We rebranded!
34 years experience
Expertise
  • Fire & Explosion Investigation
  • Forensic Engineering
  • Litigation
Overview

Ryan specializes in fire and explosion investigations and has 23 years of experience working for the Calgary Police Service, including three years in the Homicide Unit and three in the Joint Forces Arson Unit. During his tenure with the Police Service, Ryan was awarded the Exemplary Service Medal and earned his CFEI and CVFI designations. To date, Ryan has investigated over 1,200 residential, commercial and vehicle fires and/or explosions and has been utilized by public policing agencies and private insurers to assess/conduct and assist with civil and criminal investigations, both ongoing or under review. Additionally, Ryan works regularly with law firms requiring detailed analysis of fire investigations, both public and private, civil and criminal, and has been designated as an expert witness within the discipline of fire investigation by the Provincial Court of Alberta. He is a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) and the National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI).

International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)

National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI)

Fire Investigation Association of Alberta (FIAA)

Exemplary Service Medal (2012)

Distinguished Service Award (2012)

Chiefs Award for Life Saving (1995)

 

Vice President Western Canada and Forensic Investigator, Origin and Cause Incorporated,
Calgary, Alberta
April 2024 – Present

Promoted to Vice President of Western Canada. Responsible for overseeing operations and business development in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.


Alberta and British Columbia Branch Manager and Forensic Investigator, Origin and Cause Incorporated
Calgary, Alberta
July 2022 – April 2024

Promoted to Branch Manager for both British Columbia and Alberta. Responsible for managing all business operations, business development, technical reviews and signing off on all outgoing investigative reporting, staffing and maintaining assigned investigations.


Fire & Explosion Investigator, Origin and Cause Incorporated,
Calgary, Alberta
September 2014 – July 2022


Calgary Police Services,
Calgary, Alberta
February 1991 – June 2014


Date of retirement – June 2014

Joint Forces Arson Unit (Detective) – March 2011

Major Crimes Homicide Unit (Detective) – July 2007

General Investigative Unit 3 District (Detective) – September 2002

General Investigative Unit 2 District (Detective) – June 2001

Detective promotion and assigned to G8 Summit – September 2001

General Investigative Unit 1 District (A/Detective) – September 2000

Date of hire (Constable) – February 1991

  • 1. Accused, Michael Collins. 2 charges CC433 (a) Arson-Reckless-Occupied Property. November 13, 2024. Trial. Provincial Court of Alberta. Justice Neustaeter.
  • Accused, Richard Raymond. 2 charges, First Degree Murder and Arson-Reckless-Occupied Property.  Preliminary Hearin April 18, 2023. Provincial Court of Alberta.  Justice Glass.

