City of Country Club Hills Bureau of Arson Investigation

1. City of Country Club HillsBureau of Arson Investigation Accelerant Detection K-9

3. Introduction (cont.) Certified Arson Investigator 2002 - with Illinois State Fire Marshals Office K-9 handler April 2002 Certified through the North American Police Work Dog Association. (NAPWDA)

4. Blaze 2 � Year Old Female Yellow Labrador Retriever She Came from Iowa Breed for the US.Customs 6 week training course with Landheim Training Center. 16 Different Accelerants Heavy, Medium and Light German Commands Play Reward Labs are less intimidating

5. Different Accelerants

6. Commands English Meaning Heel Sit Down Stand Recall or come Retrieve Jump Speak German Command Fuss Sits Platz Steh Hier Bring Hopp Gib Blout

7. Commands (cont.) English Meaning Cease Current Behavior Don�t do that Release Object German Comand Pfui lat das Nein Aus

8. Drives In A Dog Drives � subconscious impulse to react to stimuli. Drives in a dog are from genetics and ancestry. Drives cannot be created or eliminated.

9. Drive Groups 16 different types of drives in dogs. Some have more some have less. Hunt, Tracking, air, retrieve, prey, guard, fight, protection, rank, trainability, survival, homing, play, activity, pack and defense. Most important drive � PLAY DRIVE

10. Scent Work Dr. Vitas Droscher found that humans have 5 million olfactory cells in there nose. Dogs have 250 million olfactory cells Different breeds of dogs possess different capabilities of scent discrimination. Research Between 1943 and 1955 found that dogs were able to detect amounts as small as 1 part per trillion.

11. Scent Work (cont) In 1970, dogs were found to smell 100 to 1000 times better that humans. Albino and light color dogs have impaired scent capabilities. There are more scent cells in the back of the throat, they are not as accurate as those in the nose.

12. Alerts Alert � A behavior taught to a dog through training. 2 types Passive Aggressive

13. Passive Alert Passive Alert - A dog indicates to the present of an odor by sitting. Pros � Doesn't cause damage to evidence by scratching or biting. Cons � Doesn�t always show the source of the odor. Relies on the handler for reward.

14. Aggressive Alert Aggressive Alert - A Dog alerts to the location of odor by trying to aggressively get the source of the odor. Pros � usually indicates the source of the odor. Dogs reward comes from the source of the odor. Cons � Scratching and biting will damage items.

15. Certification Every 2 years 4 part test Dog and handler can only miss one find through all phases of testing. K-9 team must test on 9 of 16 odors trained on. Odors must be made up of 3 odors from each odor classification � light, medium, heavy.

16. Areas of Testing 5 areas will be provided for testing Structure/Fire Scene, Open Area, Paint Can Line Up, Clothing Pile Line Up and Vehicle interior. K-9 team will be tested in 4 out the 5 areas.

17. Structure/Fire Scene Consist of either intact or the site of a structure fire. Structure Fire scene must have occurred no less than 8 hours prior to the test or no more than 3 months. The structure must be between 1600 square feet and 2400 square feet. Finds can be put anywhere from 4 feet off the floor or to 3 inches under debris.

18. Open Area Search Defined as - Exterior of building, open area, wooded area, any outside area not covered above No larger than 100 x 100 yard and no smaller than 50 x 50 yards Finds shall consist of between � cup or accelerant and an 1/8th cup. Is quite helpful in determining if an arsonist threw something a container containing accelerants as they ran from the burning building.

19. Open Area Search (cont) Use the wind for help. Work the dog in zig-zag pattern Scent Cone Strong wind � Long and narrow scent cone Light wind � Short and wide scent cone.

20. Paint Can Line Up Between 6 to 10, 1 gallon paint cans, containing burnt wood, paper and plastic in a line 3 feet apart. Burnt accelerant in one can.

21. Clothing Line Up Same number of piles as paint can line up. 1 drop of accelerant put on one article of cloths.

22. Vehicle Interior 6 to 10 cars, any type or model of cars parked in a line. One drop of accelerant put in passenger compartment.

