Arson Investigation Training in Georgia

June 8-19, 2009

Arson Investigation Training Participants together with Ambassador Tefft.

The International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs office of the U.S Embassy in Tbilisi sponsored an arson investigation training course for Georgian and Armenian law enforcement personnel from June 8-19.  The course was designed and implemented by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to develop the professional skills of fire investigators in local jurisdictions.  At the Isani-Samgori regional fire station, Ambassador John Tefft observed a "Burn Cell Practical Exam," in which visiting ATF instructors burned four mock apartments constructed and furnished specifically for this training course. After extinguishing the blaze, the Georgian and Armenian investigators sifted through debris to collect evidence, jointly analyzed what they found, and drew conclusions about the cause and origin of the fire. The skills and techniques learned in this course will allow Georgian law enforcement officers and their Armenian counterparts to successfully investigate and prosecute crimes of arson.