ARSON

Consider taking the following notes: 

Case number

Date/Time

Address/Location

Initial case details

Victim/Suspect info

Assigned Officer/Detective

Fire department/Fire Marshall contacts

Note fire suppression methods used

Consider the following:

What is the appropriate PPE for this scene?

Did someone start a crime scene log?

Is the scene secure and safe?

Is evidence location on the exterior/interior of the crime scene?

Is consent or a search warrant needed?

Overall/mid-range/close-up photographs of scene

Intersection/street location information

Point of entry/exit

Security cameras/systems

Fire alarms, security alarms and sprinklers

Items of evidentiary value to include:

Canister and containers

Points of origin

Fuel trails

Burn and fire patterens

Broken windows and doors

Shoe and tire impressions

Burn injuries to victims

Fire patterns on victim’s clothing

Evidence with the crime scene

Re-take overall/ mid-range/close-up photographs of scene and items of evidentiary value with markers in place

Collect swabs of any apparent body fluids within the scene

Document and cast shoe and/or tire impressions

Collect items of evidentiary value from within the crime scene

Process the crime scene using the appropriate latent print processing techniques.

Consider processing the following:

Entry/exit points

Door handles/knobs

Light switches

Any other surfaces the suspects touched within the scene

Conduct a secondary walk through of the scene to ensure that all evidence was documented and collected and everything of evidentiary value was appropriately processed