Great Lakes Service Center
Mark Pelot, CFEI
Fire Investigator
Detroit Michigan
586-943-2076
mpelot@uis-usa.com
EDUCATION:
Madonna University
Livonia, Michigan
Fire and Arson Investigation OHS/FS 328
Fire and Arson Advanced Techniques OHS/FS 428
2003 - 2004
Central Michigan University - Bachelor of Applied Arts
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
1997-2002
EMPLOYMENT:
Unified Investigations & Sciences, Inc.
Detroit, Michigan
Special Investigator
2012 to Present
Certified Investigations International
Redford Township, Michigan
Fire Investigator
2002- 2012
Updated 07/2015
SPECIALIZED TRAINING:
•
International Symposium on Fire Investigation, Science and Technology, University of
Maryland, College Park, MD September 22-24, 2014
•
42th Annual Origin & Cause Seminar, Oakland County Association of Arson & Fire
Investigators Inc., Fire Expert Testimony Preparation, Auburn Hills, Michigan, May 1 &
2, 2014, 14 Hours
•
Unified Investigations & Sciences, Inc., OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1200-Globally Harmonized
System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, February 25, 2014, 1 Hour (tested)
•
Hybrid Electric Vehicles and the First Responder, Macomb Community College
Emergency Services Training Center, July 17, 2013, 8 Hours
•
DeLisle Associates, LTD, Certificate of Training, Initial Operations & Maintenance,
Asbestos Training, Portage, Michigan, Certificate #OM-1328, November 6-7, 2012, 16
Hours (tested)
•
International Symposium on Fire Investigation, Science and Technology, University of
Maryland, College Park, MD, October 15 – 17, 2012
•
39th Annual Origin & Cause Seminar, Oakland County Association of Arson & Fire
Investigators Inc., Trends in Fire Investigation, Auburn Hills, Michigan, April 28-29,
2011, (tested)
•
International Association of Arson Investigators, Automobile Fire Investigation
Regional Training Seminar; Dearborn, Michigan, November 3, 2010 – 8 Hours
•
International Symposium on Fire Investigation, Science and Technology, University of
Maryland, College Park, MD, September 27-29, 2010
•
38th Annual Origin & Cause Seminar, Oakland County Association of Arson & Fire
Investigators Inc., Anatomy of a Fire Investigation, Auburn Hills, Michigan, April 29-30,
2010, (tested)
•
National Association of Fire Investigators, Certified Fire Investigation Instructor
Boston, Massachusetts; March 7-11, 2010, Seminar & Tested Certification
•
International Association of Arson Investigators, Advanced Arson Investigative
Techniques for the Insurance Industry, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center,
Glynco, Georgia, November 1-6, 2009
•
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Fire/Arson Origin-and-Cause Investigations
National Emergency Training Center, Emmitsburg, Maryland, October 5-16, 2009
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SPECIALIZED TRAINING (CONT.):
•
Ride-a-long with Detroit Fire Department Arson Section, August, 2009
•
Michigan Arson Prevention Committee, Structural & Mobile Property Fire Accident
Damage Analysis Investigation, Davison, Michigan; June 19, 2009
•
37th Annual Origin & Cause Seminar, Oakland County Association of Arson & Fire
Investigators, Inc., Forensic Fire Scene Reconstruction, Auburn Hills, Michigan; April 30
& May 1, 2009 (tested)
•
Instructor for NFPA 921 and Related Legal Issues, Oakland Community College, Fire
Training Institute, April 21, 2009
•
Michigan Council of Private Investigators and Council of Private Investigators Ontario,
Joint Conference, Detroit, Michigan / Windsor, Ontario, October 2-3, 2008
•
International Symposium of Fire Investigation Science and Technology, Cincinnati, Ohio,
May 19-21, 2008
•
36th Annual Origin & Cause Seminar, Oakland County Association of Arson & Fire
Investigators, Inc., Current Trends in Fire Investigation, Auburn Hills, Michigan, May 12, 2008 (tested)
•
35th Annual Origin & Cause Seminar, Oakland County Association of Arson & Fire
Investigators, Inc., Electrical Investigations - Busting Some Myths, Auburn Hills,
Michigan, May 11, 2007 (tested)
•
International Symposium of Fire Investigation Science and Technology, Cincinnati, Ohio,
June 26-28, 2006
•
Metropolitan Detroit Fire Inspectors Society and Redford Fire Department, Live Burn
Scenario, Redford, Michigan, May 15, 2006
•
34th Annual Origin and Cause Seminar, Residential Fire Investigation, Auburn Hills,
Michigan, May 5 and 6, 2006 (tested)
•
Michigan Chapter of National Society of Insurance Investigators, Livonia, Michigan, May
18, 2006
•
Madonna University, Livonia, Michigan; April, 2006; Assisted in teaching the Fire and
Arson Investigation OHS/FS 328 Class
•
Public Agency Training Council, Grand Rapids, Michigan, November 2 - 3, 2005
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SPECIALIZED TRAINING (CONT.):
•
•
Michigan Arson Prevention Committee, Motor Vehicle Theft & Fire Investigation,
Romulus, Michigan, June 10, 2005
Public Agency Training Council, Fire Pattern Recognition, Identification & Certification
Cadillac, Michigan; May 9-11, 2005, Tested Course
•
Michigan Arson Prevention Committee, Interviewing and Interrogating, Riverview,
Michigan, April 28, 2005
