Davis fire agencies team up for investigations

LAYTON — When a fire department puts out a fire, its work doesn't end when the hoses are stowed back on the fire engine.

Another kind of trained professional is sent to the scene to investigate the fire's cause.

In most departments, that person is the fire marshal, but on bigger or more complex fires, you need more investigation help.

So Davis County fire agencies are hoping to finalize an agreement to create a countywide fire investigation team.

Currently, most cities and agencies are on board, said Dean Hunt, Layton's fire marshal. And once agreements are in place, there will be at least seven fire investigators who can help walk through a burned property and collect and store evidence.

And because firefighters in various departments are being trained as certified fire investigators, about seven more people will be available to help out in a pinch, Hunt said.

"It helps to have the added expertise," he said.

The fire investigation team has been working together unofficially for the past two years. Participation isn't mandatory, Hunt said, but fire departments around the county already have mutual-aid agreements in place.

That means that firefighters in Sunset or Syracuse may help firefighters in Clinton. Or Farmington might help in Centerville. Once new memorandums of understanding are approved by city councils, fire investigation will become part of the mutual-aid agreements, too.

E-MAIL: jdougherty@desnews.com