NEW MODEL FOR FIRE INVESTIGATION
BSPP – Prevention Office - FRANCE
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE
BRUSSELS - 3RD, 4TH JUNE 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
NEW MODEL FOR FIRE INVESTIGATION (France)
The RCCI (Search for causes and circumstances of fires) is not a mission for the Fire
Brigade, it is a mission for the Police or the Gendarmerie, for the benefit of the Justice
Department.
Chief of Prevention office - O.GAUDARD
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
Given these disparities, the French Civil Security Direction (DSC) created in 2008 a
national working group to :
• standardize practices,
• list the different trainings.
A decree is currently being drafted to set the objectives and the missions of the fire
brigades.
« It is a complementary and optional mission for the fire brigades. It is not subordinated to
the signature of a convention with the Justice Department. »
2 ways to conduct the RCCI:
• internally, for the Fire Services at the Departments level (SDIS),
• for the Justice Department.
Chief of Prevention office - O.GAUDARD
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
THE OBJECTIVES :
• contribute to the development of a database and statistics to improve fire prevention
measures in buildings,
• contribute to the policy of return of experience of the fire services,
• contribute by helping protecting the interests of the service,
• collaborate, under judicial requisitioning, in the framework of a criminal investigation
according to the terms of the national convention if such one is established.
“However, The RCCI does not include the search of the responsibilities of the blaze”.
Chief of Prevention office - O.GAUDARD
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
THE MISSIONS :
• collect information,
• investigate the stricken places to find the point of origin of the fire,
• take pictures or film the fire scene or the objects which could be useful in finding the truth,
• protect certain pieces of evidence which risk to be deteriorated or destroyed by the fire or the
water which is used to extinguish the fire,
• propose to the operating commander, if the operational constrains allow it, to suspend
temporarilly the excavation and clearing,
• communicate all the collected information to the Justice Department in case of a judicial
investigation.
Chief of Prevention office - O.GAUDARD
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
THE TRAINING:
“ The RCCI can only be conducted by fireman which have followed the complementary RCCI
course of PRV2.”
 minimum level: superior under-officer,
 work in the field of prevention;
 have a recognised RCCI training:
 ENSOSP (National superior school for fire brigade officers),
 Committee for validation of titles and diplomas (DSC).
Chief of Prevention office - O.GAUDARD
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
THE CONVENTION WITH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT:
To reinforce the coordination between the Justice Department and the Fire Brigades, a
national framework convention can be signed at the level of the departments, after agreement
with the Justice Department, the Prefecture and Fire Services at the department level.
It foresees and frames lawfully the intervention of the fire brigades in the framework of judicial
investigation.
The Fire Service at the department level has to be organised in such a way it can respond to
judicial requisitions.
-It communicates the list of its experts to the prosecutor of the Republic.
-The investigator has to hand out his report within three weeks.
Chief of Prevention office - O.GAUDARD
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
BSPP
What about fire investigation ?
Chief of Investigation group - D.LIEBART
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
In 2009 :
Total interventions
490 000
Fires interventions
18 585
Fires in buildings
6 925
Statistics are used to :
Adapt operational means and tactics
Prescribe prevention measures for buildings
42 fire deaths
How can we make the amount of fires to decrease ?
Chief of Investigation group - D.LIEBART
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
Since 2007, a new structure attached to the Prevention Office
Chief of Prevention
Office
Département
75
Département
92
Département
93
Département
94
Mission : to prescribe safety measures for building projects
Prevention officer 24/24
Documentation
section
Forecasting
section
Mission :
Legal foresight
Hydraulic group
Investigation
group
Fire engineering
group
Chief of Investigation group - D.LIEBART
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
Mission : To analyse causes and propagations of fires
Work benefits to :
Buildings protection
Fire service
Fire safety engineering
Legal department
To improve fire safety
laws
To contribute to
enhance operational
tactics
To validate technical
studies
To defend the fire
service
Chief of Investigation group - D.LIEBART
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
Chief of Investigation group - D.LIEBART
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
A small and young structure (2 firefighters)
Investigates
uppermost
Targets of
investigations
Actually we don’t
Fatalities
Many ressources are deployed
Special buildings
Origine and cause of the fire
Progress of the fire
Evidences (firefighters, occupants...)
Building fire safety device
Perform and test samples
Pass our findings to police service
Work as fire expert for court
Central
Laboratory of
Prefecture
of Police
Near 150 investigations per year (2% of fires in buildings)
Chief of Investigation group - D.LIEBART
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
2 aids for investigation data, according to the relevance of the fire
DATABASE
Statistical purpose
FULL REPORTS
Explain particular incidents
Chief of Investigation group - D.LIEBART
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
DATABASE
90 FIELDS
FIVE KEY SECTORS
Event,
Building type,
Fire protection devices,
Firefighting,
Investigation conclusions.
Chief of Investigation group - D.LIEBART
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
2 aids for investigation data, according to the relevance of the fire
DATABASE
Statistical purpose
FULL REPORTS
Explain particular incidents
Chief of Investigation group - D.LIEBART
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
FULL REPORTS
Building structure details,
Conduct of the investigation,
Listing of collected evidences,
Reconstituted fire chronology,
Conclusions and lessons from the incident.
Chief of Investigation group - D.LIEBART
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010
BSPP
Prevention office
Some statistics about domestic fires, in 2009
76%
of fires deaths occur in the home
82%
of fires are made-man (careless or intentional)
59%
of the victims died in their sleep
Domestic fire causes
of the victims aware of the fire died while they were
44% not originally threatened by fire
Need to :
oInstall smoke detectors (obligation by 2015)
oIncrease communitie awarness of risk
behaviours :
Location of the victims aware of the fire
before they died
•to prevent fire breaks out
•to teach the good behviour in case of fire
Chief of Investigation group - D.LIEBART
10 EΦA ROUNDTABLE, BRUSSELS - 4th June 2010