FIG's Investigations Abroad
Traveling abroad to conduct investigations is both an exciting and educational opportunity. However, it does pose it's difficulties. Upon acceptance of these assignments the FIG team went quickly to work researching the necessary steps to take when conducting a fire investigation abroad. Sure the actual fire investigation would be conducted just like any other scene here in the United States, but laws and investigator safety certainly change. Preparation for the scene investigations included finding language interpreters and our investigators getting new vaccinations. Also, we found that simply getting to the scene was a task in itself, one that required multiple planes, a boat and even armed security. Upon arrival to the scene we were met by investigators local to the area and although there was a language barrier our interpreters helped us work cohesively as a team to determine the origin and cause of the fires.We are appreciative of the hospitality and skill of the local investigators on these scenes and hope that this experience provided new knowledge in the field of fire investigations to each party.
We are thankful for this opportunity and for the well being of all those involved in the investigations.
