1.

INTRODUCTION

Fire is a destructive force that can cause significant damage to properties and endanger people’s
lives. Fire protection and arson investigation are two interconnected practices that aim to prevent
fires from occurring, mitigate their effects, and determine the cause of fires.

Fire protection involves a range of measures and techniques that aim to prevent fires from
occurring or limit their spread. Some of these measures include the installation of fire alarms,
sprinklers, fire doors, and fire extinguishers. It also involves fire safety education and training for
people in buildings, institutions, and communities. Fire protection is an essential aspect of public
safety, and it helps to reduce the frequency and severity of fires.
Arson investigation is important as it helps to determine if a fire was accidental or deliberately
set. It will help to determine if a crime was committed and hopefully bring a perpetrator to
justice. The investigation itself begins before an investigator even arrives, as first responders are
trained to search for vital clues from the moment they arrive at the scene. Additionally, they will
protect evidence. They will turn their information over to an arson investigator who works
toward a conclusion in the matter. The arson investigator observes the scene, collects and gathers
physical evidence, and interviews witnesses. Using the information obtained, the arson
investigator will determine if the fire was accidental or deliberate and identify a suspect. Physical
evidence that’s collected will be carefully labeled and placed in containers to be transported back
to the laboratory. Upon arrival, evidence will be processed based on the specific type of
evidence. This will help to identify perpetrators and reach conclusions in investigations.

Fire protection and arson investigation are essential practices that aim to prevent fires from
occurring, limit their spread, and determine their cause. Both practices are critical to public
safety, and they require the cooperation and collaboration of various agencies, including fire
departments, law enforcement, and forensic science experts. We must continue to invest in fire
protection and arson investigation to ensure that people’s lives and properties are protected from
the devastating effects of fire.

A fire incident report or description is a document that contains all the relevant information
about a fire incident that occurred in the workplace or job site. This document includes the time
and date of the fire, the location of the fire, the cause of the fire, the damage caused by the fire,
and any injuries or fatalities that resulted from the fire. The law requires fire departments to
maintain fire incident reports to improve their fire response times and effectiveness.

Whenever a fire incident occurs, fire departments need to be able to review the fire incident
report to learn from their mistakes and improve their fire response times and effectiveness. By
creating a fire incident report, you not only help the fire department improve its fire response, but
you also help to prevent future fire incidents from occurring. The following is a list of
information that should be included in every fire incident report.The date and time of the fire,
The location of the fire, The cause of the fire, The damage caused by the fire, Any injuries or
fatalities that resulted from the fire, The name of the fire department that responded to the fire.
The following are some general tips on how to write a fire incident report. Ensure the report is
factual and objective: Avoid making assumptions or drawing conclusions in your fire incident
report. Everything in the report should be based on facts and evidence. Include all relevant
information: Every fire department will have its requirements and preferences regarding fire
incident reports. However, there are some key pieces of information that should be included in
every fire incident report. Make sure that you include all of this information in your fire incident
report. Use clear and concise language: Avoid using technical complicated language in your fire
incident report. Use clear statements so that everyone can understand easily. Follow the proper
format: Many fire departments will have their preferred format for fire incident reports. Ensure
you follow the standard format when writing your fire incident report. Avoid making
recommendations: A fire incident report is not the place for making recommendations. If you
have any recommendations, make sure that you save them for the fire investigation report.

It is an important document that should be created after every fire. This report is essential to
determining the cause of the fire and ensuring that it doesn’t happen again.
II. DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC FIRE INCIDENT

Location:
UP Campus

Time:
At about 3am

Notable details of the incident:

At about 3 AM on 2 June 2020, the school canteen was gutted by a fire, which based on initial
report started at the maintenance storage room located behind the school canteen.

Night shift guards promptly reported the incident to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). The
first alarm was raised at 3:08 AM and the fire was declared out at 3:29 AM.

The incident was confined to the maintenance storage room and the canteen and did not affect
the surrounding buildings. The dormitory manager and the security personnel ensured the safety
of the students. There are no injuries both to students and to personnel as a result of the fire.