23. Links North American Police Work dog Association www.napwda.com Landheim Training Center www.landheimk9.com Illinois Chapter of the International Association or Arson Investigators www.il.iaai.com Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms www.atf.gov/explarson/canine.htm

25. Detection and identification of hydrocarbons and explosive residue. Classification of explosives. Initiating Vs. non-initiating explosive. Common commercial, homemade, and military explosives. Detection of explosives. http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/handbook/examsars.htm http://library.thinkquest.org/17133/explosives.htm http://www.atf.treas.gov/explarson/

26. Modus Operandi: an offender�s pattern of operation Oxidation: the combination of oxygen with other substances to produce new substances Energy: the combined ability or potential of a system or material to do work. Some forms of energy are heat energy, chemical energy, and electrical energy

27. Combustion: the rapid combination of oxygen with another substance accompanied by the production of noticeable heat and light Heat of combustion: the heat evolved when a substance is burned in oxygen Exothermic reaction: a chemical transformation in which heat energy is liberated

28. Endothermic reaction: a chemical transformation in which heat energy is absorbed from the surroundings Ignition temperature: the minimum temperature at which a fuel will spontaneously ignite Flash point: the minimum temperature at which a liquid fuel will produce enough vapor to burn

29. Pyrolysis: the decomposition of organic matter by heat Flammable range: the entire range of possible gas or vapor fuel concentrations in air that are capable of burning Glowing combustion: burning at the fuel-air-interface. Examples are a red-hot charcoal or a burning cigarette

30. Spontaneous combustion: a fire caused by a natural heat-producing process in the presence of sufficient air and fuel Oxidizing agent: a substance that supplies oxygen to a chemical reaction Accelerant: any material used to start or sustain a fire. The most common accelerants are combustible liquids

31. Hydrocarbon: any compound consisting only of carbon and hydrogen Explosion: a chemical or mechanical action resulting in the rapid expansion of gasses High explosive: explosive with a velocity of detonation greater that 1000 meters per second. For example, dynamite and RDX

32. Low explosive: explosive with a velocity of detonation less than 1000 meters per second. For example, black powder and smokeless powder Deflagration: a very rapid oxidation reaction accompanied by the generation of a low-intensity pressure wave that can have a disruptive effect on the surroundings

33. Detonation: an extremely rapid oxidation reaction accompanied by a violent disruptive effect and an intense, high-speed shock wave Black powder: normally, a mixture of potassium nitrate, carbon, and sulfur in the ratio of 75/15/10 Safety fuse: a cord containing a core of black powder. It is used to carry a flame at a uniform rate to an explosive charge

34. Smokeless Powder (single-base): an explosive consisting of nitrocellulose Smokeless powder (double-base): an explosive consisting of a mixture of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin Primary explosive: a high explosive that is easily detonated by heat or shock

35. Secondary Explosive: a high explosive that normally has to be detonated by a primary explosive Detonating cord: a cordlike explosive containing a core of high-explosive material, usually PETN; also called primacord

36. Ch. 11 � Arson and Explosives Chemistry of Fire

37. The Fire Triangle

38. Fuel Organic Fuels (most common) wood & paper petroleum products & fossil fuels hydrocarbons Inorganic Fuels elemental alkali metals, magnesium, hydrogen, phosphorus metal salts like azide

39. Fuel Most important attribute energy stored in bonds of the molecule with proper �encouragement� bonds broken releasing this energy exothermic combustion reaction CH4 + 2O2 -----> CO2 + 2H2O releases 51.6 kJ/gram fuel

40. Heat Input energy (activation energy) excites molecule causing bonds to break Activation energy is typically applied in the form of heat

41. Oxygen Most combustion reactions are oxidation processes oxygen is a good electron acceptor oxygen is a good oxidizing agent takes electrons from other materials Oxygen itself is not flammable the fuel burns not the oxygen

42. Activation Energy All reactions require an initial input of energy to start them The energy barrier that must be surmounted before any bonds can be broken

43. Activation Energy Some reactions have a low energy barrier iron to rust energy in the environment sufficient Some reactions have a high energy barrier gasoline to carbon dioxide & water the flame from a match sufficient match is most common arson igniter

44. Activation Energy Spontaneous combustion is rare For a material to spontaneously burst into flames, it must be continually generating heat in a poorly-ventilated area barn filled with hay bacteria produce heat as a metabolism by-product which is not dissipated from center of stack smolder ---> flames

45. Terminating the Burn Cut off oxygen supply smother fire with water, blanket, or carbon dioxide Allow fuel source to be totally consumed Reduce temperature water atmospheric conditions

46. Rate of Reaction Not all oxidation reactions result in flames! rusting metabolism Rate of reaction determines the nature of the reaction Medium to high rates of combustion often result in flames deflagration

47. How Are Flames Produced? Molecules of fuel must be in gaseous state to produce a flame Molecules of fuel must be mixed with a sufficient quantity of air for reaction to sustain itself Liquid fuels must be volatilized before they can burn the higher the temp the more molecules converted to gaseous state