•
IAAI Expert Courtroom Testimony Program, Expert Witness Testimony Course, Troy,
Michigan, April 22-24, 2005 (tested)
•
International Symposium on Fire Investigation, The Fire Service College, Moreton-inMarsh, England, June 28-30, 2004
•
31st Annual Oakland County Association of Arson and Fire Investigation Seminar
Auburn Hills, Michigan. Attended and assisted in lecture
•
International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) – CFITrainer.net
o NFPA 921 & 1033 2014 Editions: Important Revisions, July 28, 2014,
3 Hours (tested)
o Preparation for the Marine Fire Scene, July 15, 2013, 4 Hours (tested)
o Ethics and Social Media, August 29, 2013, 3 Hours (tested)
o Explosion Dynamics, July 1, 2013, 4 Hours (tested)
o Electrical Safety, June 27, 2013, 3 Hours (tested)
o Introduction to Fire Dynamics & Modeling, June 26, 2013, 4 Hours (tested)
o Evidence Examination: What Happens at the Lab?, June 24, 2013, 4 Hours (tested)
o NFPA1033 and Your Career, June 19, 2013, 2 Hours (tested)
o Investigating Motor Vehicle Fires, May 13, 2013, 4 Hours (tested)
o How First Responders Impact The Fire Investigation, March 22, 2013, 2 Hours
(tested)
o Understanding Fire Through the Candle Experiments, March 12, 2013, 4 Hours
(tested)
4
SPECIALIZED TRAINING (CONT.):
•
International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) – CFITrainer.net
o MagneTek: A Case Study In The Daubert Challenge, March 12, 2013, 2 Hours
(tested)
o Documenting the Event, June 28, 2012, (tested)
o Digital Photography and the Fire Investigator, October 7, 2011, (tested)
o Effective Investigation and Testimony, October 5, 2011, (tested)
o Fire and Explosion Investigations: Utilizing NFPA 1033 and 921, October 4, 2011,
(tested)
o Critical Thinking Solves Cases, September 30, 2011, (tested)
o Arc Mapping Basics, September 27, 2011, (tested)
o A Ventilation-Focused Approach to the Impact of Building Structures and Systems on
Fire Development, September 27, 2011, (tested)
o Fundamentals of Interviewing, August 29, 2011, (tested)
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
2008-Present
National Association of Fire Investigators
2009-Present
Oakland County Association of Arson and Fire Investigators, Inc.
2011-Present
International Association of Arson Investigations
CERTIFICATIONS:
•
National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI), Certified Fire Investigation Instructor
(CFII) Certificate # 13541-7406i , Through November 5, 2015
•
National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI), Certified Fire Investigation Instructor
(CFII) Certificate # 13541-7406i, March 11, 2010
•
National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI), Certified Fire and Explosion
Investigator (CFEI) Certificate # 13541-7406i, March 17, 2009
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EXPERIENCE:
Mr. Pelot has several hundred hours of classroom fire investigation training extending
over his nearly 13 years of experience in the private sector of the fire service. He has
assisted/Conducted in excess of 1500 residential and industrial fire loss investigations to
determine origin and cause. Mr. Pelot has authored approximately 800 reports.
He has been formally trained in the areas of expert witness testimony, burn pattern
recognition, and investigative procedures and techniques. Since then, he has participated
in a variety of seminars, training programs, and classes dedicated to fire investigation.
This includes work with Madonna University, Oakland County Fire and Police Training
Center, The Fire Service College in England, The International Association of Arson
Investigators, The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia and The
National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR:
Oakland County Association of Arson & Fire Investigators, Inc., Troy Fire and Police
Training Center, Troy, Michigan: Instructor for NFPA 921 and Related Legal Issues.
Madonna University, Livonia, Michigan: Assisted in teaching the Fire and Arson
Investigation and Fire and Arson Advanced Techniques
31st Annual Oakland County Association of Arson and Fire Investigation Seminar
Auburn Hills, Michigan; Attended and assisted in lecture
EXPERT TESTIMONY/DEPOSITIONS:
•
2014 Deposition – Absolute Lawn vs Buck and Knoby, Troy, MI, 9-8-14, 6 Hours
•
2014 Expert Witness, Origin/Cause Testimony, Third Circuit Court, Wayne County,
Michigan
•
2013 Deposition – Luihomar Canales & Yesenia Martinez vs Allstate Insurance
Company, Southfield, MI, 3-12-13
•
2012 Expert Witness, Origin/Cause Testimony, Third Circuit Court, Wayne County,
Michigan
•
2012 Expert Witness, Origin/Cause Testimony, United States District Court, Eastern
District of Michigan
•
2011 Expert Witness, Origin/Cause Testimony, 36th District Court, Wayne County,
Michigan
6
EXPERT TESTIMONY/DEPOSITIONS (CONT.):
•
2010 Expert Witness, Origin/Cause Testimony, 14th District Court, Washtenaw County,
Michigan
•
2009 Expert Witness, Origin/Cause Testimony, 36th District Court, Wayne County,
Michigan
•
2008 Testimony, Origin/Cause, Evidentiary Hearing, Circuit Court, St. Clair County,
Michigan
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