FIRE INVESTIGATORS OF FLORIDA
9th Chapter of the IAAI
Annual Training Conference & General Meeting
November 6th – 9th, 2023
Hard Rock Hotel - Daytona Beach
28 hours of CEU’s applies for Florida Fire Inspector, Fire Service Instructor, and Fire Code Adm.
All hours count toward points for CFI
Training for all personnel who conduct fire investigations, both public and private. Law Enforcement Personnel also welcome.
Conference Fees – Buffet Lunch included Monday thru Wednesday
EARLY BIRD (ends October 1st) – Full Registration 3.5 Days
Chapter Member: $225
Non-Member: $300
AFTER OCTOBER 1, 2023
Chapter Member: $300
Non-Member: $375
PER DAY RATE
Chapter Member: $100
Non-member: $150
**Attendee may sign up for a Chapter membership for $30 and receive the membership rate.
**Registration Cancellation Date: October 8, 2023, to receive a full refund. Failure to cancel by date, 15% will be retained for administrative and processing fees.
Host Hotel: $149 per night plus sales and occupancy tax (Includes Self-Parking, Wi-Fi, and 1 breakfast voucher per room guest, per night)
https://be.synxis.com/?Hotel=78302&Chain=13924&Dest=HRH&template=RBEDB&shell=RBE&locale=en-US&arrive=11/5/2023&depart=11/9/2023&adult=1&child=0&group=FIRE112023
A minimal number of rooms per night at that rate - Reservation must be made by 10/14/23 to obtain rate.
Any attendee needing to cancel or change a room night reservation must do so by 4:00pm EST 72 hours prior to arrival date.
Hard Rock Hotel 918 N Atlantic Ave. Daytona Beach, Florida 32118
Hotel: 386-947-7300 In-House Reservations 386-947-7352
For any information on the conference such as instructors, flyers, scholarships, vendor/sponsors, or awards, please visit www.flaiaai.com and click on the Training and Education Section.
For questions, please contact David Tucker @ 813-323-5645 or fliaaipresident@gmail.com
Conference Training Schedule
Monday November 6th ~ Sign-in: 7:30 am AM Session: 8 am – 12:00 pm / PM Session: 1:00 pm – 5 pm
Steven Avato, ATF Retired, Hypotheses Development in Fire Investigation; Theory and Practice 8 Hrs.
Steven J. Avato is a retired Captain who was with the Loudoun County (VA) Fire Marshal’s Office from 2016 until 2022. Prior to his employment with Loudoun County, Avato was employed by the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from May 1989 until his retirement in 2016. During that time, he served in numerous fire and explosion related specialty positions including ATF Division Chief at the National Explosives Task Force (NETF), Resident Agent in Charge (RAC) of the Falls Church I (Arson / Explosives) Field Office (2005 – 2013) Training Manager (Arson and Explosives Division), National Response Team (NRT) Supervisor and the National Response Team Program Manager. Mr. Avato was an ATF Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) and an ATF Certified Explosives Specialist (CES) investigating incidents in Southeastern Pennsylvania while assigned to the Philadelphia Arson Task Force and in Southern New Jersey while assigned to the Trenton (NJ) Field Office.
Mr. Avato is currently an International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) Certified Fire Investigator. In 2000, he was honored by the IAAI as Investigator of the Year in recognition of his involvement in the investigation of a double fatal fire in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Prior to joining ATF, Avato served the Philadelphia (PA) Police Department from 1981 to 1989 as a sergeant and police officer. He holds a bachelor’s degree (BA) in Biology from Temple University, a bachelor’s degree (BS) in Fire Science from the University of Maryland University College, a master’s degree (MS) in Biodefense from George Mason University and a post-graduate Certificate of Intelligence Studies in Leadership and Management in the Intelligence Community from the National Intelligence University.
Tuesday November 7th ~ Sign-in: 7:30 am AM Session: 8 am – 12 pm / PM Session: 1:00 pm – 5 pm
Dino Balos, ATF Special Agent, Strategic Suspect Interview Techniques 8 Hrs.
ATF Special Agent Dino Balos is a 25‐year federal law enforcement officer. He is a certified ATF instructor who has investigated hundreds of firearms, explosives, and arson cases -- many of which were supported by reliable confessions as evidence -- and has testified concerning confessions or admissions made to him as part of the prosecution's case-in-chief. S/A Balos is assigned to the ATF Tampa Field Division. Other duty assignments include the ATF Boston Field Division’s Arson & Explosives Group and the U.S. Bomb Data Center at ATF Headquarters in Washington DC. Prior to ATF, he was a special agent at the Office of Inspector General investigating fraud, waste, and abuse in programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Tuesday November 7th ~ Chapter General Meeting 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm – 1 Hr.
Wednesday November 8th ~ Sign-in: 7:30 am AM Session: 8 am- 12 pm/ PM Session 1 pm – 5 pm
Trace Lawless and David Bridges, Legal Issues or something similar , 4 Hrs
Paul Haas, Wildland Fire Investigation, A Walk in the Woods 4 Hrs
Mr. Haas is a Board Certified International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) Certified Fire Investigator with Vehicle Fire Investigation Indorsement, Board Certified Fire Inspector, Board Certified Plans Examiner, and has exceptional experience in fire investigation, fire service, and fire inspection expert opinions with more than 38 years of fire service experience, and over two decades of investigating complex automobile, agricultural and heavy equipment, industrial – commercial and forest – wildland fires.
Thursday November 9th ~ Sign-in 7:00 am AM Session: 8:00 am – 12:00pm
Dr. Carlos T. Matta, Chief Technology Officer, Scientific Lightning Solutions, LLC , Lightning and Fire Investigations 4 Hrs.
Dr. Mata is currently the Chief Technology Officer at SLS, a company founded in 2014 specializing in state-of-the-art lightning protection, lightning transient monitoring, lightning location, lightning detection, lightning modeling, grounding, and lightning safety. Dr. Mata and his team have helped multiple government agencies and commercial companies with their lightning needs, including space ports, DoD facilities, power utilities, chemical plants, fuel storage facilities, manufacturing facilities, mines, etc.
Dr. Mata was awarded the “NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest honor NASA awards to anyone who was not a government employee when the service was performed. The award is granted only to individuals whose distinguished accomplishments contributed substantially to the NASA mission. The contribution must be so extraordinary that other forms of recognition would be inadequate."