48. Liquid Fuels

49. Flash Point The lowest temperature at which a flammable liquid gives off sufficient vapor to support a flame The presence of vapor is necessary but not sufficient for ignition vapor must combine in proper proportion with oxygen-containing air Volatile liquids require a low temp to vaporize some molecules

50. Ignition Temperature The temperature which inputs sufficient energy to surmount the activation energy Ignition temp is always considerably higher than the flash point gasoline flash point: -50oF defines the temp which the bulk of the liquid must reach to produce vapor ignition temp: 495oF temp required to start gasoline burning

51. Liquid Fuels Liquids never burn by themselves Fire takes place in the vapor phase at the surface of the liquid Exception nitroglycerine both fuel & oxygen are present in the compound

52. Solid Fuels

53. Pyrolysis To produce a flame from a burning solid, molecules at the surface of the solid must be transformed directly to a gas Heat can decompose complex molecules (wood) into smaller, more volatile molecules pyrolysis Decomposition products react with oxygen

54. A Wood Fire Three types of reactions occur simultaneously gas combustion (flames) pyrolysis sustained by the heat of the flames glowing surface combustion (smoldering)

55. Smoldering Uncombined carbon can�t burn with a flame because the heat liberated in its oxidation is lower than the heat required for its vaporization smoldering embers still oxidizing slowly analogously to rusting process Fresh source of oxygen will re-ignite the flaming reaction if pyrolizable fuel is present

56. The Crime Scene Collection of Evidence

57. The Fire Investigation

58. Questions to Be Asked What was the heat source? What was the fuel? What provided the oxygen supply?

59. Answers Oxygen supply almost always atmospheric wind patterns & air drafts may be important in determining the origin & progress of the fire usually done by a trained fire investigator Fuel is usually fairly obvious Laboratory useful in analyzing the evidence relating to heat source

60. Accidental or Incendiary? Evidence of an ignition device Evidence of a accelerant or ignitable fluid

61. Collecting Evidence Ignitable fluids are very volatile requiring care in collection Collect a large quantity of ash & soot for suspected point of origin may contain remnants of unburned or partially burned ignitable fluid Partially burned or unburned porous material should also be collected

62. Collecting Evidence Evidence should be collected in airtight, solvent-resistant containers new metal paint cans not plastic containers might react with evidence fluids polyester bags that are chemically resistant

63. Substrate Samples Many household materials are hydrocarbon-based Important to collect substrate samples of materials similar to those from point of origin for comparison look for presence of different substances at point of origin than in other samples Suspect�s clothing may contain fluid residue

64. Ignition Devices Can be ordinary devices cigarette match May have had electric or mechanical sparking devices

65. Fire Patterns V-pattern fire moves upward spreading from its origin point of origin does not imply arson, but gives a good starting place for evidence collection Ribbon pattern fire follows the path of ignitable fluid spread before ignition

66. Arson Investigation The Forensic Laboratory

67. What�s the Question? Legal Question �Did someone purposefully set the fire, and if so who?� Since most materials don�t easily ignite, an arsonist will often employ an ignitable fluid to start the fire Presence of an ignitable fluid does not, in and of itself establish the legal crime of arson

68. Laboratory Collection Methods

69. Headspace Simplest collection technique Material collected in an airtight can is gently warmed inducing a vapor which rises to occupy the empty top space. A sampling device such as a syringe is used to puncture the can and collect a sample of the headspace.

70. Adsorption/Elution Hydrocarbon vapors are collected & concentrated on an adsorptive strip charcoal-coated teflon Strip placed in container with the evidence Container warmed to release vapors which are adsorbed by the charcoal on the strip Strip eluted with a small quantity of solvent increases possible detection by 100X

71. Other Methods Steam Distillation Direct solvent extraction of the debris

72. Laboratory Analysis Gas Chromatography

73. Interpretation of Results Look for the pattern resulting from the chromatographic separation of the compounds making up the mixture Patterns produced by known petroleum distillates are kept on file in the laboratory If possible comparisons are made with suspect objects

74. Same Substance Different Sources

75. What Information Can Be Obtained? Can classify the substance by the complex pattern of peaks gasoline vs. paint thinner Can�t usually determine the gas station the particular sample came from Difficult sufficiently prove common origin of evidence & reference sample sample from can in suspect�s car

76. Classification of Hydrocarbons n-Heptane 7 carbon straight-chain alkane total of 8 isomers having formula of C7 H16 ClassificationTable

79. Some Petroleum Distillate Chromatograms