NFPA 921 2024
$64.58
NFPA 921: Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations
Published By | Publication Date | Number of Pages |
NFPA | 2024 | 500 |
NFPA 921, Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, provides the roadmap for scientific investigation methods used to formulate fact-based opinions on incident origin, cause, responsibility, prevention, and the damage and injuries that can arise in such cases. NFPA 921 is recommended as the forensic science consensus guide for fire investigations by the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC), a collaborative body of more than 600 forensic science practitioners and experts. Reference NFPA 921 for guidance in: Using the scientific method in origin and cause investigations Documenting an investigation so that all relevant facts are gathered for future use in court Handling fire-related evidence so that it’s admissible in court Understanding many of the terms related to explosion and fire investigations
PDF Catalog
PDF Pages | PDF Title |
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2 | Important Notices and Disclaimers |
3 | Additional Notices and Disclaimers |
12 | Chapter 1 Administration 1.1 Scope. 1.2 Purpose. 1.3 Application. 1.4 Units of Measure. |
13 | 1.5 Measurement Uncertainty. Chapter 2 Referenced Publications 2.1 General. 2.2 NFPA Publications. |
14 | 2.3 Other Publications. |
17 | 2.4 References for Extracts in Advisory Sections. |
18 | Chapter 3 Definitions 3.1 General. 3.2 NFPA Official Definitions. 3.3 General Definitions. |
24 | 3.4 Canine Definitions. 3.5 Terminology Specific to Wildfire Investigations. |
26 | Chapter 4 Basic Methodology 4.1 Nature of Fire Investigations. 4.2 Systematic Approach. 4.3 Relating Fire Investigation to the Scientific Method. |
27 | 4.4 Basic Method of a Fire Investigation. |
28 | 4.5 Expert Opinions. 4.6 Review Procedure. |
29 | 4.7 Reporting Procedure. |
30 | Chapter 5 Basic Fire Science 5.1 Introduction. |
31 | 5.2 Chemistry. |
32 | 5.3 Products of Combustion. 5.4 Fluid Flows. |
33 | 5.5 Heat Transfer. |
35 | 5.6 Fuel Load, Fuel Packages, and Properties of Flames. |
43 | 5.7 Ignition. |
49 | 5.8 Flame Spread. |
51 | 5.9 Fire Spread in a Compartment. |
52 | 5.10 Compartment Fire Development. |
56 | 5.11 Fire Spread Between Compartments. |
57 | 5.12 Paths of Fire and Smoke Spread Through Buildings. |
58 | 5.13 Paths of Smoke Spread in Buildings. |
59 | Chapter 6 Fire Effects and Fire Patterns 6.1 Introduction. |
61 | 6.2 Fire Effects. |
77 | 6.3 Fire Patterns. |
81 | 6.4 Fire Pattern Generation. |
85 | 6.5 Fire Pattern Geometry. |
94 | 6.6 Fire Effects on Electrical Systems and Components. |
106 | 6.7 Pointer and Arrow Patterns. 6.8 Impact of Firefighting Actions. |
108 | Chapter 7 Building Systems 7.1 Introduction. 7.2 Features of Design, Construction, and Structural Elements in Evaluating Fire Development. |
110 | 7.3 Types of Construction. |
113 | 7.4 Construction Assemblies. |
115 | 7.5 Construction Materials. 7.6 Impact of Passive Fire Protection Systems on Investigation. 7.7 Design and Installation Parameters of the System. |
116 | 7.8 Documentation and Data Collection. 7.9 Analysis. |
117 | 7.10 Heating Systems. |
122 | Chapter 8 Active Fire Protection Systems 8.1 Introduction. 8.2 Documentation of Fire Protection Systems. 8.3 Fire Alarm Systems. |
128 | 8.4 Water-Based Fire Suppression Protection Systems. |
135 | 8.5 Non-Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. |
140 | 8.6 Spoliation Issues. |
141 | Chapter 9 Electricity and Fire 9.1 Introduction. 9.2 Basic Electricity. |
146 | 9.3 Building Electrical Systems. |
147 | 9.4 Service Equipment. 9.5 Grounding. 9.6 Overcurrent Protection. |
152 | 9.7 Branch Circuits. |
153 | 9.8 Outlets and Devices. |
154 | 9.9 Ignition by Electrical Energy. |
157 | 9.10 Interpreting Damage to Electrical Systems. |
