Steve Riggs has twenty-two years of Law Enforcement, and Fire Service Experience in Oklahoma. Mr. Riggs has extensive training in Fire Cause Determination, Criminal Investigation, Arson Investigation, Evidence Processing, Interviewing Techniques, and Case Management. He is both a certified Police and Fire Instructor. Mr. Riggs has successfully been involved in many Arson Prosecutions in Oklahoma, and assisted with Federal Prosecution. To date, he has never lost an arson case. Steve has authored two fire science training books ARSON CASE MANAGEMENT, ARSON SCENE SEARCH AND EVIDENCE RECOVERY as well as co-authored PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF ELECTRICAL FIRE INVESTIGATIONS. Steve lectures throughout the United States for local, state, federal agencies and insurance investigators. Steve currently serves on the Hamilton County Fire Investigators Task Force.

Ray Powell is a qualified consultant in the area of Fire/Arson/Explosive investigation. Mr. Powell has lectured extensively at seminars and conventions throughout the United States. He has instructed Fire Investigation courses for colleges and for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Mr. Powell retired after 26 years of dedicated service with the Jacksonville, Florida Fire/Rescue Department. The Last four years he served as supervisor of investigations. Prior to being assigned supervisor, Mr. Powell worked closely with the state attorney and police detectives to develop arson cases. He has been actively involved in fire investigation for 30 years. Mr. Powell has authored three Fire Science Training Manuals: Basic Fire Investigation, Arson For Profit Investigation, and Advanced Origin and Cause Investigation/Expert Witness, and co-authored Practical Aspects of Electrical Fire Investigation. Mr. Powell was selected by the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Training Facility to help develop and instruct their Advanced Cause and Origin/Court room Technique Course.

Tim Yandell retired in 2004 from the Ponca City Fire Department as a Captain in fire suppression and investigations. Tim currently investigates Fire Origin and Cause of Structure and Vehicle Fires, Mechanical Failure Examinations, Evidence Preservation/Collection as well as testifying in both Criminal and Civil Litigation Cases through Yandell Fire Investigations and Consultants. He has an extensive background in automotive and heavy equipment as well as Origin and Cause Investigations on structure fire losses. Tim has authored and co-authored two fire science-training books VEHICLE FIRE/ARSON INVESTIGATION AND FIRE INVESTIGATION BASED ON NFPA 921 AND NFPA 1033. Tim lectures nationally to State and Federal Agencies as well as Insurance Companies.

Mike Dilley began his career in the law enforcement field 30 years ago. He has also been in the fire service for 30 years, including 24 years as a full-time firefighter. He presently holds the rank of Division Chief with a Municipal Fire Department. Mike has been involved in the fire investigation field for the past 25 years, including Supervision of the Fire Prevention Division and Fire Investigation Teams. He has also worked in the private sector conducting origin and cause investigations for attorney’s and insurance companies. Mike is a Field Staff Instructor for the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute, conducting fire investigation classes and other related fire science fields. Mike has testified as an expert witness in Federal, State and Local cases both in criminal and civil liabilities. Mike also teaches fire investigation and fire management courses at his local Community College. The National Association of Fire Investigators recognizes him as a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator. He also holds the certification of Fire and Arson Investigator given by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Curt Varone has over 37 years of experience in the fire service, and 24 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience.

He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and writes the Fire Law column in Firehouse Magazine.

Curt is the Co-Director of the LLRMI Fire and EMS Services Division.

Steve Chasteen has more than 34 years in the fire service, including 27 years as a full time firefighter and company officer. Mr. Chasteen has worked as a fire investigator for the past 25 years conducting more that 2,200 fire scene examinations. He has worked as a municipal fire investigator and in the private sector conducting origin and cause investigations for the insurance industry. Steve has also testified in Federal and State courts in Illinois as an expert witness in criminal and civil cases. Mr. Chasteen is a field staff instructor conducting origin and cause investigation training and other fire investigation related topics for the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute. He is recognized as a Certified Fire Investigator through the International Association of Arson Investigators and the Office of the State Fire Marshal of Illinois. Mr. Chasteen is also a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator by the National Association of Fire and Explosion Investigators. He is a member of the IAAI and NAFI. Mr. Chasteen has also attended the ATF National Academy in Glenco, Ga. He is also a member of the MABAS 41 fire investigation team in McLean County, Illinois.

Captain Brian Boll, FDNY has over twenty-five years of experience in the fire service. He is currently a Captain in the Fire Department of the City of New York, and has experience as volunteer fire fighter where he also attained the rank of Captain. He is a Safety Officer on the FDNY Type I Incident Management Team. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Safety and Health/Fire Science and an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts. Captain Boll has extensive experience investigating line of duty death, serious injury, and apparatus accidents. He has been an integral part of the FDNY Safety Command since 2004 and has participated in several major safety investigations. He has also helped develop the current curriculum for training FDNY field safety investigators.

Steve Colson is a career firefighter with the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY). He has over twenty years of experience in the fire service, serving as both a career and volunteer firefighter. He is the creator and administrator of the FDNY Near Miss reporting system, and co-coordinator of the FDNY Forensic Mapping System. A graduate of Providence College, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Science, and is currently enrolled in a Masters program in Protection Management at John Jay College in New York City. Mr. Colson is a nationally certified fire service instructor II. Mr. Colson has worked on numerous line of duty firefighter fatality and serious injury investigations, as well as apparatus collisions for the FDNY’s Safety Command. He has served as the program coordinator and participated in the development and instruction of the current curriculum for training field safety investigators for FDNY.

Stan B. Walters is President of Stan B. Walters & Associates, Inc. He is the author of Principles of Kinesic Interview & Interrogation®, published by CRC Press 1996. The textbook is used for interview and interrogation by several police academies and universities in the U.S. Stan has spent more than 22 years on the research and study of interview and interrogation. He is currently acting as the Subject Matter Expert on interview and interrogation to the Johns Hopkins University. He developed the Practical Kinesic Interview & Interrogation®  training series and his extensive research work, training programs and writings have received critical recognition from law enforcement, loss prevention, corrections, and fire service professionals. His work has also received praise from many social and behavioral science professionals throughout the U.S.

James “Jim” Currie (Retired) was a law enforcement professional who has served over 32 years in police related positions. Twenty-two years were served in the Supervision and Management Positions in the United States Marine Corps. Eight years as a Senior Criminology Instructor at South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy specializing in the areas of Police Supervision, Management and Training.

William S. Westfall has provided liability, leadership and supervisory training to thousands of police officers in nearly every state in the United States, as well as, having been featured as a guest speaker on the Law Enforcement Television Network (LETN), the Fire Emergency Television Network (FETN) and the Federal Emergency Management Agencies (FEMA), National Fire Academy (NFA) at the National Emergency Training Center (NETC).