Fire Department Procedures Expert Witnesses

Santa Barbara, California

Fire - Fire origin and cause investigation, Arson, Explosion, Fire scene reconstruction, Bad faith claims, Fire prevention, Smoke alarm, Smoke detector, Fire alarm, Fire department procedures, Fire codes

I am an expert in fire origin and cause investigation, scene analysis, and reconstruction. My formal education includes a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California (USC). In addition, I completed post graduate work at the National Fire Academy in the Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program. I hold certifications as a Chief Fire Officer (CFO) with The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) as well as Chief Officer and Executive Chief Fire Officer through the California State Fire Marshal. I have attended numerous initial, advanced, and continuing education courses and seminars in various aspects of fire investigation. I have over 30 years of experience in the fire service, 23 years as a Fire Investigator, and have investigated more than 2,500 fires. I was previously a Task Force Officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) and am currently a California State Fire Marshal instructor for beginning and adv...

wauconda, Illinois

Fire, Investigation - arson defense, explosions, fire codes, smoke alarm codes, life safety codes, fire prevention, fire department procedures, insurance claim denial, spoliation, firefighter injuries, firefighter fatalities

As a past member of the Skokie, Illinois Fire Department for twenty-eight years, Mr. Agosti progressed from a Firefighter/Paramedic to the position of Deputy Fire Chief. Mr. Agosti has extensive experience in fire and arson investigation; fire prevention and life safety codes; fire department management, operations and safety; and firefighter fatalities and injuries . He has responded to hundreds of major fire and crime scenes and has testified in court on the conclusions of his investigations. Mr. Agosti’s fire department responsibilities included the review of all construction plans for compliance to fire and building codes. His expertise in building construction and fire code compliance, coupled with his knowledge of firefighting techniques and fire spread, lends a unique blend to his fire investigation capabilities. In addition to his fire department exposure to hundreds of fire investigations, Mr. Agosti has extensive experience in the private sector also. Over the past eight...