Certified Fire Investigator Bomb Technician Expert Witness

Expert Witness No.997

Nevada

Current Employment

Private Fire & Explosion Investigator since September 1995     (Sole Proprietor)
Moved from California to Nevada March 2001

California     P. I. License
Nevada        P. I. License
Alaska          P. I. License

Retired May 9th, 1995 from California State Service with the State Fire Marshal's Office.

32 Years as a California Law Enforcement Officer
32 Years specializing in Fire, Explosion, and Bombing Investigation
11 Years State Fire Marshal's Office Bomb Squad & 9 years California North Coast Bomb Squad
10 Yeas as a Private Fire/Explosion Investigator
Expert Witness since 1974, testified 51 times since 11-30-88 (when records first kept)

Law Enforcement Experience

1-1-1977 to 5-9-1995

Criminal Investigator for the California State Fire Marshal's Arson/Bomb Investigation Division.  Assigned to the Willits Office, Calif.

Investigation responsibilities in the Counties of Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt and Del Norte.

Duties:  Hazardous Devices Technician (Bomb Technician); RENDER SAFE PROCEDURES; Crime Scene Investigator regarding Fire/Arson and Bombing incidents; Fire Death/Homicide Investigator; General Criminal Investigation and case preparation regarding Arson, Bombing and Explosive incidents; Expert Testimony regarding Fire/Arson, Bombing and Explosive incidents; Evaluation and Analysis of suspected and actual Destructive Devices; Preparation and Writing of curriculum for the State Certified Training classes in the field of Fire, Arson, Bombs and Explosives;

State Credentialed Instructor in related subjects: Fire/Arson Investigation; Fire Death/Homicide Investigation; Bomb/Explosion Investigation; Booby Trap/improvised Explosive Devices; Fireworks; Laws/Search and Seizure relating to area of expertise; Render Safe Procedures of Hazardous Devices and Explosives; Crime Scene/Evidence Collection, Preservation and Documentation
5-1967 to 12-1977
Member of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Assignments:

2-73 to 12-77
Detective, Criminal Conspiracy Unit, Arson/Explosives Detail.

2-71 to 2-73
Detective, Juvenile Division

6-69 to 2-71
Tactical Officer (Drill Instructor) for the Sheriff's Academy.

5-67 to 6-69
Central Patrol Division assigned to the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (S.W.A.T.) and the Special Enforcement Detail (S.E.D.).

2-1966 to 5-1967
Member of the LaHabra Police Department, Orange County California.

Assignment:
Patrol Division, General Law enforcement.

8-1965 TO 2-1966
Member of the California Highway Patrol, stationed in Lancaster, California.

Assignment:
Patrol, General Traffic Enforcement.

2-1963 to 8-1965
Member of the LaHabra Police Department, Orange County California.

Assignment:
Patrol Division, General Law Enforcement.

Formal Education

Bachelor Of Science
University of Pepperdine
Graduated in 1974 with a B.S. Degree in Public Administration

Associate Of Arts
San Bernardino Valley College
Graduated in 1974 with an A.A. Degree in Police Science.

Diploma
Garden Grove High School, Orange County, California.
Graduated in 1958, High School Diploma

Continuing Formal Education/Law Enforcement

List of courses taken from 1963 to Present Available upon Request

4061 Hours Total

Teaching Experience and Credential

Credential

Standard Designated Subjects Teaching Credential Issued for life on 6-25-69, Number 7740, by the California State Department of Education. Designated Subject is Police Science.

Teaching Experience

I have been an instructor in Fire/Bomb Scene Investigation and General Police Science since 1969.

I have taught/lectured throughout California.

I have taught/lectured nationally in Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, Colorado, Texas, Minnesota, Arizona and South Dakota.

I have taught internationally in Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

I have instructed for the following organizations:

Police Departments, Sheriff's Departments, Fire Departments, Arson/Bomb task Forces, and District Attorneys Offices throughout California (many times).

American Academy of Forensic Sciences

California Conference of Arson Investigators (3 times)

Wisconsin Department of Justice (3 times)

British Columbia Fire Commissioners Office and Justice Department (10 times)

Denver Colorado Fire Department

International Association of Arson Investigators (9 times) 

California Department of Justice (5 times)

Regional Occupation Programs and Community Colleges 

North West Fire Investigators Association, Washington State

Minnesota Chapter, I.A.A.I.

