Freeze it while it’s hot!

Forensic photographer, and crime and fire scene visualisation expert, Jason Mellström shares his passion for the unique technical and procedural challenges of fire scene investigations.

Born into a family of photographers, Jason Mellström has a passion for the perfect image in his DNA. “But normal photography quickly hits its limits on a crime or fire scene because everything is black. So how do you get a meaningful image?” That’s the question that Jason was asking at the National Forensics Centre in Sweden when he began contributing to the development of 3D technology for forensic documentation.

Jason Mellström, Business Developmen Manager Public Safety Nordics - Leica Geosystems

“When I first got my hands on the Leica RT360 technology package, it reminded me of getting my first EOS digital camera and Photoshop; a whole new world opened to me. Suddenly I could work seamlessly and tell visual stories in completely new ways. The RT360 laser scanner is a similar thrilling discovery. It allows you to combine point cloud data and photographic images and other data to visualise and reconstruct the stories of fires or explosions and then share them with stakeholders in a seamless workflow” explains Jason.

Carbon clues

“在火灾和爆炸调查中，我们有各种线索。例如，门柱的哪一侧燃烧得更深？这告诉您大火的发展方向。还是融化的金属是什么颜色？这告诉您火灾温度。还有一些现象，例如隔热屏蔽或包含重要信息的碎屑模式。在火灾中，您经常会崩溃，在爆炸期间，有很多分散的部分。这些对象通常会阻止研究人员需要检查的关键证据的访问。它们被碳化，这意味着当您触摸或踩踏时会破裂。这就是为什么您需要在接近现场的方式上非常谨慎。” explains the veteran investigator.

徕卡呈RTC360laser scanner during a fire investigation

“To secure the vulnerable evidence, you need to freeze the location as soon as possible after the fire – while it is still ‘hot’. The goal is to preserve the scene as accurately as possible during the first walk-through in a Forensic Digital Twin. This is a 3D real-time virtual representation of a physical location. Once you have captured the scene data in this way, you can start shifting things to see what’s behind or underneath. Leica Geosystems’ fire investigation solutions are a response to all these challenges,” says Jason Mellström with conviction.

无妥协的综合数据

Firstly, with the RTC360, you can work quickly without having to compromise on resolution. You can document and visualise the location with high-quality 3D scans在rate of up to 2 million points per second。这使您可以捕获3Dcolorpoint clouds in under 2 minutes。其次，它是全面的：视野是一个慷慨的360° horizontaland300°垂直field and you can attach additional information like images, text or geodata to the scans. Thirdly, you don’t have to worry about the light: you can scan in pitch darkness and still get accurate results as the RTC360’s Class 1 laser works with 1550 nm light that is invisible to the human eye.

对于现场操作，光，紧凑和健壮的系统也是非常重要的因素。RTC60为IP54额定为粉尘和防水，可以与专用的轻量级三脚架配对，以提供高度便携式和多功能的系统。单个用户可以将其从设置到设置，并根据需要访问紧缩的位置 - 整天且无疲劳。这是一个巨大的优势，因为参与的人越少，避免打扰脆弱的火灾后现场证据就越容易。

During the rescue or cleanup phases, response team safety is also an important topic. But Leica has that covered too. The fire brigade can monitor the structural stability of the burnt building using a Leica Total Station. If the structure starts to move, the device gives visual feedback right away and sounds an alarm. This allows the commander to order an immediate evacuation before anyone gets hurt.

所有这些功能使调查人员能够有效地工作，并使网站确信他们拥有所有必要的数据。毕竟，对于大多数火灾或爆炸调查，仅仅因为没有一个重要的证据而回到现场，就不是一种选择。

Seamless sharing with stakeholders

All fire investigations start with the work of the fire brigade. If someone was hurt or there is a suspicion of arson or fraud, then the police get involved. Otherwise, it is usually private investigators working on behalf of insurance companies. For example, the investigation could be about looking at the remains to see if the value of the claim is plausible. Or it could be about finding the origin of the fire to determine if negligence or an accident was the reason for the fire.

The best way to expedite the investigation is if the investigators have a seamless 3D documentation and visualisation solution. Then you can create a Forensic Digital Twin and allow all the stakeholders to immersively explore an immutable record of the original scene. Ultimately it helps them to make solid, informed decisions.

“Being involved in the development and sharing of new technologies with the Public Safety community and customers around the world really motivates me” explains Jason who now works for Leica Geosystems as a forensic and visualisation expert.

“The technological development over the past few years has made laser scanners faster, more accurate and easier to use, making scanning data acquisition in the field more efficient and more fun than ever before. The RTC360 offers a combination of hi-precision, accuracy and robust reliability under a wide variety of conditions. There is nothing like it.”

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3 good reasons to choose theLeica RT360 laser scanner

沉浸式
在火灾场景上创建的法医数字双胞胎允许调查各方进行尽可能多的虚拟现场漫步，从不同角度查看现场和证据。

DECISIVE
The resolution of a Digital Forensic Twin data created by the Leica RT360 laser scanner allows the investigator to capture and retain important information about the scene that can be important in reconstructing the story of the fire decisively.

保护的
Leica Geosystems火灾和爆炸调查技术也可用于监测救援，检查或清除阶段的结构稳定性，从而保护生命。