2021 CFEI – Interviewing Techniques and Statement Taking – June 2021

  • Advanced Forensic Fire Death Investigation. SLOFIST Inc. San Luis Obispo, California.
    • Observe 14 live burn scenarios, utilizing 16 training aids (cadavers), both in vehicles and various structures (tent, building, vehicle, trailer, open field) including fuel packages. Participating in the ignition sequence and observing extinguishment followed by a field autopsy. Additional advanced scenario conducted to determine origin and cause, along with determination of manor/cause of death followed by a case presentation at the San Luis Obispo County Courthouse to a United States District Attorney for criminal charge consideration. June 24-28, 2024
  • Fire Dynamics in the Wildland. IAAI and CFI Trainer. November 2023
  • Fire Chemistry. IAAI and CFI Trainer. September 2023
  • Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Fires. IAAI and CFI Trainer. September 2023
  • Critical Evaluations and Testing of Commonly Reported Accidental Causes. IAAI and CFI Trainer. September 2023
  • Science of Fire and Explosion Hazards from Lithium-Ion Batteries. UL Fire Safety Research Institute. August 2023
  • National Association of Fire Investigators, Fire Investigative Training Program, Denver Colorado. June 2023.
  • Natural Gas and Propane Explosions. Origin And Cause Inc. June 2023
  • Fire Investigation Wildfire Investigation. FireWise Consulting & Learning Academy. May 2023
  • Investigating Farm Machinery Losses. Origin and Cause Webinar. May 2023
  • Fire Effects. Combustion By-Products Effects. IAAI and CFI Trainer. May 2023
  • Explosion Dynamics. IAAI and CFI Trainer. January 5, 2023
  • Explosion Dynamics. International Association of Arson Investigators. December 2022
  • Wildland Fire Investigations. International Association of Arson Investigators. May 2022
  • Arc Mapping Basics, International Association of Arson Investigators. November 2021
  • Basic Electricity, International Association of Arson Investigators. November 2021
  • Arc Mapping Basics, International Association of Arson Investigators. November 2021
  • Tortured Minds, Vancouver, BC. January 2014
    • Complex arson investigations
    • Major insurance fraud
    • Staged fires
    •  Best practice
  • Husky Energy National Safety Conference, Banff, Alberta. October 2013
    • Scene containment
    • Evidence collection
    • Workplace privacy and Canadian law
    • Investigative process
    • Workers’ rights
    • The threat of eco terrorism/investigative vigilance
  • National Association of Fire Investigators Vehicle Investigation Certification (CVEI designation). September 2013
    • Basic vehicle operation
    • Vehicle Research
    • Information sources
    • Electrical systems
    • Scene documentation
    • Fuel systems
    • Post crash fuel fed fires
    • SAE standards
    • “Black Box” crash data retrieval
    • Field examinations
    • Staged scenes
    • Vehicle recalls
    • Liability
  • Presenter to the Calgary Fire Department training section. February 2013
    • Search and Seizure
    • Legal grounds and warrant application for criminal proceedings
    • Current investigative trends
    • Disclosure and its effect on investigations
  • SLOFIST Fire Death Investigation, San Luis Obispo, California
    Presenter: San Luis Obispo Fire Investigation Strike Team Coroner’s Division. June 2012

    • Fire death scene preservation
    • Investigative procedures at the death scene
    • The team approach to death investigation
    • Cause and manner of fire related death
    • Forensic means to determine time of death
    • Antemortem vs. postmortem burns
    • Biological evidence related to fire death
    • Hands on processing of crime scenes using 14 cadavers and 8 scenarios
    • Processing a crime scene, initial approach and documentation of evidence collection
  • War on Grow Ops Conference, Banff, Alberta
    Presenter: ALERT. March 2012

    • Best coalition practices
    • Effect on indoor air quality
    • Current trends
    • Electrical utility supplier concerns
    • Legislative authority regarding remediation
    • Vacant building fires
    • Health and safety risks
    • Investigative challenges
  • Deception Detection Techniques, Calgary, Alberta
    Presenter: United States Department of Homeland Security
    Internal review for relevance to CPS. April 2012
  • Police Explosive Technician Assistant / Post Blast Investigation (5 Day)
    Presenter: Calgary Police Service Tactical Unit Bomb Unit. December 2011

    • Recognition, identification and handling of explosives
    • Scenario based scenes with diffusion and or disruption
    • Experimentation on range using all types of explosives
    • Examination of post blast scenes
    • Identification of precursors
    • Chemical vs powder explosion, high explosive
    • Det. chord, Molotov cocktails
    • Scene preservation
    • Approaching the scene
    • Damage evaluation
  • Advanced Fire Investigation Workshop, Lethbridge, Alberta
    Presenter: Dr. John DeHaan. November 2011

    • Fire science
    • NFPA 921
    • Fire death
    • Low energy ignition sources
  • National Association of Fire Investigators, Newport Beach, California (CFEI Designation)
    Presenter: NAFI
    Certification for Fire and Explosive Investigator. March 2011

