Fire Scene Photography – Interview w/ Allegheny County Deputy Fire Marshal Michael Shawley

There are no written guidelines that I know of out there regarding fire scene photos in relation to  fire investigations, and as a photo-journalist I’ve often wondered what is off-limits and what would be beneficial for investigation purposes.  I recently had the opportunity to meet up with Michael Shawley, who is a Deputy Fire Marshal for Allegheny County, PA, who unfortunately has been extremely busy in my area of the county investigating suspicious fires.  Mike was gracious enough to tell Hoopie World some information about himself and answer some questions regarding picture taking on fire scenes.

Hopefully the information he provides helps those of us out there shooting incidents and hopefully we can learn to take better pictures that can help in aiding with fire investigations.

How long have you been a Fire Marshal?
I’ve been employed full time with the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office since March 2004. I’ve been affiliated with the office since November 2002.  I started out as an intern before being hired full time.  I’ve been involved in approximately 1200 fire investigations within Allegheny County, over 900 of them as the lead investigator.  I am a certified fire investigator at the state, national, and international level.

How long have you been with Allegheny County?
I’ve been affiliated with the Fire Marshal’s Office since 2002. I did not hold any other positions as an employee of Allegheny County.  I’ve been a resident of Allegheny County my entire life.

Are you a volunteer FF? If so which department and for how long?
Yes.  I’m in my 15th year as a volunteer firefighter.  My first 10 years were with Brentwood Fire Department.  I am currently in my 5th year with Broughton Fire Department in South Park Township where I live.  I am certified as Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Fire Instructor I, Fire Investigator I, Hazmat Operations Level, and Vehicle Rescue Technician Level among others.

What type of pictures are acceptable for fire scene photography?
Any and/or all pictures of “Action Shots” are acceptable for fire scene photograph, from as early as possible through extinguishment.  Pictures acceptable can include but are not limited to smoke and fire conditions, occupants, the crowd, units on scene, and suppression efforts.

What type of pictures are prohibited, or frowned upon by the ACFM office?
Close-up shots of the area of origin (when publicized) are highly frowned upon for many reasons.  First of all, you are publicizing somebody’s private property for the most part.  Secondly, if you photograph and publish a point of origin, too many people can develop too many opinions.  Some may be right, some may be wrong. For example, let’s say a product fails causing an accidental fire.  A photographer uploads the photos of the product on the website. It can create bad publicity for the product, the installer, the manufacturer, etc. Furthermore, it can create grief for investigators trying to explain why somebody else was inside that scene taking photographs.

Are there any types of pictures that could help with an ACFM investigation? Anything a fire photographer should focus on?
The sooner the pictures are taken, the better.  The ideal pictures are as early into the fire as possible.  The opportunity to capture all four sides or all angles of the fire in its early stages is a major advantage to any investigation.  Conditions can changes within seconds.  While photographing during 360-degree documentation, some major areas of focus are overall shots of the side, door and window positions and locations, utilities such as gas and electric meters, exposures (if any), and of course smoke and fire conditions.

What are the biggest and/or most common issues you see on websites regarding pictures of a fire scene?
Dark pictures, blurry pictures, and pictures too far away.  Dark scenes are very difficult to photograph with the orange glow and flashing lights.  Even though it is dark outside, sometimes no flash is better than having a flash.  It takes a lot of practice to get the proper settings at night.  Also, try not to zoom unless you have to.  It is much better to get as close as possible rather than zoom in. As you zoom in, picture quality is drastically reduced.

Do you have any common guidelines a fire photographer should follow on a scene?
You can never take too many pictures.  Also, the higher the mega-pixels you can shoot, the better.  Also, if you feel a picture did not turn out right, take it again.  There is nothing wrong with taking several pictures of the same thing.

What happens to all the pictures the ACFM take on a scene?
Any pictures taken on the fire scene are burned to a CD or DVD and become part of the case file.  In many cases, the Deputy Fire Marshal may request a copy of your photographs as observations made.  Requested photographs from witnesses or photographers may also become part of the case file.  Both case-file photographs and other on-scene photographs by witnesses are often used for training in classes and presentations.

Are there any other do’s or don’ts that weren’t covered in the above questions? Any other information that you would like added to the article?
I cannot stress enough the fact of taking pictures as early into the incident as possible from as many angles as possible.
I would like to thank Mike for his time answering these questions for Hoopie World.

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4. Suspicious Fire in Elizabeth Borough – Update 8/11/2009
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