Fire Protection Investigations Expert Witness

WORK EXPERIENCE:

As of July 1, 2012 I retired and became a Fire Protection Consultant for myself, and in that capacity voluntarily researched and wrote the “History of the CA State Fire Marshal Office”, which documented the ninety (90) years (starting on 05//23/1923 thru 01/01/13). The 65-pages reflects more than 497 pieces of state Legislation (both Senate and Assembly Bills) as well as significant events (fire and otherwise) which are reflected in the various programs (past and present) which have occurred. The document was handed off to CA State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover, who intends to have the document published, and posted on the CA SFM Website. Additionally, Consultant  researched and drafted the first History of the California Fire Chiefs’ Association, Fire Prevention Officers – Northern Section (NorCal FPO’s) which spans from 1952 to present. This document is currently 43-pages in length and is a “work-in-progress project. The document reflects the monthly meetings of the Association as well as the Annual Installation of Officers and Committee Chairman’s Semi-annual Meetings.

Starting on July 1, 1999 thru June 30, 2012

I was working under contract for the National Automatic Sprinkler Industry Fund (NAS-IP) as a Consultant. The services to be provided include the promotion of, and the use and installation of automatic sprinklers and in general educational and involve special assignments, assistance in training and representation as designated on behalf of NAS-IP in other activities mutually agreed upon.

Special Note: Starting from January 9, 2006 thru January 29-30, 2007 I worked as a “retired annuitant” for the Office of the California State Fire Marshal for more than 1,400-hours on the Code Adoption Process, which involved the development of the CSFM’s proposed adoption package for the 2006 International Building Code and International Fire Code for the adoption of the 2007 California Building Code and California Fire Code.This project including the preparation of the Code Adoption Monographs, attending Core Group Meetings, working with the 14 Work Groups, preparation of the Express Terms, Initial Statement of Reasons, and Adoption Matrix for both the CBC and CFC. I also attended and participated in the California Building Standards Commission Building, Fire & Other Code Advisory Committee Hearings (July 24-26 and August 7, 2006) as well as numerous meetings before the Building Standards Commission.

On February 6, 1999

I retired from the City of Foster City and the 28.5 years of working in the “public sector” for several government agencies. While retired I intend to continue my working relationship with the California Fire Service and to participate in Training and Education through the Northern California Fire Prevention Officers Section (Nor-Cal FPO’s) of the California Fire Chiefs Association (CFCA)

Prior to retiring I was appointed to the position of Fire Marshal (Battalion Chief), which was a management position within the City of Foster City Fire Department from June 23, 1997 thru February 6, 1999.

• As Fire Marshal I was responsible for the management of the Fire Prevention Bureau which performed the duties of fire prevention engineering, code enforcement/compliance, plan review, issuance of permits, fire investigation, development of related ordinances, resolutions, policies and procedures, and public education.
• As a member of the management team for the City of Foster City I also attended Interdepartmental Evaluation Committee Meetings (IDEC) each week, representing the Fire Department and reviewed new or proposed construction projects. Additionally, I had the assignment of Emergency Services Coordinator for the City of Foster City and was responsible for the planning, preparation and annual simulation of emergency exercises for the City’s Emergency Plan.
• As a local Fire Marshal I was serving as the Chairperson of the CSFM’s Manufactured Housing/Residential Fire Sprinkler Partnership Group and also served as Chairperson of the Nor-Cal FPO’s Ad- Hoc Committee for the Omega Fire Sprinklers. Both committees are actively pursuing their respective goals/objectives.
• Prior to my employment with the City of Foster City I was selected by then State Fire Marshal Ronny J. Coleman and appointed by then Governor Pete Wilson on August 14, 1995 to the position of Deputy Director (Deputy Chief) for the Office of the State Fire Marshal for the State Fire Training Division and Arson & Bomb Investigation Division. On September 11, 1995 I began my position as an executive member of the Department and held that role through June 20, 1997.

Responsibilities included;

• Chairperson of the Statewide Training and Education Advisory Committee (STEAC)
• Executive Officer for the State Board of Fire Services (SBFS) OSFM representative to the Statewide Advisory Committee for Public Safety
• OSFM representative to POST Statewide Regional Skills Training Centers Advisory Committee
• OSFM representative on the Community Colleges Grant Advisory Committee, and Chair of the OSFM’s CalJAC Sub-JAC.
•  Chairperson of the Manufactured Housing Residential Sprinkler Partnership
• Participation in the CDF/CSFM Consolidation/Integration Working Group
• and other transition issues regarding the merger of these two state agencies.

