EXPERTISE IN FIRE AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT IN MILITARY FIRE DEPS IN SOUTHEAST BRAZIL

Abstract

This research focuses on analyzing the crucial role of fire expertise for the efficient functioning of Fire Brigades and Civil Defense. Focusing on the current technical situation of Military Fire Brigades in the Southeast region of Brazil, the study explores the perception and methodology adopted by fire specialists in analyzing fires. The investigation is based on data from fires that occurred between 2020 and 2021 in the corporations selected for the study. The research highlights the importance of expert procedures in the context of the so-called military firefighter operational cycle, emphasizing their usefulness in preventive and operational management. The work addresses the history of forensics in Brazil, offers a theoretical basis on fire-related disasters, and examines prevention and response strategies to these disasters. The study also focuses on the role of fire forensics and its purpose. Interviews were conducted with officers from the Fire Departments of the States of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. The objective was to understand the implementation and development of fire expert activity in these states. The study evaluates the preventive and operational credibility of each Fire Department analyzed, highlighting the need to legally standardize forensic activity in fires across the country, as provided for in the Federal Constitution of Brazil. Additionally, the study discusses the organizational, political and technical barriers faced in carrying out forensic examinations in the states researched, aiming to identify areas that require attention and improvements.