British Columbia Chapter, Fire Prevention Officers (2 times)

International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators

California Association of Criminalist (3 times)

South Dakota State Fire Marshal's Office

Saskatchewan, Regina SGI and Regina Police Department

Institute of Linguistics, Dallas, Texas

State Farm Insurance Company (2 times)

Arizona State Fire Training School

International Association of Forensic Sciences (2 times)

College of the Rockies, British Columbia

Tri-Counties, Region 8 Fire Council, Washington State (2 times)

Rouge River Chapter I.A.A.I., Oregon

Nevada Chapter IAAI

Operation Road Trip, Department of Homeland Security, Sandpoint, Idaho

Number of hours of teaching experience in Designated Subjects:  Fire/Arson/Bomb/Booby Trap/EOD and General Investigation---------(2974.5)

Number of "Hands On" Fire/Explosive/Bomb Scene Test demonstrations. This section includes the1000+ hours** of undocumented training where I not only teach but also learn from the test demonstration. For the most part these test demonstrations were conducted as part of the teaching experience listed above.

Structure fire test demonstration & experiments

260 structures burned with 405 different burn scenarios.

Explosive/Bomb scene test demonstrations & experiments (structure)

117 different explosion test demonstrations in structures.
209 different sets/types of explosions

Vehicle Fire/Explosion test demonstrations & experiments

29 explosion test demonstrations, (47 different explosions)

72  fire test demonstrations & experiments

Wild land Fire Test demonstrations

4 different Test demonstrations

Other Training

11 classes Booby Trap/Improvised Explosive Devices/FWX

I have personally set or assisted in the set up of 748 fire and/or explosion-EOD test demonstrations & experiments.

481 Fire
267 Explosions

The above hours do not include the hundreds of hours instructing, making lesson plans and administering the program, as a Drill Instructor, at the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Academy.

Accredited Instructor for Volunteer Fire Officer, California Fire Service Training and Education System.

Certified Instructor by the State Board of Fire Services for the subject of Fire Investigation.

Certified Fire Investigator, Level 1 and 2. Certified by the State of California, State Fire Marshal's Office.

Arson/Bomb Investigation and Hazardous Devices Technician Background.

Number of fires investigated by type of incident and number:

Arson     (777)

Accidental     (429)

Undetermined     (213)

Total     (1419)

Number of Fire/Explosion Death Investigations (included in above number):

Murder (187 P.C.)      (32)

Accidental     (68)

Total     (100)

Number of Bomb/Explosion Scene Investigations:

Some have resulted in injuries and death.      (135)

Number of Bomb Technician incidents:

Render Safe Procedures     (140)

Expert Testimony Background

Have Testified 51 Times Since Records Kept, Starting 11-30-88.

Testimony as To Origin And Cause, 30 Times

By County or place (Municipal, Superior and Federal)
San Bernardino
Riverside
Sonoma
Mendocino
Lake
Humboldt
Del Norte
Solano
San Francisco
Alameda
San Mateo
Tehema
Los Angeles
Ventura
Leavenworth Co. Kansas (Deposition taken in San Francisco)
Sacramento

Testimony Regarding Bombs And Explosives, 21 Times

By County in California (Municipal, Superior, Federal)
Mendocino
Humboldt
Del Norte
Solano
Napa
Lake
San Francisco

Membership in The Following Professional Organizations

International Association of Arson Investigators (I.A.A.I.)

International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (I.A.B.T.I.)

California Conference of Arson Investigators (C.C.A.I.)

National Fire Protection Association

New Zealand Fire Investigators Association Inc. (Life Member)

San Bernardino County Fire-Arson Investigators Association (Life Member)

National Fire Protection Association Research Section

Fire Marshal's Association of North America (Associate Member)

Nevada Chapter, International Association of Arson Investigators

While a member of the California state fire marshals' office, I was a member of the following professional committees:

State Fire Marshal's Fire Investigator Curriculum Committee.

California Conference of Arson Investigators Education Committee.

The two committee's listed above wrote the State Certified Fire Investigation Curriculum found in Fire Investigation 1-A, 1-B, 2-A and 2-B. There are a total of 120 hours of instruction in these four classes. (P.O.S.T. Certified)

State Fire Marshal's Committee to rewrite the CDAA Fire Investigation Manual.

Author for the sections on Structure Fire Investigation and Fire Death Investigation. Submitted for approval on 1-1994. Published in 1995

State Fire Marshal's Bomb and Explosives Curriculum Committee.

One of 5 members that produced a 40 hour Bomb and Explosive  Reconnaissance/recognition class. (P.O.S.T. Certified)

I was responsible for writing the following sections:

Introduction to Explosives  

Explosive Effects  

Blast Pressures Effects

Damage Control Procedures 

Recognition of Explosives

California State Fire Marshal's Basic Arson Detection Guide.

I re-wrote this guide in 1988. It has been published by the California State Fire Marshal's Office.

Reviewed for publisher (2003) Forensic Fire Scene Reconstruction@ by Dr. John DeHaan and Dr. Dave Icove. To be published in the fall of 2003.

Authored specialized curriculum used in my fire, explosion, and bomb investigation classes and seminars.