Fire Investigation Team
Most fires that had occurred in Hillside and Battalion 7 in the 1970’ and 1980’s was investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Mickey Zito was an investigator with the State who lived in Melrose Park and was also a retired fireman from Melrose Park Fire Department. His proximity enabled him to get to fire scenes at very short time.
In the early 1990’s the state enacted statues that allowed firefighters to get certified as fire investigators, interested members attended the three State of Illinois certified fire/arson investigators modules. When the Fire/arson Investigator certification became available, a few firefighters were able to attend. Members of the Hillside Fire Department where part of this elite group of individuals. Shortly after this group of individuals were certified by the state, members proposed to the Battalion 7 Fire Chiefs to form an investigation unit. The Chiefs approved the concept, but no formal team was stared.
With more firefighters getting their certifications, a set of rules and regulations were written and adopted by the Battalion. With MABAS spreading, changes were adopted, and team members were being called to scenes of fires more and more for the purpose of cause and origin, instead of only suspicious fires. When the Division 6 and 7 merged, (now known as MABAS DIVISION 20) the unit improved with the addition of new investigators.
All fires are investigated with the team approach in mind. The intent of the team approach is to provide better communication between fire and police officials as well as other agencies such as Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, State of Illinois Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
At a fire scene, investigators conduct an origin and cause investigation. This involves the examination of fire debris for clues as to how the fire may have started. Evidence is collected for analysis, photographed are taken of the scene and interviews are conducted with all people pertinent to the case. The final step of the investigation process is to write a formal report in which the findings of the investigation are detailed. Investigators, when required, testify to their findings in both formal hearings and court proceedings.
The Hillside Fire Investigators and the members of Div. 20 Fire Investigation Task Force training is a priority with all members. Members frequently attend special schools and training seminars to update themselves with the newest trends and technology in the field of fire investigation.