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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 and the Court of Kings Bench. 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

  • 3. Accused, Richard Raymond. 2 charges, First Degree Murder and Arson-Reckless-Occupied Property. Trial. February 14, 2025. Court of Kings Bench. Justice Henderson.
  • 1. Accused, Michael Collins. 2 charges CC433 (a) Arson-Reckless-Occupied Property. November 13, 2024. Trial. Provincial Court of Alberta. Justice Neustaeter.
  • 1. 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

Presenter to the Calgary Fire Department
February 2013
Search and Seizure
Legal grounds and warrant application for criminal proceedings
Current investigative trends
Disclosure and its effect on investigations

Advanced Forensic Fire Death Investigation
SLOFIST Inc.
San Luis Obispo, CA
June 24-28, 2024
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.

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

Fire Investigative Training Program
National Association of Fire Investigators
Denver, CO
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 Inc.
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 (IAAI)
December 2022

Wildland Fire Investigations
International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
May 2022

Arc Mapping Basics
International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
November 2021

Basic Electricity
International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
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, AB
October 2013

  • Scene containment
  • Evidence collection
  • Workplace privacy and Canadian law
  • Investigative process
  • Workers’ rights
  • The threat of eco terrorism/investigative vigilance

Vehicle Investigation Certification (CVEI Designation)
National Association of Fire Investigators
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

SLOFIST Fire Death Investigation
San Luis Obispo Fire Investigation Strike Team Coroner’s Division
San Luis Obispo, CA
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
ALERT
Banff, AB
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,
United States Department of Homeland Security
Calgary, AB
April 2012

  • Internal review for relevance to CPS

Police Explosive Technician Assistant/Post Blast Investigation (5 Day)
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
Dr. John DeHaan
Lethbridge, AB
November 2011

  • Fire science
  • NFPA 921
  • Fire death
  • Low energy ignition sources

Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI Designation)
National Association of Fire Investigators
Newport Beach, CA
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: Deep Internet Searching
Toddington International and Security Professional Information Exchange (SPIE)
Calgary, AB
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 Police Service
Calgary, AB
March 2010

  • Memory enhancement
  • Admissibility of statements
  • Charter and voluntariness of statement
  • Direct and implied threats
  • Interview vs interrogation
  • Persuasion
  • Evidence

Death and Homicide
PATC
Las Vegas, NV
March 2009

  • 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 Police Service
Calgary, AB
October 2008

Major Crimes Undercover Workshop
Calgary, AB
June 2008

  • Investigative Techniques
  • Investigative Review
  • Risk Management
  • Law Application
  • Case law review

Advanced Forensic Interviewing and Interrogation Techniques
RCMP and Alberta Justice
May 2008

  • Pre-interview preparation
  • Physical setting
  • Interviewer guidelines
  • Phased Interview
  • Rapport building
  • Free narrative
  • Clarification
  • Closure

Sudden Death Investigations. “Golden Triangle”
Alberta Justice with the Calgary Medical Examiner’s Office
Red Deer, AB
May 2008

  • 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
RCMP
Calgary, AB
December 2007

  • High speed driving
  • Unmarked operations

Advanced Interviewing and Interrogation
E. Reid and Associates
July 2005

DNA Sampling
Calgary Police Service Crime Scenes Unit
June 2005

  • Taking of DNA samples from suspects
  • Certified to take DNA samples
  • Certified to take DNA samples

Counter Terrorism Training
RCMP, CCIS
Calgary, Alberta
March 2005

Serious Habitual Offenders
Red Deer, AB
November 2004

  • Who is considered a Serious Habitual Offender
  • Mental mindset
  • Psychological evaluations

Source Agent Workshop
PATC
Edmonton, AB
February 2003

  • Evaluating the source
  • Legal requirements and long term subject management
  • Liability

Man tracking Techniques,
Emergency Response Institute. Richard Smith
Calgary, AB
April 2000

  • 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 Police Service
Calgary, AB
March 2000

  • Vehicle surveillance
  • On foot surveillance

Where to Find Ryan Dobson

Calgary

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