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Accepted as an expert witness by the Ontario Superior Court, Steve specializes in fires and explosions and has conducted investigations for over 1,000 fire and explosion scenes. His professional experience includes over 10 years with the Office of the Fire Marshal, Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, and extensive experience in automotive repair and inspection.
Fire Marshal’s Citation – outstanding case management in large loss in Toronto (2011)
Fire and Explosion Investigator & Operations Manager Northern and Eastern Ontario/Atlantic Canada
Origin and Cause Inc.
Kingston, Ontario
June 2014 – Present
Fire Investigator Office of the Fire Marshal Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
April 2009 – May 2014
Fleet Management Coordinator
Office of the Fire Marshal Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
January 2003 – April 2009
Transportation Enforcement Officer 2 Ministry of Transportation
Whitby and Bowmanville, Ontario
April 2001 – January 2003
Refuse truck operator/truck mechanic Municipality of Clarington
Bowmanville, Ontario
March 1997 – September 1999
Automotive Painter Paint Plas
Ajax, Ontario
November 1995 – February 1997
Ambulance Communications Dispatcher Ministry of Health
Oshawa, ON (Part-time – GO TEMP)
June 1993 – October 1994
Responsible for receiving calls for medical service and dispatching land ambulances throughout Durham Region. Responsible for coordinating patient transfer from various hospitals around the Durham Region.
Class “A” Apprentice Nurse Chevrolet Oldsmobile Cadillac
Whitby, Ontario
October 1993 – November 1995
Class “A” Apprentice Rossland Square Texaco
Oshawa, Ontario
July 1991 – October 1993
Mechanic Apprentice Kingvar Chrysler
Courtice, Ontario
June 1990 – July 1991
Fire Prevention Officer 101: Legislation and Standards – Ontario Fire College – (2012- 1 day)
Topics covered included Legislation that applies to fire departments, Occupational Health and Safety Act requirements as it applied to protective clothing for firefighters, mandatory requirements for PPE, requirements of the Fire Prevention Officer, municipal by-laws, reporting of fire events to the OFM. Review the FFPA and discuss authority for inspections and investigations.
FIRE INVESTIGATION RELATED
Advanced Fire Cause and Determination Course – NFPA 1033 Certification: Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator (2009 – 2011 – 2012 – 30 days) – Ontario Fire College
Course covering topics dealing with Chemistry of Fire, Spontaneous Combustion, Building Construction, Interviewing and Statement Taking, Vehicle Fires, Comprehensive Fire Investigations, Environmental Impact, Explosion Investigation, Clandestine Laboratory Fires, Origin and Cause, Criminal Code and Other Related Statutes, Roles and Responsibilities and the FPPA, Search Warrants, Motives, Fraud, NFPA 921, Incendiary Devices, High Temperature Accelerants as well as Related Case Studies.
(This standard identifies the professional level of performance required for Fire Investigators. It specifically identifies the job performance requirements necessary to perform as a Fire Investigator).
(March 2009 – 15 days)
April 2009 – present – practical field experience)
(March 2011 – Written exam)
(Refresher – 2012 – 15 days)
NFPA 921 Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (2012 – 5 day)
Topics covered included the legal requirements to conduct a fire scene examination, fire chemistry, fire pattern analysis, identifying and collecting physical evidence, origin and cause determination, fire suppression techniques. This course also consisted of participating in five live burn scenarios’ and a practical scene examination.
National Forum on Forensic Evidence in Fire Investigations: Criminal and Civil Proceedings (2011 – 1 day)
Expert panel examining key challenges and cutting edge issues within the fire investigation field. Keynote speakers include John LENTINI (Certified Fire Investigator), The Hon. Justice Stephen GOUDGE (Court of Appeal for Ontario) and Chris WILLIAMS (Assistant Deputy Fire Marshal, Office of the Fire Marshal, Ontario).
Investigation of Appliances and Small Equipment Failures Course (2010 – 1 day) – Canadian Association of Fire Investigators
Toronto Police Association
Course covering topics such as how to identify failures in common household appliances, current recalls and design of new energy efficient appliances, how to identify types of light fixtures and how they are designed to operate and end of life. Other topics included new trends and products in HVAC and issues associated with mechanical devices in confined compartments.
ISN Interviewing and Interrogation Course (2010 – 3 days)
Peterborough Police Service
Course covering topics as Law Relevant to Interviewing, Cognitive Interviewing, Confession Techniques, Detecting Deception, Interviewing Strategies – Behavioral Questioning, Personality Considerations/Assessments, False Confessions and Interviewing the Mentally Ill.
Death Investigation Course (2010 – 5 days)
Durham Regional Police – Police Learning Centre
Course covering topics dealing with Attempted Suicide, Coroners Act, Forensic Pathology, Pediatric Death Investigations, Water Recoveries, Death Scene Management and Security, Archaeological Forensic Recovery of Remains, Equivocal Deaths and applicable case law.
General Investigation Techniques (2009 – 10 days)
Durham Regional Police – Police Learning Centre
Course covering topics dealing with Crime Scene Management, Canvassing, Interviewing and Interrogation, Forensic Identification, Operational Planning, Evidence Collection, Notebooks, Search and Seizure with and without warrant, Eyewitness Identification, Terrorism and applicable case law.
Forensic Recovery of Human Remains (2009 – 5 days)
Ontario Police College
Course covering topics dealing with Forensics, Forensic Recovery of Surface Scattered Human Remains and Clandestine Burials, Forensic Anthropology and the Fatal Fire Victim, Forensic Recovery of a Large Vehicle Crash Site, Animal Scattering Patterns and applicable case law.
Origin and Cause Determination (September 2004 – 3 days)
Port Colborne, Ontario – Ontario Fire College
Topics included:
Office of the Fire Marshal (Fire Patterns & Cause Determination)
Forensic Investigators (Evidence Identification & Collection)
Crime Scene Management, Insurance Investigations
Private Sector Fire Investigations
Conduct live burn scene examinations
Car Fire examinations
Fire pattern demonstrations
St. John Ambulance – Standard First Aid/ CPR (2011 – 3 days)
Cobourg, Ontario – St. John Ambulance
Origin and Cause Presentation and duties of the Ontario Fire Marshal Fire Investigators
Durham College – Fire and Life Safety Program (November 2013 – 4 hours)
Oshawa, Ontario
Topics included:
Origin and Cause Presentation – Brock Township Fire Department – Station #3 (February 2012 – 2.5 hours)
Brock Township Ontario
Topics included:
Origin and Cause Presentation –Fleming College, Law and Justice Students
Peterborough (February 2012 – 2.5 hours)
Peterborough, Ontario
Topics included:
Origin and Cause Presentation – Port Hope Fire Department – Station #2 (September 2011 – 2 hours)
Port Hope, Ontario
Topics included:
Origin and Cause Presentation – Port Hope Fire Department – Station #3 (October 2011 – 2 hours)
Port Hope, Ontario
Topics included:
DEMONSTRATION BURNS
ONTARIO POWER GENERATION – WESLEYVILLE SITE
June 2013
ONTARIO FIRE COLLEGE
June 2013
October 2012
August 2012
October 2011
June 2011
November 2010
October 2009
March 2009
Determining flashpoint of a Volatile liquid (gasoline)
ONTARIO POLICE COLLEGE
June 2009
May 2009
