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What can fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and suppression equipment reveal about a fire? In this episode, Scott Kuhlman and Chasity Owens explore NFPA 921 (2024), Chapter 8: Active Fire Protection Systems, and how these systems can help investigators reconstruct fire timelines, evaluate fire spread, and test origin and cause hypotheses. They discuss fire alarm event logs, smoke and heat detection, projected beam detectors, linear heat detection, acoustic soot agglomeration, and water-based and non-water-based suppression systems. The conversation also examines sprinkler performance, changes in building use, equipment placement, and the importance of comparing system design documents with actual installations. Throughout the episode, Scott and Chasity emphasize preserving electronic data and physical evidence, recognizing potential spoliation issues, and involving a qualified fire protection engineer or technician. Plus, hear field updates, Chasity’s experience using a CleanSpace half mask, training opportunities, and a terminology challenge: What is the difference between a vapor and a gas?

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