About Us

Over recent years, a growing sense of common purpose has developed between the Insurance
sector and the Queensland Police Services, Scientific and Arson Units, and from the Fire Research
and Investigation Unit of the Queensland Fire & Rescue Service. In addition, the valued role of the
ElectricalSafety Office, within the Department of Justice & Attorney General has added valuable
dimension.

With a renewed diversity of support, resource and expertise the main aims of the QAFI are as
follows:-

To provide a forum in which all agencies involved in the investigation of the cause and origin of
fires can develop an understanding of the full range of services and facilities available.

To develop initiatives and programs which will raise the level of expertise and experience of
those actively involved in the investigation of fires and to raise the level of understanding of
those involved in policy making and resource allocation.

To provide public education; highlighting capacity of fire investigators to detect and
determine the accurate picture of the dominant causes of fire losses in the community.

To promote the highest level of ethical behaviour of all those involved, both directly and
indirectly, in the investigation of fires.

To ensure that expert witness evidence, provided to our courts, is factual, unbiased and
complete; not withstanding the adversarial nature of our justice system.

The QAFI invites all interested parties to join with us in bringing to bear the maximum possible
effort, from fully resourced agencies, to bring into control and to diminish the tragedy of fire losses
within our community.

Click on Membership in menu above for details.

The Queensland Association of Fire Investigators Inc. (QAFI) is Chapter No. 59 of the International Association of Arson Investigators Inc. (IAAI),
based in St. Louis, USA. In the United States of America, the IAAI has a major role and influence in the fire investigation community where it certifies
qualified fire investigators. It has developed with the dominant influence from within the Fire and Police Services and other Government agencies.

By way of contrast, the QAFI has had a very strong Insurance Industry input, with a lesser input, particularly in early days coming from the Police
and Fire Services. As a result, our chapter has taken quite a different approach to strategies directed towards the control of the dramatic loss of life
and property, which accompanies fires.