Idaho Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators

Welcome to the Idaho Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators web site. We hope you find the site useful and informative.

I would like to introduce myself as the new President of the Idaho Chapter of the IAAI. My name is Doug Strosnider I’m a Montana native who transplanted to Idaho - specifically Boise in 1983 with a grocery food chain Buttrey Foods, I then worked for Albertson’s and discovered firefighting while volunteering at Eagle Fire Department. I found out you could actually get paid to do what I was volunteering to do and then focused on getting hired as a full time firefighter, this led to my first full time position with Caldwell Fire in 1991. I applied later that year at Nampa Fire and was fortunately hired in June of 1992.

I currently serve as Deputy Chief/Fire Marshal for Nampa Fire Department. We have 93 employees who operate out of 5 stations and an administrative office, we provide ALS in non- transport engines to over 100,000 people and this year we will respond to approximately 7,000 total calls. Our prevention bureau struggles to keep up; we have 6 employees in our bureau including a public educator and as most places could double the staff and still not accomplish everything we should.

I have been the Fire Marshal for 10 years and enjoy the various and non-routine atmosphere of the fire service. My fire investigating experience started in Caldwell as an on-line firefighter. Since I was first exposed to fire investigations I have always considered each fire as an opportunity to expand my knowledge and experience something new. I believe we as investigators need to focus on the new NFPA 921 and determine how each of us can improve our investigation skills and share our skills with other investigators.

 I have been a member of the Idaho Chapter for 12 years, I recognize that past President’s who preceded me did a great job of ensuring we were built upon a strong foundation and each of them deserves our appreciation. I would like to personally thank outgoing President Dan Cochran of CDA Fire for his commitment of time, energy and dedication to our chapter. I hope his retirement is as good to him as he has been to the fire service in Idaho. I would also like to thank Emergency Services Training for assisting us in pulling off the conference in CDA, they went the extra mile and it didn’t go un-noticed.

We had some significant changes at our annual business meeting as we voted in a new set of By-Laws; these new ones mirror the International By-Laws very closely. I believe the change is a positive one for our chapter as it provides an opportunity to future leaders by ensuring some executive development and training takes place before leading the Chapter. I would like to welcome and congratulate Twin Falls Police Detective Sergeant Bill Hanchey for his election to the position of 1^st V.P. and Fire Marshal Larry Boatwright of the Kootenai County Fire and Rescue as the 2^nd V.P.

I am excited to have an opportunity to work with several new members who are getting involved in our chapter including the education committee. The education committee will present their recommendation for next fall’s conference at our spring board meeting in Idaho Falls on March 14^th. I would ask each of you to mark the dates for the next conference as November 4^th, 5^th and 6^th of 2008 on your calendars. I appreciate the confidence you have placed in me to be your president for the next year.    

Have a Merry Christmas and I hope each of you find inner peace in 2008.

12/21/07