    • Dynamics of fire investigation
    • Chemistry and physics of fire behavior
    • Science of fire dynamics
    • Fire and explosion scene investigation techniques
    • Diagramming of the fire and explosion scene
    • Collection and preservation of evidence
    • Origin determination
    • Evaluation of fire causes. Failure analysis
    • Determination of electrical fire causes
    • Explosion dynamics and scene investigation
    • Effective fire case testimony
  • Internet Research Techniques Master Class, Calgary, Alberta
    Deep Internet searching
    Presenter: Toddington International and Security Professional Information Exchange (SPIE). September 2010

    • Search techniques, search tools and case studies
    • Investigative errors that compromise cases
    • Advanced search techniques on “surface’ and ‘deep’ web search resources
    • Compile and analyze internet sourced information
    • Protection of privacy online and maintaining operational integrity
  • Cognitive Interviewing, Calgary, Alberta
    Calgary Police Service. March 2010

    • Memory enhancement
    • Admissibility of statements
    • Charter and voluntariness of statement
    • Direct and implied threats
    • Interview vs interrogation
    • Persuasion
    • Evidence
  • Death and Homicide, Las Vegas, Nevada
    Homicide death. March 2009
    Presenter (PATC)

    • Homicide and equivocal death
    • Crime scene reconstruction
    • Medical and forensic death investigations
    • Procedural issues in the use of deadly force
  • Alberta Homicide Conference and Seminar, Calgary, Alberta. October 2008
    Presenter: Calgary Police Service
  • Major Crimes Undercover Workshop, Calgary, Alberta. June 2008
    • Investigative Techniques
    • Investigative Review
    • Risk Management
    • Law Application
    • Case law review
  • Advanced Forensic Interviewing and Interrogation Techniques. May 2008
    Presenter: RCMP and Alberta Justice

    • Pre-interview preparation
    • Physical setting
    • Interviewer guidelines
    • Phased Interview
    • Rapport building
    • Free narrative
    • Clarification
    • Closure
  • Sudden Death Investigations. “Golden Triangle”, Red Deer, Alberta. May 2008
    Presenter: Alberta Justice with the Calgary Medical Examiner’s Office

    • Principals of sudden death
    • Scene exam
    • Blood splatter
    • Postmortem changes
    • Forensic Odontology
    • Tool marks
    • Forensic Anthropology
    • Blunt and sharp trauma
    • Postmortem forensic toxicology
  • Advanced Driver Training, Calgary, Alberta. December 2007
    Presenter: RCMP

    • High speed driving
    • Unmarked operations
  • Advanced Interviewing and Interrogation. July 2005
    E. Reid and Associates
  • DNA Sampling. June 2005
    Presenter: Calgary Police Service Crime Scenes Unit
    Taking of DNA samples from suspects
    Certified to take DNA samples

    • Certified to take DNA samples
  • Counter Terrorism Training, Calgary, Alberta. March 2005
    Presenter: RCMP. CCIS
  • Serious Habitual Offenders, Red Deer, Alberta. November 2004
    • Who is considered a Serious Habitual Offender
    • Mental mindset
    • Psychological evaluations
  • Source Agent Workshop, Edmonton, Alberta. February 2003
    Presenter: PATC

    • Evaluating the source
    • Legal requirements and long term subject management
    • Liability
  • Man tracking Techniques, Calgary, Alberta. April 2000
    Presenter: Emergency Response Institute. Richard Smith
    Detailed and comprehensive approach for the tactical tracker. The ability to complete tracks on a wide variety of terrain

    • Detecting sign
    • Classification of prints
    • Sign cutting
    • Track aging
    • Handling evidence
    • Tracking the evader
  • Surveillance, Level 1, Calgary, Alberta. March 2000
    Presenter: Calgary Police Service

    • Vehicle surveillance
    • On foot surveillance

Where to Find Ryan Dobson

Calgary

Store locator is loading from StoreRocket Store Locator App..

Explore Other Experts