From investigation to prevention: John Heinen explores the shift from identifying fire causes to influencing codes

By John Heinen, Principal Fire Investigator/Consultant, Compass Fire Investigations and Consulting, LLC

I committed to personally dedicating time and support to 100 fire departments to research best practices.

I have been involved in the discipline of forensic origin and cause fire investigations for over 20 years and have been fortunate enough to watch the industry and practitioners dramatically progress during that time.

We have gone from mere speculation to widespread utilisation of accepted scientific principles.

With the increased application of these scientific principles on each investigation, so goes the increase in the time and effort in order to reach the determination.

As our lives are becoming ever more electrified and mobile with battery capabilities; the need to investigate fires in order to identify failures for public safety has never been higher.

Having a qualified and certified fire investigator is only the beginning and cannot be the end.

As an industry, we need to go beyond the determination of identifying just the origin and cause; we must insert ourselves into the code development and education aspect of the fire and life safety ecosystem.

Shifting towards predict and prevent

As we push past the initial origin and cause of fire incidents and bring this extremely valuable data and experience with us, we are able to help shape code development and behaviour change to help mitigate and prevent future fires.

The age-old insurance model of “repair and replace” is being overcome by “predict and prevent” through a better understanding of comprehensive risk mitigation strategies to largely include fire prevention efforts.

Emerging technologies and AI have vastly increased the computing and prediction capability, but in order to fully prevent these fires, we must create and foster positive affective human behaviour change to a more safety focused approach.

The increase in technology, batteries, and cellular communication has enabled wireless evacuation systems with mobile initiating and notification devices to become increasingly accessible and accepted throughout the construction industry.

The increase in these monitored systems are helping to address early notification to not only the responding fire departments but also providing that necessary notification to employees.

Collaborating across disciplines

Insurance companies are responding to feedback from fire and risk professionals and are implementing procedures to decrease the occurrence of, and lessen the impact from, large scale construction site fires.

We already see the positive impact of better managing common hazards, developing robust fire prevention management plans, and emphasising best practices regarding material storage.

Although we are moving in the right direction, there is still a lot to accomplish and only through identification and collaboration of all stakeholders throughout the life cycle of fire prevention and risk mitigation are we able to fully address our ever-changing and complicated world and our collective fire problem.

About the IFSJ Influencer

John Heinen is the Principal Fire Investigator/Consultant, Compass Fire Investigations and Consulting, LLC.

He has over two decades of experience in the public and private sectors of forensic fire investigation, fire codes, risk mitigation, and safety.

He owns and operates a fire investigation and consulting firm.

In addition to his forensic work, he is highly sought after as an expert witness, presenter, and consultant.

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This article was originally published in the December 2024 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.