On-site detection of accelerant signatures at suspected arson scenes

拟议的项目属于安全和安保的目标领域，具体涉及事件检测的研究课题。拟议项目的目的是研究一种新型检测技术的能力，用于识别火灾现场因纵火或其他故意犯罪行为而产生的助燃物特征。火灾是世界上仅次于自然灾害的最严重的财产和生命损失之一。目前，安大略省的火灾调查工作势不可当，需要消防局长办公室、安大略省警察和法医科学中心的协助。在与这些支助组织的合作下，该项目将涉及评估致命火灾中死者的一种新的恢复技术，该技术允许直接从尸体中收集挥发性物质；以及验证便携式检测系统以确认现场的助燃剂特征。由于恐怖主义行为在全球范围内发生，事件检测是法医科学界的一个重要焦点。然而，侦查其他犯罪事件同样重要，因为正是这些事件经常影响我们的社会，给个人和社区带来沉重的负担。因此，必须迅速发现犯罪事件，以保护加拿大人免受蓄意攻击，并起诉应对这些行为负责的人。在火灾现场使用现场探测系统是解决这一问题的一项创新措施，因为它提供了一种快速的确认技术，使调查人员能够宣布犯罪现场并集中调查。现场探测将大大减少与收集和保存证据有关的资源和时间，同时也提高恢复助燃剂特征的可能性。对火灾调查的快速反应最终将通过成功起诉纵火犯和腾出资源进行额外的法医调查来帮助提高犯罪率。从这项研究中吸取的经验教训将有助于通过改进操作程序和提高公众意识来预防未来的事故。

The proposed project falls within the target area of Safety and Security and specifically addresses the research topic of Event Detection. The aim of the proposed project is to investigate the capability of a novel detection technology for identifying an accelerant signature at a fire scene as a result of arson or other deliberate criminal actions. Next to natural disasters, fires cause some of the greatest losses to property and human life around the world. Fire investigations are currently overwhelming in Ontario and require the assistance of the Office of the Fire Marshal, Ontario Provincial Police, and the Centre of Forensic Sciences. In collaboration with these supporting organizations, this project will involve the assessment of a novel recovery technique for deceased persons from fatal fires which allows for the collection of volatile materials directly from the body; as well as the validation of a portable detection system for confirmation of an accelerant signature at the scene. Event detection is an important focus in the forensic science community due to the acts of terrorism that have occurred globally. However, detection of other criminal events is equally important as it is these events that regularly impact our society and place a severe burden on individuals and communities. For this reason, the rapid detection of criminal events is imperative in order to protect Canadians from deliberate attacks and to prosecute those responsible for these acts. The use of an on-site detection system at a fire scene is an innovative measure towards addressing this issue as it provides a rapid, confirmatory technique and allows investigators to declare a crime scene and focus the investigation. On-site detection would considerably reduce the resources and time associated with collecting and preserving evidence while also improving the likelihood of recovering an accelerant signature. A rapid response to fire investigations will ultimately assist in improving crime rates by successfully prosecuting arsonists and freeing up resources for additional forensic investigations. The lessons learned from this research will aid in the prevention of future incidents through improved operating procedures and general public awareness.