Prior to my employment with the State of California, I was employed by the Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board of Southern California (from July 1, 1988 through September 8, 1995).

As the Director, I was the General Manager of the FSABSC Board, taking managerial and administrative charge of the Board’s Office in Cerritos, CA, and representing the Board at professional organizations, public relation gatherings, training and educational functions, code development and legislative efforts.Maintenance of financial records, filing and record retention, and the development, maintenance/updating, and delivery of the FSABSC Training Curriculum (Instructors Guides and Student Manuals) and other handout materials used in educational forums for the fire sprinkler industry, fire service, and general public. While Director of the FSABSC I was able to research and publish two detailed documents: City of Los Angeles Civil Disturbance Final Report (April 29 – May 2, 1992) and the Northridge Earthquake Report (January 17, 1994), which have been distributed worldwide since being published.

My prior employment was with the City of Monterey (Fire Department) from May 9, 1977 to June 28, 1988.

Starting out as a Fire Inspector, I was promoted to the position of Fire Prevention Officer on January 1, 1981. On July 1, 1981 I was promoted to the position of Fire Prevention Officer (Fire Marshal). On or about July 1, 1987 the title was changed to Fire Marshal.

As a Division Manager, I was responsible for the activities (programs) within the Fire Prevention Bureau, which included:

• Fire Investigation
• Public Education
• Fire Prevention Inspections
• Plan Review
• Engine Company Inspections
• Public Speaking
• General/Technical Writing
• Report Writing Standards/Ordinance Development
•  Legislative Research Trail/Courtroom Appearances
• Hazardous Materials
• The opportunity to develop a progressive/responsive fire prevention program for the City of Monterey was a goal during my employment with the Fire Department. The research and development of a “systems approach” to fire prevention has given me the opportunity to write research papers, magazine articles, lengthy and complex reports, and to implement new ideas and programs within the community.
• Prior to my employment with the City of Monterey Fire Department, I was employed by the City of Marina as their Chief Building Official/Fire Marshal. I began my employment with the City of Marina Fire Protection District in January 1975 and following the incorporation of the City of Marina, I established the city’s first Building Safety Division, within the Fire Department (now a Public Safety Department [Police/Fire]).

• My previous work experience was as a Building Inspector (combination inspector) for the County of Monterey (May 1972 thru January 1975) and prior to that, I was an Apprentice/ Journeyman Electrician for the City of Monterey (December 1965 through May 1972) which has aided my professional and technical career due to the working knowledge of utilizing NFPA Standards (NFPA-70 – National Electric Code) and the related building construction technology.

FORMAL EDUCATION:

• I am currently enrolled in the Open Learning for the Fire Service Program (OLFSP) presented by Cogswell Polytechnical College of Sunnyvale, CA in conjunction with the National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg, MD. Upon completion (5 remaining classes [15-units]) I will receive a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Administration.
• I presently hold an Associates of Science Degree from Monterey Peninsula College in the field of Fire Science as well as in Engineering. Previous to obtaining these degree(s) I completed a four (4) year apprenticeship program (June 1965 to July 1969) through the State of California Apprenticeship Council and received certified status as a Journeyman Electrician.
• I graduated from Santa Rosa High School in June 1962.
• I presently hold a “life-time” California Community College Instructor Credential (No. 107460) from the State of California in the field of “Fire Science; Building Construction and Related Technologies”.
• I have attended several Federal, State, and Regional level training courses/classes/ seminars throughout my career. They have included the National Fire Academy (5-times/11-weeks), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (1-time/2-weeks), and other sessions dealing with such topics as: Building Construction, Inspection Practices, Public Education, Problem Solving, Management Techniques, Fire Cause and Investigation Methods, Disaster Planning/Preparedness, and Master Planning (Benchmarking, Management by Objectives, Goals and Objectives, etc.).
• My skills in written and verbal communications have been very effective throughout my professional career and have been improved upon by my teaching preparation and experiences.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

During the past 31-plus years I have been active in both the Northern and Southern Sections of the California Fire Chiefs’ Association, Fire Prevention Officers, having served on their Annual Workshop/Institute Committee for 8-years.  I have also served on the Executive Board of the Northern Section; First Vice- President, President, and Past President/Judge Advocate (1983-85).

Additionally, I have held the Chairperson positions on the Flammable Liquids and Gases Committee while a member of the CFCA NorCal FPO’s Section. I also served as Chairperson on the Legislative Committee for the CFCA, NorCal FPO’s. In that capacity I worked on issues and legislation, which impacted and/or affected the California Fire Service. A primary function of this Chairperson position was to correspond with members of the California State Legislature on positions (support and/or opposition) on bills in both the State Assembly and State Senate, as they were going through the legislative process.

