; do not wait another second to make the most important decision of your life! Stay safe and enjoy all God has to offer! Georgia Arson Control Board In recognition of the tremendous work being done around the state of Georgia by local prosecutors and district attorneys in the fight against arson, the Georgia Arson Control Board has established the Annual Prosecutor of the Year Award. This award will be presented to a deserving Prosecutor or District Attorney who has demonstrated a dedication to the investigation and prosecution of arson crimes around our state. The award will be presented to the recipient at the Prosecuting Attorney Council of Georgia s Summer Conference. To nominate a Prosecutor or District Attorney from your area, send a letter of nomination to either of the following: Tony Nix C/o State Farm Insurance Steve Sprouse C/o Insurance & Safety Fire Commissioner Snapfinger Park Dr. 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Suite 708 West Tower Decatur, GA Atlanta, GA All nominations should contain specific information outlining basis for the candidate nomination. The deadline for the nominations is June 16 th, It is the desire of the Georgia Arson Control Board that the establishment of this award will encourage the fire investigation community to help us recognize those prosecutors and DA s that partner with us in the fight against arson. How successful is the Georgia Arson Control Program in Fighting Arson? Since its inception in 1979, GAC has approved 520 rewards totaling $1,485,350. The average reward paid is $2,856 (as of 10/15/09). Total property damage from arson fires that resulted in rewards since 2004 is approximately $8,096,948.

8 THE GEORGIA FIRE INVESTIGATOR S ASSOCIATION PO BOX 382 SNELLVILLE, GA The First Southeastern Annual Training Conference August 2-6, 2010 The Marriott Riverfront Savannah, Georgia Hosted by the Georgia Fire Investigator s Association