160 | 9.11 Identification of Damaged Conductors. |
161 | 9.12 Electrical System Examination. |
162 | 9.13 Arc Surveys. |
164 | 9.14 Static Electricity. |
168 | 9.15 Lithium Ion Batteries. |
169 | Chapter 10 Building Fuel Gas Systems 10.1 Introduction. 10.2 Fuel Gases. |
170 | 10.3 Natural Gas Systems. 10.4 LP-Gas Systems. |
171 | 10.5 Common Fuel Gas System Components. |
172 | 10.6 Common Piping in Buildings. |
173 | 10.7 Common Appliance and Equipment Requirements. 10.8 Common Fuel Gas Utilization Equipment. |
174 | 10.9 Investigating Fuel Gas Systems Incidents. |
180 | Chapter 11 Fire-Related Human Behavior 11.1 Introduction. 11.2 History of Research. 11.3 General Considerations of Human Responses to Fires. |
182 | 11.4 Factors Related to Fire Initiation. |
183 | 11.5 Youth Fire-Setting Behavior. |
184 | 11.6 Incendiary Fires. 11.7 Human Factors Related to Fire Spread. 11.8 Recognition and Response to Fires. |
185 | Chapter 12 Legal Considerations 12.1 Introduction. 12.2 Constitutional Considerations. 12.3 Legal Considerations During the Investigation. |
188 | 12.4 Pretrial Legal Considerations. |
189 | 12.5 Trials. |
193 | Chapter 13 Fire Investigator Safety, Health, and Wellness 13.1 General. 13.2 Application of the Scientific Method to Scene Safety. |
194 | 13.3 Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Mitigation. |
200 | 13.4 Risk Assessment and Evaluation. |
201 | 13.5 Hazard Exposure. 13.6 Exposure Effects. |
202 | 13.7 Risk Mitigation Methods. |
203 | 13.8 Other Safety Equipment. 13.9 Decontamination. 13.10 Site-Specific Safety and Emergency Action Plans. |
204 | 13.11 First Aid Training, Supplies, and Emergency Notification Numbers. |
205 | Chapter 14 Sources of Information 14.1 General. 14.2 Legal Considerations. 14.3 ASTM Standards for Collecting, Preserving, and Evaluating Data. |
206 | 14.4 Forms of Information. 14.5 Sources of Non-Scene Data. |
212 | 14.6 Private Sources of Information. |
214 | Chapter 15 Planning the Investigation 15.1 Introduction. 15.2 Basic Incident Information. |
215 | 15.3 Organizing the Investigation Functions. 15.4 Pre-InvestigationPreinvestigation Team Meeting. 15.5 Specialized Personnel and Technical Consultants. |
216 | 15.6 Case Management. |
217 | Chapter 16 Documentation of the Investigation 16.1 Introduction. 16.2 Photography. |
223 | 16.3 Note Taking. |
224 | 16.4 Diagrams and Drawings. |
230 | 16.5 Reports and Testimony. |
232 | Chapter 17 Physical Evidence 17.1 General. 17.2 Physical Evidence. 17.3 Preservation of the Fire Scene and Physical Evidence. |
234 | 17.4 Contamination of Physical Evidence. 17.5 Methods of Collection. |
236 | 17.6 Evidence Containers. |
237 | 17.7 Canine-Handler Teams Introduction. |
239 | 17.8 Identification of Physical Evidence. |
240 | 17.9 Transportation and Storage of Physical Evidence. 17.10 Chain of Custody of Physical Evidence. 17.11 Examination and Testing of Physical Evidence. |
244 | 17.12 Evidence Disposition. |
245 | Chapter 18 Origin Determination 18.1 Introduction. 18.2 Overall Methodology. |
246 | 18.3 Data Collection for Origin Determination. |
250 | 18.4 Analyze the Data. |
253 | 18.5 Developing Origin Hypotheses. |
254 | 18.6 Testing an Origin Hypothesis for Validity. |
255 | 18.7 Selecting the Final Hypothesis. 18.8 Origin Insufficiently Defined. |
256 | Chapter 19 Fire Cause Determination 19.1 Introduction. 19.2 Overall Methodology. |
257 | 19.3 Data Collection for Fire Cause Determination. |
258 | 19.4 Analyze the Data. |
259 | 19.5 Developing Cause Hypotheses. 19.6 Testing the Cause Hypothesis for Validity. |
260 | 19.7 Selecting the Final Hypothesis. |
261 | 19.8 Fire Incident and Cause Classifications. |
262 | Chapter 20 Analyzing the Incident for Cause and Responsibility 20.1 General. 20.2 The Cause of the Fire or Explosion. 20.3 The Cause of Damage to Property Resulting from the Incident. 20.4 The Cause of Bodily Injury or Loss of Life. |