I am a “Certified Building Inspector” (No. 1324) through the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) and must review and successfully pass a written examination on the code changes to the latest edition of the Uniform Building Code (UBC) every three (3) years, following it’s publication of the Uniform Building Code. I am also a “Certified Uniform Fire Code Inspector” (No. 0811970-65) through the International Fire Code Institute (IFCI) and must review and successfully pass a written examination on the code changes to the latest edition of the Uniform Fire Code (UFC) every three (3) years, following it’s publication of the Uniform Fire Code.

I have been a member of several State Ad-Hoc Committees over the years, including the CSFM’s Professional Standards and Curriculum Advisory Committee (State Board of Fire Services); CSFM’s and Contractors State License Board Ad-Hoc Committee; CSFM’s NFPA-13D Advisory Committee; CSFM’s and Contractors State License Board SB-1106 Task Force Study Group; Underwriters Laboratories Fire Protection Workshop Committee; Contractors State License Board Fire Protection (C-16) Written Examination Working Group; CSFM’s Public Schools Fire Protection Advisory Committee; CSFM’s Residential Systems & Backflow Advisory Committee; CSFM’s Automatic Fire Systems Advisory Committee/CSFM’s Automatic Extinguishing Systems Advisory Committee; CSFM’s Title-19/NFPA-25 (2006 CA Edition) Working Group; CSFM’s Residential Care Facilities (RCF’s) Advisory Committee CSFM’s Residential Fire Sprinkler Phase I [Water Purveyor] Task Force, Phase II [Installation] Task Force, and Phase III [Training & Education Task Force; CSFM’s Water Discharge Task Force; and most recently the CSFM’s Title-19/NFPA-25 (2011 CA Edition) Working Group;.

INSTRUCTIONAL SKILLS:

I hold a “Life-Time” Teaching Credential and have taught at the local fire department level and on a statewide level. I have also taught at the community college level (Monterey Peninsula College and Hartnell Community College) and at the state university level (Cal-State Los Angeles).

My teaching experience at the California Fire Academy (Asilomar, CA) has been in the fields of Fire Investigation, Fire Prevention, Plan Review, and Building Construction Techniques.  A course, which I helped to develop (in conjunction with a teaching associate) and has proven to be very successful, is Plan Review for the Fire Service (Fire Prevention 3B and formerly Fire Prevention VII), which we first developed and presented in June of 1980. This class continues to be presented each year with many of the original elements/components being used today.

To assist in my presentations, I have assembled a 35mm slide library of more than 12,000 photographic slides, which I have taken over the years and use to support my training/educational programs.  These slides deal with basic field fire investigation, fire prevention, building construction, fire sprinkler/fire alarm/fixed fire extinguishing system installations, flammable liquids and gases installations, (underground tank installation/removal), hazardous materials, and general fire protection practices/features.

Subsequent to being named Fire Protection Contractor Magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 1996 (See FPC, Volume 19, No. 8 – August 1996) I agreed to write a bi-monthly article/ column related to the AHJ’s perspective of the fire sprinkler industry. It is entitled: “Yesterday… Today… and Tomorrow…”. I have also written several articles for Fire Chief Magazine, including “Where Are We Heading with Building and Fire Codes?” (January 2001); “Fire Prevention Certification: Who Needs It?” (April 2001); and “Are You Off The Mark in Finding Target Hazards?” (December 2001). I also co-authored the article “Time for a Check-up” (April 2003) with Chief Ronny Coleman.

AWARDS/HONORS:

• NFPA Learn Not to Burn Competition 1978 (Municipal Division),
• CSFM Commendation “In Recognition of his Service to the Citizens of California (April 1984),
• CA Contractors State License Board Resolution (Glued Fire Sprinkler Case) July 1986,
• CA Senate Rules Committee Proclamation November 1987 (SB-1106 & SB-1107)
• CA Contractors State License Board Recognition Development of the Fire Protection (C-16) Written Examination (July 1989)
• FPC (Fire Protection Contractor Magazine’s “Person of the Year” (August 1996)
• Charles H. Gray Recipient for Outstanding Service in Fire Prevention 2000
• CSFA William R. Goss Award for Fire Safety (March 2007)
• CAL-FIRE Partnership Award – SFN Residential Task Force – Instructional Team) (January 2010)
• NFSA Leadership in Public Safety Award (April, 2013)
• NCSA Robert W. Gain Award (June, 2013)

REFERENCES (Professional):

Available Upon request