International Association of 
Arson Investigators

PROFILE
OF AN
INVESTIGATOR
ARCHIVES:

Summer 2004
Capt. Tracey Hogue
Jackson Township Fire Dept.
 

My name is Tracy Hogue and I have been a member of the Jackson Township Fire Department since June 1976 when I joined as a volunteer.  I was hired as a fulltime Firefighter/Paramedic in October 1985.

Along with my wife Paula, my daughter Kayla (15) and son Kyle (12), I have lived in Jackson Township all my life.  My daughter is a sophomore and plays flute in the Jackson Band and my son plays every sport available to him.

I currently serve as Captain in Charge of the Fire Prevention Bureau.  The Bureau is responsible for all fire investigations, fire inspections, education programs, fire setter courses and reviewing new construction plans.  I follow all commercial construction from start until the final inspection and work closely with the Stark County Building Department.  We started a night inspection program for restaurants and nightclubs last year which has been very successful.  We currently offer owner/managers of nightclubs, restaurants and bars an educational program on fire safety in their facilities.

I accepted the position with the Fire Prevention Bureau in January 2001 and replaced a person whom most of you know – Deputy Chief Herb Shreiner.  The transition was not only smooth because of his previous management but has been enjoyable continuing the long tradition of enforcing every aspect of true “fire prevention” in our community.  This is also accomplished by Fire Chief Ted Heck’s commitment to fire prevention with personnel and a budget.

The Bureau currently consists of four full-time Inspectors/Investigators and we are headquartered in a new 7 million dollar safety building.  With the personnel I have been assigned, the Bureau is strong and will continue as our philosophy is to work as a team on inspections and investigations.  It would be unfair not to mention Inspectors Bob Preece,  Kevin Lanzer, Ralph DeChiara, Aaron Stoller and Administrative Assistant Sue Bacon.  This job, with the size of our community, could not be done alone.

I joined the IAAI and the Ohio Chapter when I started in 2001.  I have attended Ohio Arson School since I started in the Bureau.  The Ohio Arson School is a must if you are investigating fires in any capacity in the State of Ohio.  I have not only made many new friends in the field, but networking when a common problem exists in your community is an invaluable tool.  The business of fire investigations is not a one man show; working together (whether private or public), we can solve most  fires.

I encourage all to join IAAI and the Ohio Chapter and to also read the website frequently to continue to improve our abilities in fire origin and cause.

See all in Columbus in August.  Be fire safe!

SPRING 2004:
Chief Andy Davis
Irondale Fire Rescue Dept.
Jefferson County, Ohio

My name is David Andrew Davis, everyone calls me Andy.

Along with my wife Beth and my 2 sons, Zachary  (9) and Jacob (8) we recently moved into a new home we built on 10 acres of land near Hammondsville, Ohio.

I have been a firefighter since 1978 when I joined the Irondale Fire Rescue Department as a junior firefighter; I am a second generation firefighter.  I became an EMT in 1982 and worked my way up through the ranks until I was promoted to fire chief in 1990.  

As chief I serve as incident commander on scenes as well as fire investigator. I am also a member of the Jefferson County Arson Task Force. I have attended many arson seminars across the country and enjoy attending the Ohio Arson School and the Northern Ohio Arson Seminar each year.

I am a NAFI certified Fire & Explosion Investigator, (CFEI) Vehicle Fire Investigator (CVFI) and instructor (CFII).  I hope to be able to someday obtain my CFI credentials.

I currently do fire investigations for my department and for the Jefferson County Arson Task Force operated out of the Sheriffs Office. I assist the local departments with origin and cause determination. The task force works in conjunction with the SFM Investigations Unit. I hope to someday be able to do fire investigations as a full time job.

I joined the IAAI including the Ohio Chapter to help better educate myself and take advantage of the opportunities that each member receives.
There is a wealth of knowledge and expertise among the members, by having access to these people via the IAAI it makes everyone’s job a little bit easier to do.

The website is a great tool also, especially the message boards.  I have found that everyone I meet at the chapter meetings and various training seminars have similar goals as I do.. To do our jobs the absolute best we can, find the origin and cause of the fires and hopefully prevent them from occurring again somewhere else.

I think the Ohio Chapter is headed in the right direction and I know the current staff is working hard to keep it moving positively.

RANDY DUNN
Randy has been a great supporter of this website, which is why I asked him to be our first profile.  Thanks Randy!
Hello,  My name is Randy Dunn and I am a
Firefighter/Paramedic for the Zanesville Fire
Department since 1991. I am the lead investigator for   the Zanesville Fire Investigation Team. I am also the U.S.T. Inspector for the department. I am a C.F.S.I.,
a Haz-Mat Tech., and certified Fire Instructor. I am a member of the I.A.A.I,  I.A.A.I. Ohio chapter, and the N.A.F.I.

I have been married for 26 years and have 2 grown children, a son and a daughter, and 2 grand-children.

I started in the fire service in 1987 as a
volunteer with the Glenford-Hopewell Twp. Volunteer Fire Department in Glenford, Ohio. Almost immediately upon entering the fire service I became interested in how fires started and why. I then became a member of the Perry County Fire Task Force in 1988. I was a member of both organizations until 1992.
   
 have been active in fire investigations with
Zanesville since being hired and over the years it
just gets more and more interesting. I have attended the Ohio Arson School for the last 6 years and became a member of the I.A.A.I. a couple of years ago. I joined the Ohio Chapter for the networking and information that can be passed on to others in this field.

I have to recognize 2 people that have greatly
inspired me over the years to continue my education in fire investigations. Those people would be Fred Redfern and Joe Boban. I am currently pursuing my C.F.I. certification and hope to continue
investigating fires after I retire.