263 | 20.5 Determining Responsibility. |
264 | Chapter 21 Failure Analysis and Analytical Tools 21.1 Introduction. 21.2 Time Lines. |
265 | 21.3 Systems Analysis. |
268 | 21.4 Mathematical Modeling. |
271 | 21.5 Fire Testing. |
273 | 21.6 Data Required for Modeling and Testing. |
274 | Chapter 22 Explosions 22.1 General. 22.2 Types of Explosions. |
275 | 22.3 Characterization of Explosion Damage. |
276 | 22.4 Effects of Explosions. |
280 | 22.5 Factors Controlling Explosion Effects. |
281 | 22.6 Seated Explosions. |
282 | 22.7 Nonseated Explosions. 22.8 Gas/Vapor Combustion Explosions. |
287 | 22.9 Dust Explosions. |
289 | 22.10 Backdraft (Smoke Explosions). 22.11 Unconfined Vapor Cloud Explosions. |
290 | 22.12 Explosives. 22.13 Investigation of Explosive Incidents. 22.14 Investigating the Explosion Scene. |
296 | 22.15 Analyze Origin (Epicenter). 22.16 Analyze Fuel Source. |
297 | 22.17 Analyze Ignition Source. 22.18 Analyze to Establish Cause. |
298 | Chapter 23 Incendiary Fires 23.1 Introduction. 23.2 Incendiary Fire Indicators. |
300 | 23.3 Potential Indicators Not Directly Related to Combustion. |
301 | 23.4 Other Evidentiary Factors. |
305 | Chapter 24 Fire and Explosion Deaths and Injuries 24.1 General. 24.2 Mechanisms of Death and Injury. |
308 | 24.3 Consumption of the Body by Fire. 24.4 Postmortem Changes. |
309 | 24.5 Investigating Fire Scenes with Fatalities. |
311 | 24.6 Investigating Fire Scenes with Injuries. 24.7 Explosion Deaths and Injuries. |
312 | 24.8 Post Scene Investigation of Injuries. 24.9 Fire Death Pathological and Toxicological Examination. |
316 | 24.10 Analysis of Data. |
319 | Chapter 25 Appliances 25.1 Scope. 25.2 Appliance Scene Recording. |
320 | 25.3 Origin Analysis Involving Appliances. |
321 | 25.4 Cause Analysis Involving Appliances. |
323 | 25.5 Appliance Components. |
332 | 25.6 Common Residential Appliances. |
335 | Chapter 26 Motor Vehicle Fires 26.1 Introduction. 26.2 Vehicle Investigation Safety. 26.3 Fuels in Vehicle Fires. |
339 | 26.4 Ignition Sources. |
340 | 26.5 System Identification and Function. |
346 | 26.6 Body Systems. 26.7 Motor Vehicle Fire Scenes. |
347 | 26.8 Motor Vehicle Examinations. |
351 | 26.9 Total Burns. 26.10 Special Considerations for Incendiary Vehicle Fires. |
352 | 26.11 Vehicle Ignition Components. |
355 | 26.12 Vehicles in Structures. 26.13 Recreational Vehicles. |
358 | 26.14 Heavy Equipment. |
360 | 26.15 Agricultural Equipment and Implements Introduction. |
365 | 26.16 Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and Electric Vehicles (EVs). |
366 | 26.17 Towing Considerations. |
367 | 26.18 Hydrogen-Fueled Vehicles. |
369 | Chapter 27 Wildfire Investigations 27.1 Introduction. 27.2 Scope. 27.3 Purpose. 27.4 Terminology Specific to Wildfire Investigations. 27.5 Basic Methodology. 27.6 Fire Science. |
370 | 27.7 Fire Pattern Indicator. |
377 | 27.8 Safety. |
378 | 27.9 Determining the Origin Area. 27.10 Determining the Cause. |
381 | Chapter 28 Management of Complex Investigations 28.1 Scope. 28.2 Basic Information and Documents. 28.3 Communications Among Interested Parties. |
382 | 28.4 Understandings and Agreements. |
383 | 28.5 Management of the Investigation. |
384 | 28.6 Evidence. |
385 | 28.7 Logistics. 28.8 Site and Scene Safety. |
387 | Chapter 29 Marine Fire Investigations 29.1 Introduction. 29.2 Marine Vessel Terminology and Navigational Concepts. |
388 | 29.3 Vessel Investigation Safety. |
389 | 29.4 System Identification and Function. |
392 | 29.5 Exterior. 29.6 Interior. |
393 | 29.7 Propulsion Systems. |
394 | 29.8 Ignition Sources. |
396 | 29.9 Documenting Vessel Fire Scenes. |
399 | 29.10 Vessel Examination. |
400 | 29.11 Vessels in Structures. |
401 | 29.12 Legal Considerations. |
402 | Annex A Explanatory Material |
453 | Annex B Bibliography |
456 | Annex C Informational References |
464 | Annex D Photograph Credits |