U.S. Embassy Sponsors Training on Arson Investigations (June 17, 2009)
The International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs office of the U.S Embassy in Tbilisi is sponsoring a training course on arson investigations for Georgian and Armenian law enforcement personnel from June 8-19. On Wednesday, June 17 at 12:00 at the Isani-Samgori regional fire station, Ambassador Tefft will participate as ATF instructors conduct a "Burn Cell Practical Exam" in which four mock furnished apartments, constructed specifically for this training course, will be burned.
After the blaze is extinguished, the Georgian and Armenian participants will sift through the debris to collect evidence and, based on the training received, draw conclusions about the cause and origin of the fire. The overall goal of this training is the professional development of Georgian and Armenian fire investigators. 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.Twelve Georgian police investigators and forensic personnel from the National Forensic Bureau, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Environment Protection Investigation Division and Tbilisi Fire Department are participating jointly with 12 Armenian experts in this regional training opportunity. Seven American instructors from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are conducting the arson course.