On Wednesday 19 July 2017, 40 CFA fire investigators from across the state had a unique opportunity to attend a training session called 'Forensic pathology linking with fire investigation'.
This was the latest training session organised by the Victorian Association of Fire Investigators (VAFI) and was conducted at the Victoria Police Forensic Services Department.
Guest speakers from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) from the specialist fields of forensic pathology, odontology, entomology and anthropology presented at this training session.
The forensic experts provided a fascinating insight into the following topics:
- Role of the coroner
- Overview of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine facility
- Overview of the investigation process utilized by the forensic experts in the areas of: forensic pathologist; forensic odontologist; forensic entomologist; and forensic anthropologist
- Case studies where these specific forensic fields were involved in the investigation of fires scenes.
The training session was highly informative to the Fire Investigators and provided an insight into how they can further assist the specialist forensic teams at fire scenes.
State Fire Investigation Coordinator Nicole Harvey
Author: Nicole Harvey