A team from BFP revisited the area at around noon today for purposes of the fire report which it
will provide to UP Cebu thereafter.

This incident is a first for us. Rest assured that the UP Cebu administration remains cautious and
will continue to work on improving our precautionary measures to ensure the safety and health
of our community, especially in these trying times.
III. FIRE SCENE ASSESSMENT

First responders to a fire scene must assess and secure the scene and ensure that victims receive
medical attention.Observe the fire and scene conditions. First responders at a fire scene must
observe conditions and activities and provide investigators with an accurate and complete
description. Once a lead investigator arrives at the scene to relieve the first responders, he or she
should evaluate the scene, identify witnesses and survey what must be done. The lead
investigator must:

Contact first responders and establish presence. The investigator should meet with the incident
commander and first responders to assess previous events and the current status of the fire scene,
make introductions, identify essential personnel, and determine scene safety and integrity issues.
Define the scene's boundaries. The investigator should perform a preliminary scene assessment,
determine the area in which the site examination will be conducted and establish the scene
perimeter. Identify and interview witness(es) at the scene. The investigator should determine the
identities of witnesses and conduct interviews. Assess scene security at the time of the fire. The
investigator should determine whether the building or vehicle was intact and secure and if
intrusion alarms or fire detection and suppression systems were operational at the time of the
fire. Identify the resources required to process the scene.
After the lead investigator has evaluated the scene, he or she must document the
scene.Photograph or videotape the scene. The investigator should create and preserve an accurate
visual record of the scene and the evidence prior to disturbing the scene. Describe and document
the scene. The investigator should create a permanent, documented record of observations to
refresh recollections, support the investigator's opinions and conclusions, and support
photographic documentation.

After documenting the scene, the investigator or other evidence collectors must collect, preserve
and store evidence from the scene.He or she should follow these steps: Identify, collect and
preserve evidence. The investigator should ensure that evidence collectors identify, document,
collect and preserve evidence for laboratory analyses, further investigations and court
proceedings. Prevent evidence contamination. The investigator should control access to the fire
scene after fire suppression and see that evidence is collected, stored and transported so that it
will not be contaminated. Package and transport evidence. The investigator should ensure that
packaging, transportation and storage procedures are followed to prevent any destructive changes
in the condition of samples. Establish and maintain the chain of custody. The investigator should
ensure that the chain of custody is maintained.

Once evidence has been collected and processed, the investigator must complete the
investigation and release the scene. He or she should follow these steps: Release the scene. The
investigator should release the scene after reasonable efforts have been made to identify, collect
and remove all evidence from the scene for examination and that all physical characteristics of
the scene have been documented. In addition, prior to releasing the scene, associated legal, health
and safety issues must be articulated to the party taking over the investigation and reported to
public safety agencies if necessary. Submit reports to the appropriate databases. The responsible
agencies must file incident reports with the appropriate databases. Detailed fire information is
collected, integrated and disseminated through national and State databases. These data help
authorities identify fire trends and develop innovative procedures and equipment.

It provides a permanent record of the crime scene as it was when it was discovered and thus
helps remind officers and witnesses of important details that would otherwise be forgotten.
Documentation such as this also records evidence that might later be lost, stolen, or destroyed
during recovery or transportation. The need to preserve evidence and secure a scene when
responding to a fire is a concern as operational activities and the fire's development may destroy
evidence that is crucial to the effective investigation of an incident.
IV. ARSON INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES

When investigating a crime scene, even the slightest detail can make or break a case. Crime
Scene Investigators and Analysts comb through scenes for DNA, fingerprints, and different
forms of residue- all which are integral components of the investigative process. Finding
evidence that can lead to the origins of a crime is difficult enough, but when the crime at hand is
arson; extra care, attention to details must be done in order to solve the case. Because of the
destructive nature of fire, evidence may be hard to come by, meaning that investigators must
analyze this with extreme vigilance. There are several steps in the process of investigating arson,
from arriving at the scene until the investigation has been completed.

