Based in Canberra Australia, Director of Wildfire Investigations and Analysis Richard WoodsAFSM commenced his career in Wildfire (Bushfire) suppression in Australia in 1976. He has worked as a Police Officer and in senior management roles in Rural Fire Services in south-east Australia over a period 37-years. He first qualified in Wildfire Investigation in 1994, investigating wildfires and providing evidence regarding cases to Coronial and Criminal Courts over this time. Notably, he established the Fire Investigation capability the NSW Rural Fire Service and managed that role for 9 years.
Richard also holds the position of Adjunct Lecturer in Wildfire Investigation at the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security, Charles Sturt University.
As part of his Wildfire Investigation training delivery, he has provided specialist courses to Police and Fire Officers from across Australia, along with investigators from India, New Zealand, South Korea, Guam, Hawaii, Canada, Western Europe and China.
In 2009 he introduced from North America, the Wildland Fire Investigation Case Development Course to Australia, training officers in Serial Wildfire Arson Investigation delivering these courses to Australian and International Students.
Additionally, Richard has developed National Bushfire Arson Prevention Policy with the Commonwealth Attorney General's Department in Australia.
Richard has been engaged as an expert in Wildfire Investigation as International Keynote Speaker/Trainer, in the USA, Canada, Europe and South Korea.
He has provided specialist opinion Wildfire Cause Determination Reports to clients from a number of Australian States (New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia), in relation to civil litigation cases. He has also been retained by the News South Wales State Coroners Court in Australia, providing expert opinion in relation to bushfire cases and was retained by the Crown in a Criminal Prosecution in a Provincial Court in Canada. He has also provided expert opinion to the New South Wales Supreme Court regarding bushfire litigation cases in this State.
Richard is the Chair of the International Association of Arson Investigators Wildfire Investigation Committee, Australian representative on the North American based National Wildfire Co-ordinating Group (NWCG) Wildland Fire Investigation Sub-committee and is a former President of the New South Wales Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators.
In 2013, Richard was awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal for his commitment to Australian Fire Services, in particular his commitment to Wildfire Investigation.
As the Director of Wildfire Investigations and Analysis, he has access to a range of Australian and International Wildfire Investigators, who are well regarded in the field of Wildfire Investigation.
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