The Nevada Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators in association with Integrated EOD Concepts, LLC present the
This year’s training will focus on conducting successful Serial Arson and Serial Wildland Arson investigations. We will be hearing from various case agents from the US and Canada on how to put serial arson cases together through a mixture of Surveillance, Tracking, and Investigative Techniques. A special class will detail the accepted steps in Link Analysis that can help investigators to legally connect separate arson events to each other, as well as to differentiate them from other arson events that are not related.
We also will have a guest speaker, Bob Luckett, who will give an in-depth presentation on one of the largest serial arson investigations in US history. Bob was a co-investigator on the DC Serial Arsonist case. Through the use of an Arson Task Force that combined numerous local and Federal agencies, Bob and his fellow investigators tracked down one of the most unique serial arsonists ever identified, Thomas Sweatt. Bob has authored a book on his experiences and will be presenting that book at this training as well.
Monday, March 7
Tuesday, March 8
Wednesday, March 9
Ed is a retired arson/bomb investigator and profiler from the Los Angeles Sheriffs. He and Joe Konefal are co-author’s of the book Arson Investigation in the Wildlands. Ed has conducted in excess of 2,100 arson investigations and has testified as an expert on arson related issues on 104 occasions. He continues to work as a consultant to prosecutors, Cold Case analyst, and courtroom expert on any high profile arson or bomb case.
Ed’s topic is the practical use of Link Analysis in serial crimes including arson. Done poorly or by untrained persons, link analysis is a mere carnival game. However, with training, education and a science-based analysis of the events at a crime scene, Link Analysis is a powerful tool used by both the investigator and the analyst/profiler, and has been accepted in courtrooms in multiple countries
Tracey Webb Wildland Arson Case. Darren is a highly experienced wildland arson/fire investigator for Cal Fire. He was the lead arson investigator on a series of fires involving a female suspect. He will discuss a series of wildland fires in 2015 where he and case Analyst Rachel Brady were able to successfully link a female suspect serial arsonist to the arson events.
JT is a longtime firefighter and investigator for Cal FIRE and heads the Shasta Arson Task Force. He is also very active in the highly acclaimed youth firesetter interdiction program in Redding, CA.
JT Zulliger will present a detailed case study on the Samuel Scholfield serial arson investigation of 2018. The ongoing series of wildland and structure fires eventually claimed the life of a local resident during the Cottonwood Fire.
Serial Arson case study: Working with various partners to solve a multiyear serial arson case.
Historical review of wildfire investigation: A look back over the last 100 years of wildfire investigations and its development in North America
Cigarette Ignition Field Tests: Cigarettes have been blamed for many wildfires in North America, but do they really start a many wildfires as we think. A look at some interesting field tests conducted in Canada to provide further discussion to this causal category.
Use of canine for ILR detection: Using a canine on a wildfire.
Bruce Balderston has been a member of IAAI and AKIAAI since 2012. He has held wildland fire positions in fire dispatch, as Fire Management Assistant with the National Park Service, Fire Prevention Officer/Investigator with Alaska Forestry-Fire and Aviation Division and Senior Fire Investigator with the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
During his agency fire career, he was qualified in fire positions such as: Incident Commander- Type 3, Task Force Leader, Strike Team-Engine, Helicopter Manager, Fire Investigator and AK- FIT (Fire Investigation Technician).
During his fire career Mr. Balderston has investigated over 400 wildfires as chief investigator while assisting and, or consulting on more than 300 investigations.
Having retired from agency wildfire firefighting and investigation Bruce followed a passion to help the wildland fire community and founded his consulting company, Arson Track LLC.
Assistant Chief Dan White the Northern Region Law Enforcement Coordinator of CAL FIRE has worked for CAL FIRE for 28 years. He spent the first 14 years working in various fire positions. In 2007 he attended the CAL FIRE POST academy and has worked in Law Enforcement since. He held the positions of Fire Captain Specialist and Fire Prevention Bureau Chief in the Tehama-Glenn Unit prior to transferring to the Region Office in Redding as a cost recovery/case manager. In 2015 he promoted to the assistant chief law enforcement position.