Step One: Arrival at Scene

First responders should observe and mentally note the following conditions and activities and
initiate permanent documentation of the information.” There are a number of things that need to
be assessed at the scene of the crime, such as any visible victims, the damage caused by the fire,
and any witnesses or bystanders. Anything identified in this initial stage can contribute to the
investigation, no matter how small the detail. Small observations can begin to lead investigators
on the right path and give them hints as to whether a fire was caused intentionally or by forces of
nature. In terms of an outright attack, the article warns responders to be wary of “incendiary or
explosive devices.” It is also important for responders to consider and be aware of any
flammable devices within a building, such as gas canisters or electronics that may explode. Once
responders have assessed the scene, they can then act appropriately in advancing the situation,
whether that may be putting the fire out, removing civilians from the building, and ensuring the
environment around is safe

Step Two: Evaluating the Scene

Once the first responders have contained the situation, Investigators “should meet with the
incident commander and first responders to assess previous events and the current status of the
fire scene, make introductions, identify essential personnel, and determine scene safety and
integrity issues.” In following these steps, investigators will be informed about the scene and
situation, and will be able to proceed with the investigation. The article states that “The
investigator should determine the identities of witnesses and conduct interviews.” This aspect is
important because witnesses can give key insight into any individuals who may have fled the
scene, when the fire started, and what was happening during the fire. During the evaluation
phase, caution tape is placed around the designated scene area, blocking it off from the public
and making authorities aware of the crime scene parameters. When evaluating the scene,
investigators take visual note of any evidence, such as blood and the origin of the fire. After
investigators have completed with their evaluation of the scene, the guide denotes “Documenting
the scene” as the next step in the investigative process.

Step Three: Documenting the Scene

After the lead investigator has evaluated the scene, he or she must document the scene.” His
entails taking physical notes, taking pictures of the scene, as well as taking videos. This allows
the original state of the scene to be stored permanently in the case of any tampering or moving
evidence around. Pictures and videos can also be used later in an investigation to scan for clues
and evidence that the investigator may have missed on site. Documentation, per the NIJ, may
also consist of a written narrative, written observations and descriptions, as well as written
speculations regarding the origin of the fire. When putting the pieces together as part of an
investigative team, the documentation of evidence can serve as an unbiased roadmap, or resource
to refresh the investigator’s memory. After documentation is complete, the penultimate step is
processing any evidence contained at the scene.

Step Four: Processing Evidence

Prior to processing evidence, the steps in the investigation mainly deal with assessing and
document the situation. In the processing stage, the investigator gets hands-on with the scene and
physically begins to collect evidence. Within this process, the NIJ states that investigators should
“identify, collect and preserve evidence; prevent evidence contamination, package and transport
evidence, and establish and maintain the chain of custody.” Identifying, collecting, and
preserving the evidence means that investigators have to physically sift through the scene and
collect any materials that they deem relevant to the investigation. In the case of an arson, this
may be any weapons, explosive devices, matches, or anything else that could give them insight
regarding the origins of the fire. In the case of arson, the evidence could lead investigators to
determine exactly how an individual started the fire. Preventing the contamination of evidence is
important, especially in the case of a fire where evidence may be in a weakened state. Packaging
and transporting evidence is the next step, which entails evidence being taken to a secure facility,
where it can be analyzed in an environment free of contaminants. Establishing and maintaining
the chain of custody involves making sure the evidence is tracked at all times and possession
changes are documented. After proceeding with evidence processing, investigators must then
complete the scene, which is the next step.

Step Five: Completing the Investigation

After the scene has been secured, documented, and cleared of all relevant evidence, investigators
are then tasked with taking the final steps in their on-site investigation. This includes “Releasing
the scene” and “Submitting reports to the appropriate database.” Before they can release the
scene, investigators must ensure that they have collected all possible evidence, documented the
scene accurately, and remove all materials used as part of the investigation. After the scene has
been cleared and released, the final on site task is recording scene information in various
databases, such as “Arson and Explosives National Repository, Bomb data Center, National Fire
Incident Reporting System, and State and local fire incident reporting systems.” These databases
store information that can then be accessed later to further the investigation. After the scene is
fully cleared, the fire can then be fully investigated appropriately.
V. CHALLENGES FACED

The challenges that i encountered during investigation is fire outbreaks in buildings create a huge
negative impact on the buildings, which could be detrimental to the safety of life and property. It
also has enormous economic and social impacts. For example, families who lose their homes due
to fires are subjected to living in refugee camps. Furthermore, fire victims are faced with food,
health, psychological, and financial challenges.

