A Study on the Improvement Plans of Police Fire Investigation

경찰화재조사의 개선방안에 관한 연구

We are living in more comfortable circumstances with the social developments and the improvement of the standard of living, but, on the other hand, we are exposed to an increase of the occurrences of tires on account of large-sized, higher stories, deeper underground building and the use of various energy resources. The materials of the floor in a residence modern society have been going through various alterations in accordance with the uses of a residence and are now used as final goods in interioring the bottom of apartments, houses and shops. There are so many kinds of materials you usually come in contact with, but in the first place, we need to make an experiment on the spread of the fire with the hypocaust used as the floors of apartments, etc. and the floor covers you usually can get easily. We, scientific investigators, can get in contact with the accidents caused by incendiarism or an accidental fire closely connected with petroleum stuffs on the floor materials that give rise to lots of problems. on this account, I'd like to propose that we conduct an experiment on fire shapes by each petroleum stuff and that discriminate an accidental tire from incendiarism. In an investigation, it seems that finding a live coal could be an essential part of clearing up the cause of a tire but it could not be the cause of a fire itself. And besides, all sorts of tire cases or fire accidents have some kind of legislation and standard to minimize and at an early stage cope with the damage by tires. That is to say, we are supposed to install each kind of electric apparatus, automatic alarm equipment, automatic fire extinguisher in order to protect ourselves from the danger of fires and check them at any time and also escape urgently in case of fire-outbreaking or build a tire-proof construction to prevent flames from proliferating to the neighboring areas. Namely, you should take several factors into consideration to investigate a cause of a case or an accident related to fire. That means it's not in reason for one investigator or one investigative team to make clear of the starting part and the cause of a tire. accordingly, in this thesis, explanations would be given set limits to the judgement and verification on the cause of a fire and the concrete tire-spreading part through investigation on the very spot that a fire broke out. The fire-discernment would also be focused on the early stage fire-spreading part fire-outbreaking resources, and I think the realities of police tire investigations and the problems are still a matter of debate. The cause of a fire must be examined into by logical judgement on the basis of abundant scientific knowledge and experience covering the whole of fire phenomena. The judgement of the cause should be made with fire-spreading situation at the spot as the central figure and in case of verifying, you are supposed to prove by the situational proof from the traces of the tire-spreading to the fire-outbreaking sources. The causal relation on a fire-outbreak should not be proved by arbitrary opinion far from concrete facts, and also there is much chance of making mistakes if you draw deduction from a coincidence. It is absolutely necessary you observe in an objective attitude and grasp the situation of a tire in the investigation of the cause. Having a look at the spot with a prejudice is not allowed. The source of tire-outbreak itself is likely to be considered as the cause of a tire and that makes us doubt about the results according to interests of the independent investigators. So to speak, they set about investigations, the police investigation in the hope of it not being incendiarism, the fire department in the hope of it not being problems in installments or equipments, insurance companies in the hope of it being any incendiarism, electric fields in the hope of it not being electric defects, the gas-related in the hope of it not being gas problems. You could not look forward to more fair investigation and break off their misgivings. It is because the firing source itself is known as the cause of a fire and civil or criminal responsibilities are respected to the firing source itself. On this occasion, investigating the cause of a fire should be conducted with research, investigation, emotion independent, and finally you should clear up the cause with the results put together.

우리나라에서 발생한 화재 원인조사 대부분은 소방관서에서 초기조사, 경찰관서에서 수사가 진행되고 있으며, 보다 난해하거나 이해관계가 복잡한 경우인 일부만이 경찰에서 심도 있게 조사하고 경찰조사 시 감정이 필요한 경우 감정기관에 감정의뢰 후 경찰관서 자체조사만으로 끝나며, 점차 전문기관에 의뢰되고 있는 건수가 증가하고 있는 실정이나 많은 문제점을 안고 있어 이에 대안을 제시한다. 국내 화재사고 발생 건수는 소방방재청 통계 연간 약 30만 건으로 추산되나, 전국 경찰화재감식 전문 요원(국립과학수사연구소 전문화 교육 이수자)은 80여명에 지나지 않으며, 국립과학수사연구소 화재감정 관련 연구원은 전국에 15명인 것에 비추어 사건화 된 화재에 대한 감식 감정 인력은 턱없이 모자라 과중한 업무를 수행하고 있는 실정이다. 가연성 액체에 의한 방 실화 시 바닥재의 연소형태를 비교 연구함으로써 연소에 사용된 연소촉매제에 대하여 추론 할 수 있는 연구를 실시하여 모델을 제시하였다. 화재사건 관련 감식 감정 업무를 담당하고 있는 경찰 및 국립과학수사연구소의 과중한 업무의 부담인 의뢰 건수의 폭주로, 경찰 화재 감식의 대상 중 범죄혐의(방화, 실화 등)가 있는 사건은 전체 조사 건수의 20% 미만이고, 나머지 80%에 달하는 사건이 범죄혐의 없는 제조물 관련 또는 이재 관계의 민사 소송 사건에 지나지 않는 것이 현실이다. 본 연구는 경찰화재조사 및 소방화재조사에 대한 검토와 문제점 대안 등을 제시하여 화재사건과 관련하여 경찰 소방 양 기관에서 합동으로 사건을 처리하는 것이 과오를 범하지 않는 효율적이고 과학적인 수사가 될 수 있다는 제도개선이 필요함이 요구된다.