FORT THOMAS - Members of the Fort Thomas Fire Department are working on fine-tuning their investigating skills.

Fire Chief Mark Bailey said the department is trying to train more of its employees to investigate fires in the city, including how to find the origin and cause of the fire.

"We hoping to have two to three guys on each shift who can help out with that aspect of fire fighting," Bailey said.

Bailey said because of lack of time and funding, the State Fire Marshal isn't able to make it out to all fires.

While most counties have a fire investigation team, Campbell County doesn't, so if the fire marshal can't come to a fire, the department has to rely on one of its few employees who are trained in fire investigation.

"We are trying to cover our bases in house and as economically as possible," Bailey said. "We're trying to make sure we continue to provide the best service for our community."

The training involves taking arson one, arson two and arson three classes through the Kentucky State Fire School.

"It's beneficial to have more people trained because you never know who is going to be here when there is a fire," said Lieutenant Chris Amon, who has been through all three classes. "This way, we won't have to rely on an outside agency."

Amon said having an in-house fire investigation team would also help the department better recognize trends in the cause of fires, which would help them know what aspect of public education to focus on.

COMPREHENSIVE FIRE AND ARSON INVESTIGATION: This Course is  36 hour journey from the initial concept of the combustion reaction to determining the origin and cause of a fire to final case preparation for civil or criminal trial, this class teaches the new investigator the fundamentals of the chemical reaction responsible for fire, a concise look at the wide array of fuels with an emphasis on the hydrocarbon-based fuels, the development of a proper fire scene inspection protocol using the Scientific Method as a roadmap, fire pattern evaluation and interpretation, the evidentiary opportunities presented in a fire scene, follow-up investigation, sources of information, and the offering of final analysis of the overall investigation. After completion of this class, the student will be prepared to confidently assume fire and arson investigations for his or her agency. The student will receive the class workbook which will serve as a valuable resource and free access to the Southeastern Fire and Arson Training Institute’s website which provides weekly updates concerning fire and arson issues across our country. A certificate of successful completion will be issued.  Cost: $225. Any agency willing to host this training will receive two slots free of charge.

Often a fire investigator is barred from testifying in legal proceedings because his or her discipline-specific training is not current. Too many individuals who consider themselves a “certified fire investigator” neglect to refresh their training in order to stay abreast of the constantly changing methods and protocols of modern fire science. The process has changed over the years and it continues to change almost daily. Are you current? Could you qualify as an “expert witness” today? This class will cover the newest legal issues facing fire investigators as well as report on the latest laboratory testing in a continuing effort to eradicate the myths that continue to pop up on occasions. This is an 8-hour class that should keep the fire investigator “up to date” and current. Consider it “in-service training” to prevent being forbidden to testify only because your training is obsolete. Cost: $125. Manual and certificate issued.

Other Classes:

Extended Principles of Fire and Arson Investigation: 36 hours

Vehicle Fire Investigation: 24 hours

Criminal Investigation and Interview of the Arson Suspect: 24 hours