Within the EEA programme “International Police Cooperation and Combating Crime” project No. EEZ/TM/2022/7, practical training sessions for the improvement of professional skills during the period from 15 May to 25 May 2023 were conducted for the inspection of the fire crime scene and the fixing of feet, concluding this project activity.
This spring, 29 forensic experts from the State Police had the opportunity to travel to the Lithuanian fire Investigation Centre in Vilnius, where two four-day practice sessions developed skills in fire crime scene inspection and feet fixation. The training forces of the Lithuanian Fire School shared their experience and theoretical knowledge of the combustibility and fire resistance of various materials, as well as the physical and chemical characteristics of the extinguishing materials. As the biggest benefit, forensic experts at the State Police assessed the possibility of testing all theoretically acquired knowledge immediately in practice.
In the theoretical part of the training, Lithuanian firefighters shared their experience of the actual progress and conclusions of the crime investigation: how the color of the metal, which is the consequence of incorrectly constructed heating appliances, and other knowledge useful for day-to-day work, changes as the fire progresses.
In specially constructed stands, everyone were able to watch the fire safety, fire resistance and changes in different temperatures of different materials being tested.
The participants were also shown various types of electrical short circuits, the causes of their occurrence and the traces left, the understanding of which makes it much more effective to identify possible signs of an event at the scene.
During the training, the State Police experts were also introduced to the daily life of Lithuanian colleagues at the Fire Research Centre, where they could take a closer look at laboratory equipment and equipment, as well as learn more about the research methods used to study objects seized at the scene.
In one of the practical tasks, experts from household cases had to create a fire-provenance object with a time delay. During that task, the experts were able to ascertain clearly at what point in time the ignited object caused ignition in the surrounding objects, thus raising awareness of the basic principles of that process and the state of the materials after incineration.
In one of the practical parts, a scene inspection of the fire scene took place in four metal containers, in which various household objects – furniture, stoves, computers, various devices, wire connections, tables and beds – were placed prior to the fire, creating proximity conditions for a real scene.
After the artificially created fire, conclusions had to be drawn during the inspection and versions of the likely origin and nature of the fire, the circumstances affecting it and the nature of the spread had to be made. Each version shall be based on removable and fixable objects and conditions. Each scene had its own fable describing the conditions surrounding the fire. In order to make the situation more complex, inconsistencies, false testimonies and other specifics were included in the alphabet, the likelihood of which had to be taken into account in the inspection of the fire scene.
In a follow-up to the practice sessions, the State Police forensics analyzed crime scene footage and compared their findings to the fire scene captured in the videos. Video footage showed once again the importance of saving the scene and how otherwise it could have a significant impact on the versions and final conclusions to be raised. The tasks asked were handled brilliantly by all groups, which was a great pleasure for themselves.
For experts to understand the effects of fire on materials, the evolution of flue gases in space and the effects of heat, forensics were offered the option of being physically at the scene of the fire.
Team experts in full fire equipment and under the supervision of a qualified firefighter were in a smoked training container under direct fire.
As part of this project, a total of four such training sessions were conducted, during which a total of 56 forensic experts of the State Police had the opportunity to acquire new skills in fire scene inspection and foot fixation. The biggest benefit was to test the theoretical knowledge already in place by studying the devastation of real fires, which were staged in time for training purposes, and then discuss all stages of the potential crime – the original description and visualization of the site, the fire itself and, in conclusion, the dyestuffs, by which the criminals had to determine the source and cause of the fire, including being directly under fire. This made it possible, in circumstances as close as possible to reality, to learn the nuances of investigative activities and foot fixation, as well as to share experience with Lithuanian forensic experts in completing scene review reports and other procedural activities.
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