David Opperman ATF Senior Special Agent Lubbock Field Office

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1 Introduction to Wildland Fire Investigation March 31, 2010 This course is designed to introduce the first responder to the basic methodology for determining the origin and cause for wildland fires. Having a basic understanding of wildland fire investigations will aid first responders in determining if a wildland fire investigation is warranted by a trained and certified personnel. This course will also provide information related to the protection of fire travel indicators and evidence for investigation purposes. Class Time: 8:00 12:00 or 1:00 5:00 Location: Institute for Forensic Science 4434 South Loop 289 Lubbock, TX David Opperman ATF Senior Special Agent Lubbock Field Office Since 2003, Senior Special Agent David Opperman has been assigned to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Lubbock Texas Field Office. In 1990, he was hired by ATF and assigned to the Organized Crime, Drug Enforcement Task Force in Houston, Texas. In 1991, he was transferred to the Arson Group, Houston Group III (Arson/Explosives). Prior to joining the ATF, he was employed by the Lubbock Fire Department for 11 years, 8 years in suppression, 3 years arson investigation. Agent Opperman has been an ATF Certified Explosives Specialist since 1992 and an ATF Certified Fire Investigator since ATF s primary interest in fire investigations is commercial business and church fires. Agent Opperman has worked all types of fire investigations, including numerous bomb investigations, murder cases and capital murder cases that involved explosives. He assisted in the post blast investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing and testified in the federal trial of McVeigh; as well as, both the federal and state trials on Nichols. His primary duties with AFT are to assist the State and Local Fire Departments with fire scene investigations. Agent Opperman has served as an instructor at numerous schools for federal, state and local investigators. He has instructed at training seminars of the International Association of Arson Investigators and the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators. Agent Opperman is on the Board of Directors for the Texas State Chapter of IAAI and is on the planning committee for the Annual Arson seminar in Austin each year. Since 1993, he has been a member of the ATF National Response Team, which responds to major fire or bomb scenes across the United States to assist other Federal, State or local agencies. Agent Opperman is a Graduate of Wayland Baptist University and has taken fire related courses through the National Fire Academy, Western Illinois University, and the University of Maryland. ATF requires their CFI s to continue their education in fire related courses by mandating 80 hours of in Bureau Training and 40 hours of out of Bureau training on fire related courses each year.

2 Kelly Don Vandygriff EDUCATION 1994 South Plains College Law Enforcement Academy 1992 Lubbock Fire Department TCFP Basic Fire Academy 1991 Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Basic Emergency Medical Technician Course Abernathy High School, Abernathy, TX CERTIFICATIONS Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standard and Education (TCLEOSE) Advanced Peace Officer TCLEOSE Instructor TCLEOSE Firearms Instructor Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) Arson Investigator Texas Department of Health (TDH) Emergency Medical Technician State Firemen and Fire Marshal s Association (SFFMA) Certified Firefighter SFFMA Level II Instructor PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS West Texas Fire Arson Investigators Association o Immediate Past President o President o First Vice President o Second Vice President State Firemen and Fire Marshal s Association Panhandle Firemen and Fire Marshal s Association Texas Narcotic Officer s Association o West Region Tactical Instructor FIRE SERVICE INSTRUCTOR EXPERIENCE Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI) Texas Fire Training School (TFTS) Annual municipal school o Ag Rescue (Grain Rescue) 1999 to Present o Firefighting Phase I Hose Loads 1998 o Firefighting Phase I Ladders 1997 ESTI; Lubbock Area Fire School (Current) o Rescue I Basic Auto Extrication o Rescue II Advanced Auto Extrication o Advanced Arson Investigation ESTI; Floydada Agro Rescue School (Current) o Rappelling ESTI; Canyon Area Fire Conference (Current) o LPG Fire Suppression ESTI; North Central Texas Fire Control School Mineral Wells (Current) o Basic Rappelling o Advanced Rappelling ESTI; Mile High Rescue School Ft. Davis o Arson Detection for the First Responder

