Meeting held to re-establish fire investigation work group

The CTIF Fire Investigation Work Group has resumed its activities, as reported by CTIF (The International Association of Fire and Rescue Services).

The group held an online meeting on May 22, 2024, marking the first gathering since their last meeting in 2022.

CTIF Vice President Martin Nekula, who opened the meeting, emphasised the need to appoint a chairperson and a secretary for future meetings.

Nekula, who is also a member of the Fire Rescue Service of Moravian-Silesian Region and the vice-president of the Czech Association of Fire Officers, highlighted the importance of re-establishing the group’s rules and exploring possibilities for skill-sharing among members.

Participants consented to record the virtual meeting and approved the proposed agenda.

Participants and agenda items

Participants of the meeting included representatives from several countries.

Notable attendees were Jakub Škoda, the Chief of Fire Investigation at the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic, Aurelijus Česūnas from Lithuania, and Zoltán Szilcsanov from Hungary.

Szilcsanov suggested sharing past documents and presentations via a cloud platform, to which Nekula agreed.

The meeting included discussions on internal activities in member countries, with an emphasis on sharing experiences and knowledge.

The agenda also covered the need to choose a new chairman and secretary, with suggestions to vote on these positions or select volunteers.

Topics of interest and future plans

The group discussed several key topics for future focus, including equipment and technology for fire investigation, procedures, legislation, and personal responsibilities in different countries.

The importance of sharing statistical data, such as fire causes and fatalities, was also highlighted.

Mark Bokdam from the Netherlands shared that they have a comprehensive database for all investigations conducted.

Other discussed topics included accelerator detection methods, fire prevention in relation to batteries used in scooters and bicycles, and the resistance of various building constructions.

The use of visualization tools like drones, 3D scanners, and the HAWK system in the Czech Republic was presented as beneficial for fire scene investigation and educational purposes.

Collaboration and next steps

Opportunities for collaboration between fire services, police, and other institutions were explored, with member countries encouraged to propose possible cooperative efforts.

The development trends in fire causes and the sharing of case studies were also suggested as beneficial areas for future discussion.

The next steps for the group include voting for the chairman and secretary, establishing a platform for knowledge sharing, and planning future meetings.

Nekula will prepare topics and presentations for the next meeting, which will focus on the election of the chairman and secretary and setting up a framework for ongoing collaboration and skill-sharing.