Fire Investigations

The Greensboro Fire Department Investigation Section is comprised of an Investigation Section Supervisor, three shift Fire Investigators / Inspectors, and a Greensboro Police Detective.

The Investigation Section Supervisor functions as the lead fire investigator and handles investigations during business hours and responds after hours when required or requested. The Investigation Supervisor oversees the Juvenile Fire Setters Education program, supervises the GFD Life/Safety Educator, functions as a Public Information Officer, and supervises a portion of the Fire Code Inspection/Enforcement section.

The three shift investigators are assigned to 24-hour shifts to handle fire investigations after normal business hours, weekends, and holidays. The shift investigators conduct fire inspections during the workday and also handle after-hours code complaints, special events, and perform night Life Safety inspections. A Greensboro Police Detective has been permanently assigned to work with the Fire Investigators and to pursue the criminal investigations. The Investigation Section provides around-the-clock availability and operational readiness, which provides a quick response resulting in a more thorough cause and origin fire investigation. 

The Investigation Section gives and receives support from many outside agencies. These agencies include: the FBI ATF, SBI, NCDOI, CPSC, International Association of Arson Investigators, Guilford County Fire Marshal’s Office and Juvenile Court System, Emergency Management, Insurance and Crime Exchange Organizations, and other local and national departments. The Investigation Section uses the NFIRS (National Field Incident Reporting System), Firehouse reporting system, and its own fire investigation data records and reports to track and analyze calls to help identify trends and target areas. 

General Operating Guidelines direct when a Fire Investigator should respond and when to be requested. In fiscal year 2002-2003, there were 67 fires determined as intentionally set fires. For 2003-2004 there were 75 fires determined as intentional, and for the year 2004-2005 there were 100 fires determined as intentionally set. There has been a 49.3 percent increase in the number of intentional fires investigated in the two-year period from the 2002-2003 fiscal year to the 2004-2005 fiscal year.

Fire investigations questions