FOR 395Arson and Explosion Investigation

Arson and explosion crime scenes have a number of things in common which distinguish them from most other crime scene investigations. They are both difficult and dangerous work, because they usually involve structures in a weakened state, or in total collapse, from either type of attack. There will be no light, heat, air conditioning or gas. There may be hazardous materials and fumes present in both. The debris field will be scattered, further complicating the search for evidence. In car bombings, there may be secondary explosives with hidden triggers, set to go off when investigators begin their search. Students will learn to use the specialized tools and techniques available for these challenging environments, such as low-light photography and videography, the use of computer based crime scene programs, and crime-scene search dogs, trained to alert on various accelerants and explosive chemicals. They will learn the chemistry of some of the typical accelerants and explosives encountered in these crime scenes, and the nature and limitations of some of the field tests available, such as the Greiss test for explosives.