Fire Investigation INFOCUS podcast

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S.3 Ep.23- IAAI CFI Requirements Explained & NFPA 1033 2027 Changes

2026-11-1101:05:26

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, hosts Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens explain the updated eligibility requirements for the IAAI Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) exam and discuss selected changes in the NFPA 1033 2027 edition. They cover the five years of fire investigation experience and 400 hours of training candidates need, along with the new requirement for a signed Job Performance Requirements (JPR) checklist evaluated by an approved evaluator. The hosts also review updates to NFPA 103...

S.3 Ep.22- Live from IAAI-ITC Inside EKU’s Student Fire Research Projects

2026-10-2830:24

Send us Fan Mail In this episode recorded at IAAI ITC in St. Louis, Chasity talks with Eastern Kentucky University students about two research projects. One examines whether measuring the size of melted wire globules can help distinguish arc damage from melting in common 10, 12, and 14 gauge wires. The other explores how repeated plugging and unplugging may contribute to mechanical fatigue in receptacles and, potentially, overheating. Neither project offers a conclusive field tool yet; b...

S.3 Ep.21- What Data Analytics Can Bring to Fire Investigation with Fire Marshal Melinda Rios

2026-10-1459:52

Send us Fan Mail Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens recap the California Conference of Arson Investigators’ fall conference, including live demonstrations, electrical training, and the strong turnout. They look ahead to the February conference, which will feature a live Scientific Advisory Work Group presentation and sessions on confirmation bias, fire dynamics, and defense challenges. They also share a short NFPA 921 refresher on the difference between a vapor and a gas. Guest Melinda Rios join...

S.3 Ep.20- NFPA 921 Chapter 8 Summary: Active Fire Protection Systems

2026-09-3059:47

Send us Fan Mail What can fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and suppression equipment reveal about a fire? In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens explore NFPA 921 (2024), Chapter 8: Active Fire Protection Systems, and how these systems can help investigators reconstruct fire timelines, evaluate fire spread, and test origin and cause hypotheses. They discuss fire alarm event logs, smoke and heat detection, projected beam detectors, linear heat detection, acoustic soot agglomeration, an...

Embercast 5- Smart Outlets at Fire Scenes: Research with Madison Hall and Elias Phipps student and alumni of Eastern Kentucky University

2026-09-2311:59

Send us Fan Mail What can a fire investigator learn from the remains of a burned smart outlet? In this short episode, Chasity and Scott speak with Eastern Kentucky University students Madison Hall and Elias Phipps at the 2026 IAAI International Training Conference in St. Louis. They discuss their research on identifying Wi-Fi-enabled smart outlets after a fire and distinguishing their components from those of standard AC adapters. Madison and Elias burned and disassembled devices, then docume...

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