When a building is attacked by fire, its sustainability is directly affected, which in turn affects the
surrounding environment and the welfare of the community. Therefore, the hazards associated
with fire outbreaks in buildings need to be addressed efficiently and effectively. This can be done
through fire safety practices and awareness campaigns on the causes of fire, prevention and
suppression techniques, and the provision of adequate firefighting equipment.

To overcome this challenges the results of this study showed that the fire protection system
conditions for each building were different. For this reason, efforts are needed to raise awareness
about the importance of managing fire protection systems in buildings. The results also showed
that only less than half of the sample buildings were reliable in terms of fire safety. Thus, the
steps that need to be taken, besides raising awareness, include increasing control by the
responsible authorities to carry out field.
VI. LESSON LEARNED

Fire safety has become the simplest way to save us from fire. Also, fire safety belongs to the
precautions which are taken to prevent or reduce the probability of a fire which may result in
damage, injury, and death. Fire safety is the most important component of building safety. Fire
safety keeps people safe. If fire safety had not come, people would have faced a lot of
Problems. If fire safety does not protect us from fire, it will at least reduce the likelihood of a
fire. Fire safety is a big help, everyone has to have fire safety. Fire safety might stop fire from
starting. Actually, there are a lot of types of fire safety.

Moreover, there are a lot of differences ways to use fire safety. Fire safety keeps people safe of
getting injury and death. Indeed, fire safety creates complete life safety solution for each
buildings, ships, and airplanes. Fire safety has been protecting life and property for long time. It
is still the easiest way to protect life. If building does not have a fire safety, it will be done by the
fire. The fire will just take less than three minutes for a small flame to turn into a full blown fire,
so people should have a fire safety in their houses. There were a lot of fires were about to get
started, but they did not start because of fire safety.

Fire can have an devastating impact on anybody who is unfortunate enough to be near it. We all
know that the flames and heat from a fire can cause a great deal of harm from breathing the hot
air killing a person instantly to life threatening or life changing burns on the body. There are
many other aspects of fires that can cause a great deal of harm. Smoke – surprising to some, the
most common cause of death in fires is the inhalation of smoke and fumes. The damage from a
fire can cause the structure of a building to collapse. People can suffer injuries from elements
such as falling debris during a fire, lack of oxygen and no escape route.

We know that a fire incident is one of the most dangerous situations. Most people have no
knowledge when it comes to having a fire and they don’t know how they can prevent it and
reduce the number of injuries and deaths. Every human life is important so everyone should
know the simple method of how to prevent fire extinguishing.

In this course, I know that every human life is important especially in a fire situation. In this
course it is taught how to resolve and provide a solution when there is a fire. Knowing what to do
and what not to do whenever there is a fire, being taught what to avoid in order to prevent a fire,
prevent the destruction of buildings and above all how to prevent the loss of life and property of
everyone one. This course is important for me so that I can be aware of my surroundings,
especially during a fire, this is a great help not only to me but also to the people around me, they
will be aware of how to provide a solution to the having a fire and do not panic during a fire and
instead and to prevent it.

VII. PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

In my personal experience I have also encountered a fire and it was in our house. Our house
caught fire because of my brother’s negligence in leaving a rice cooker in our house before he
left. My brother didn’t realize that he was cooking so when he came back he saw that our house
was on fire. Fortunately, no one was inside the house and no one was hurt. The fire was
extinguished immediately because it was still relatively small and did not spread much
throughout the house. I can say that it is important for each family member to know how to
resolve a situation like a fire. Everyone should have knowledge and how to avoid it.

