Don

Mr. Horaist has been conducting fire investigations for over thirty-eight years in both the public and private sectors. During this time, he personally participated in or supervised well over 4,000 fire investigations. These investigations include fires and explosions involving multiple fatalities, single family and multi-family residential structures, large commercial structures, manufacturing and petro-chemical plants, storage facilities, passenger vehicles, commercial trucks, heavy equipment, and marine vessels from pleasure crafts to ocean going ships. He has had extensive training sponsored by various institutions including the National Fire Academy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, Louisiana State University, various state chapters of the International Association of Arson Investigators, the National Fire Protection Association, the National Association of Fire Investigators, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms,and the Jefferson Parish Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department. He has lectured on subjects involving all aspects of fire origin and cause investigations. He is well versed on fire case litigation, subrogation and liability. Mr. Horaist has been recognized as an expert witness and has provided testimony in local, state and federal courts in both Louisiana and Tennessee.  He has conducted investigations at home and abroad including Europe, South America, and the Caribbean. He is a former member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Investigations which is responsible for the publication of the NFPA 921 – Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations.  

Affiliations

• International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) - Member since January 19, 1982
• IAAI Louisiana Chapter - Charter Member (Past Member Board of Directors)
• IAAI Mississippi - Chapter Member
• IAAI Tennessee Chapter - (Past Member Board of Directors)
• Tennessee Advisory Committee on Arson (TACA) – Past President
• National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI)
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
• Louisiana Fire Prevention Association (Past Member)
• Louisiana Claims Association (Past President & Board of Directors)
• New Orleans Claims Association (Current Member and Past Board of Directors)
• Honorable Order of the Blue Goose International – Louisiana Pond (Current Member and Two-Term - Past President)

 Licenses and Certifications

• Certified Fire Investigator, IAAI, #42-061118
• Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator, NAFI, #4744-2029
• Certified Fire Investigator, Pro Board, #312060
• LSU Certified Fire Investigator II - 1983 (National Standards NFPA 1031, 1977 edition)
• LSU Certified Fire Inspector I - 1983 (National Standards NFPA 1031, 1977 edition)
• Certified Hazardous Material Technician – Georgia Tech, 1992, Certificate #1001
• Private Investigator, Louisiana, License #6406-061406-LA
• Private Investigator, Florida, License #C 2500510