Arson
Investigation Team
It is the responsibility of the Quincy Fire Department to
determine the cause and origin of any fire in which there is an injury or
damage to property. If the cause is obvious and losses are limited, this
responsibility is undertaken by the fire officers who respond to the call.
In cases where fire loss is significant, injury or death has occurred or
the cause is not readily apparent, trained fire investigators are called
in to determine cause and origin. This is done at any fire that fits the
above description, whether the fire is considered suspicious or not.
The Arson Investigation Division was formed in the early 1980’s in an
effort to reduce both the number of “fires by undetermined causes” as well
as the then rising number of arson fires within our community. In
accidental fires, quick determination speeds the insurance claims process
for those suffering a loss. In arson cases, the methodical investigation
processes used by the team lead to arrests and convictions. Arson is a
crime committed for varied reasons and is often challenging to prove and
prosecute. For this reason the City of Quincy approached the formation of
the team with a rather unique solution. The team is jointly manned by
firefighters, who bring expertise in the science of determining how and
where a fire starts, and police detectives, who then take the evidence and
build a case against the fire starter. Nationwide, arson costs millions of
dollars annually with you, the taxpayer, footing the bill by paying
increased insurance premiums. It is the job of the fire investigators to
help eliminate fraud.
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