Fire safety is important and necessary in the workplace in order to prevent and protect against the
destruction caused by fire. Fire safety reduces the risk of injury and building damage that fires
can cause. Developing and implementing fire safety protocols in the workplace is not only
required by law but it is crucial to everyone’s safety that may be in the building during a fire
emergency.

Fire safety is important in order to:

• Reduce the risk of injury to employees and customers.
• Reduce damage to facility/building.
• Protect against possible fines.
• Protect against losing customers’ trust.
• Protect employee jobs that would be lost due to extensive building damage.

A fire can happen anywhere and at any time. The outbreak of a fire, when not handled carefully,
can lead to loss of life as well as valuable assets. When dealing with a fire, it is important to
remain alert at all times and follow preventive measures to avoid the chances of fire. Fire safety
awareness includes assessing the possible risks that can cause a fire hazard and taking
appropriate steps to prevent and minimize the damage caused due to a fire. Basic fire safety
plans might involve installation of fire safety equipment and marking safe exits points in the
building.
Fires can take lives and destroy property. If one has to handle a fire without damage then he/she
must be aware at all the times. One of the key strategies while talking about fire safety awareness
is identifying the possible fire hazards around you and making sure that a well thought fire safety
plan is in motion as soon as a fire breaks out.

Following points make fire safety awareness a crucial practice that must be observed at home,
school, workplace and any other place that is prone to fire hazard.

Fire safety awareness is important to make sure that individuals know how to respond during a
fire hazard. It is important that one should keep calm and know the basic measures that should be
undertaken when a fire breaks out. One of the major steps towards fire safety awareness is
recognizing the basic properties of fire. To prevent the fire, keeping the sources of fuel and
ignition apart.
Adequate fire safety awareness not only helps in protecting oneself from fire-related hazards but
can also prove beneficial for protecting those who are not able to help themselves. This might
include physically and mentally challenged people, old aged people, kids, and pets.

VIII. CONCLUSION

Fire safety and prevention are critical aspects of our daily lives. Fire outbreaks can occur at any
time and place, and they can result in significant loss of lives and property. Therefore, it is
essential to understand the measures we can take to prevent fires and protect ourselves in the
event of a fire outbreak.

One important measure for fire prevention is to ensure that all electrical appliances and
equipment are used correctly and in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines. Overloading sockets
and using faulty appliances can cause fires. It is essential to unplug electrical devices when they
are not in use and switch off lights when leaving a room.

Additionally, we must be careful with flammable materials such as cooking oils, gasoline, and
chemicals. These materials should be stored away from heat sources and in well-ventilated areas.
It is crucial to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when handling flammable materials and to
use them in a well-ventilated area.

In the event of a fire outbreak, it is critical to remain calm and follow established fire safety
procedures. This includes evacuating the building immediately and using fire exits and stairways.
People should not use elevators during a fire outbreak, as they can malfunction and trap
individuals inside.

In conclusion, fire safety and prevention are crucial aspects of our daily lives. We must take
steps to prevent fires from occurring and to protect ourselves and others in the event of a fire
outbreak. This includes using electrical appliances and equipment correctly, being careful with
flammable materials, and following established fire safety procedures during an outbreak. By
taking these measures, we can reduce the risk of fires and protect ourselves and our properties.
 As a final thought I can say that it is important that we have knowledge when it comes to this
situation like fire and arson investigation. It has a big impact on my thinking and my skills
because I know how to solve it through the right method and fire procedures, the steps that
discussed what and where the fire starts, what is the cause of the fire, how to survive the fire and
above all how to prevent fire. I know that this course is being discussed so that the listeners will
be aware not only of themselves but also of each other on how to deal with it in the event of a
fire. It’s a big help to me because I know what to do whenever there’s a situation like this.
Through this course everyone will be aware if there is a fire.

NARRATIVE
REPORT IN FIRE
PROTECTION AND
ARSON
INVESTIGATION
SUBMITTED TO: FO3 RIO G. ALVEYRA

SUBMITTED BY: JOHN LESTHER M. ARAJA