Arson Investigation unit 3 Discussion Board 3 8/9/14

 

The Discussion Board (DB) is part of the core of online learning. Classroom discussion in an online environment requires the active participation of students and the instructor to create robust interaction and dialogue. Every student is expected to create an original response to the open-ended DB question as well as engage in dialogue by responding to posts created by others throughout the week. At the end of each unit, DB participation will be assessed based on both level of engagement and the quality of the contribution to the discussion.

 

At a minimum, each student will be expected to post an original and thoughtful response to the DB question and contribute to the weekly dialogue by responding to at least two other posts from students. The first contribution must be posted before midnight (Central Time) on Wednesday of each week. Two additional responses are required after Wednesday of each week. Students are highly encouraged to engage on the Discussion Board early and often, as that is the primary way the university tracks class attendance and participation.

 

The purpose of the Discussion Board is to allow students to learn through sharing ideas and experiences as they relate to course content and the DB question. Because it is not possible to engage in two-way dialogue after a conversation has ended, no posts to the DB will be accepted after the end of each unit.

 

You are responding to a house fire at the single-floor ranch home of the local petrochemical plant foreman. You have been told by detectives from your agency that the foreman in the local Novandon Petrochemical Plant recently had to lay off about one-third of the factory staff. The cuts were because of the poor economy, but the layoffs were seen as personal because the foreman is a difficult individual to get along with. The foreman and his family were out of the area for the weekend, so nobody was injured. A neighbor saw 3 men in a pickup truck with a chemical plant parking decal leave the neighborhood just prior to the fire’s breakout.

 

The battalion fire chief has released the scene as safe. The battalion chief indicates to you that the fire appeared to have started in the attached garage and the kitchen at about the same time. This indicates an arson fire. The garage is a painted concrete slab, and the kitchen has linoleum tiles. You must now start your scene investigation. You have a new partner, and you want to make sure that he knows what to consider in terms of accelerants.

 

• Where do you think you should instruct your partner to look for evidence of accelerant use? Why?
• What type of detection for accelerants would you use? Why?
• What type of crime scene perimeter do you think would be best to establish? Why?

 

4–5 paragraphs