3 ESTI; Aspermont Rescue School o Rappelling ESTI; Sudan Rescue School ESTI; West of the Pecos Fire Rescue School o NFA Arson for the First Responder West Texas Fire Arson Investigator s Association o Various Fire Investigation Related Courses TEEX; Fire Investigation Course o Burn Pattern Recognition LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTRUCTOR EXPERIENCE State Fire Marshal s Office (Current) o Firearms Instructor o Expandable Baton & OC Spray o Defensive Tactics Texas Narcotic Officers Association (Current) o Tactical Rappelling o Firearms (Handguns, Shotguns & Rifles) Texas Tech Police Department o In House Training o Field Training Officer FIELD SPECIFIC EMPLOYMENT HISTORY Texas Department of Insurance State Fire Marshal s Office, May 2000 Present o Fire/Arson Investigations Division Abernathy Volunteer Fire Department, November 1989 Present o Currently hold Chief position Texas Tech Police Department, August 1995 May 2000 o Last Position Held Patrol Sergeant Plainview Fire Department, October 1992 August 1995 o Firefighter/EMT Hale County Sheriff s Department, October 1994 August 1995 o Reserve Patrol Officer SPECIALIZED FIRE & LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING ASP Tactical Baton December 1994 Chemical Aerosol Spray December 1994 Semi Auto Pistol Transition Course September 1995 ASP Tactical Baton June 1996 TCLEOSE Instructor Course August 1997 Arson Detection For The First Responder October 1997 Tactical Combat Firearms Techniques November 1998 First Line Supervisor December 1998 OC Spray May 2000 Basic Fire Investigator September 2000 PPCT Defensive Tactics Instructor April 1998 o Expandable Baton o Handcuffing o Pressure Point Control Tactics

4 BATF Post Blast School Numerous Other Training Schools Including, but not limited to: o Standardized Field Sobriety o Drug Recognition Expert o Hazardous Materials o Firefighting o Rescue o Patrol Tactics o Crime Scene Investigation o Child Abuse o Juvenile Laws o Weapons of Mass Destruction o Incident Command o Wild Land Firefighting o Confined Space Rescue o Report Writing o Background Investigation o Interview & Interrogation o Handwriting and Content Analysis o Numerous other training hours

5 FIRE INVESTIGATION FOR FIRST RESPONDERS SESSION I I. INTRODUCTION II. OVERVIEW AND CLASS OBJECTIVES III. FIRE FIGHTERS ROLE IN FIRE INVESTIGATION a. Arrival b. During Suppression c. During Overhaul IV. DETERMINING THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE V. FIRE CLASSIFICATIONS a. Accidental b. Incendiary c. Natural d. Undetermined VI. CRIMINAL CASE a. Developing a criminal case VII. CIVIL CASE a. Civil aspects of fire investigation b. Spoliation issues VIII. NFPA 921 a. Scientific Method (Basic Methodology) IX. SUMMARY SESSION II LUNCH I. OBJECTIVES II. TEXAS PENAL CODE ARSON P.C III. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FIRST RESPONDER IN AN ARSON INVESTIGATION IV. EVIDENCE a. Containers b. Information needed for evidence collection/submission c. Shipping evidence V. TYPES OF EVIDENCE AND COLLECTION FROM A FIRE SCENE VI. PROTECTING THE SCENE VII. STRUCTURE FIRES VIII. VEHICLE FIRES IX. EXPLOSIONS X. LINE OF DUTY DEATHS SESSION III I. DYNAMICS OF FIRE INVESTIGATION II. FIRE CHEMISTRY III. FIRE DYNAMICS IV. EFFECTS OF VENTILATION V. HEAT TRANSFER VI. HEAT RELEASE RATE VII. FIRE MODELING VIII. STAGES OF AN INVESTIGATION

South Central Service Center

South Central Service Center Christopher C. Janssen, CFEI, CVFI, CFE Fire Investigator San Antonio, Texas 361-960-1769 cjanssen@uis-usa.com EDUCATION: Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Texas Bachelor