Notable Experiences and Education

• ATF Special Agent (20 years)
• ATF Agent of the Year (1998)
• ATF National Response Team Member (10 years)
• Member of the IAAI Board of Directors (2008-2011)
• U.S. Treasury Secretary’s Award
• B.S. Physical Science (U.S. Coast Guard Academy)
• M.S. Fire Protection Engineering (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo)

Steve Carman is the President and a principal investigator of Carman & Associates Fire Investigation, Inc. He holds a Masters of Science degree in Fire Protection Engineering, is a Certified Fire Investigator with the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI-CFI), a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator with the National Association of Fire Investigators, and a retired CFI/Senior Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF CFI). His scientific and engineering education and training, coupled with more than twenty five years of experience conducting some of the nation’s largest and most significant fire and explosion investigations, make him especially qualified to examine your most demanding fire and explosion incidents.

Carman served 20 years as an ATF Special Agent and a leading member of ATF’s premier Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) cadre from 1991 until he retired in 2008. He has since been involved in some of the nation’s largest and most complicated fire investigations. Since then, he has owned and operated Carman & Associates Fire Investigation. While an ATF Special Agent and CFI, Carman conducted well over 500 fire and explosion investigations, including those of some of the nation’s most notable and largest dollar- and life-loss investigations. These large incidents had an average monetary fire loss of more than $1 million per case. He has also directed or participated in hundreds of fire and explosion tests and data collection from those tests for application to his and others’ investigations. He was a member of ATF’s internationally- known and prestigious National Response Team for nearly ten years.

Prior to his career with ATF, Carman was a US Coast Guard officer after having graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a B.S. degree in Physical Sciences (Chemistry) with High Honors. He subsequently served several years at sea including two in command of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter. He tested for and earned his U.S. Merchant Marine Master’s License in 1985. He has also worked in chemical process engineering and mechanical engineering positions in the private sector. He received a Masters of Science degree with Honors in Fire Protection Engineering at California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, California in 2013.

Steven Carman has been a leader in the advancement of fire investigator training for two decades having designed and presented scores of programs to national and international audiences including investigators to scientists and engineers to attorneys. His programs generally involve subjects related to such aspects of fire science and investigation as fire dynamics, fire modeling, analytical interviewing and others. Additionally, he has authored and presented several research papers at prestigious fire science and investigation conferences. They include such topics as Post-Flashover Fire Behavior, Clean Burn Fire Patterns, High Temperature Accelerant Fires, Elevated Fires and others.

Carman was an original member of the team of investigators that designed and created InterFIRE VR, the world’s first large-scale computer based training program for fire investigation. He was also the principal subject matter expert in the design of two modules for CFITrainer.net, Post-Flashover Fires and Maritime Fire Investigation. He served on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Fire Investigators from 2008 to 2011.

Carman has testified as an expert witness in numerous federal and state criminal and civil trials and other proceedings and has been admitted as an expert witness on several occasions. His expertise has been sought out by investigators, attorneys, and other professionals throughout the U.S., particularly those faced with complex burn scenarios. During his federal investigative career, he achieved many milestones such as being named the 1998 ATF Agent of the Year and was the recipient of numerous awards including the U.S. Treasury Secretary’s Award along with many others.

Carman’s award-winning record and superior performance as one of the national leaders in federal fire, arson, explosion and bombing investigations is another reason why attorneys, insurers and product manufacturers everywhere seek out the expertise of Carman & Associates. When you team up with us, you can rest assured we will provide answers you can rely upon.

Notable Experiences and Education

• 16 years of fire investigation experience.
• Investigated and/or assisted with more than 1000 fires.
• Experience with large-scale losses in both residential, commercial, and wildlife fires.
• Involved in over 200 scientific burn tests.
• Experienced with Fire Dynamics Simulator and Computer Fire Modeling programs.
• M.S. Fire Protection Engineering (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo)
• B.S. Professional Chemistry (California State University)

Clinton has 16 years of fire investigation experience and has conducted more than 1000 fire scene investigations, including several large-scale fire losses and multibillion dollar wildland urban interface fire losses. He has participated in over 200 test-burns of structures and vehicles studying and documenting the scientific basis of fire behavior. Clinton’s education and experience make him particularly qualified to conduct thorough, scientific-based fire scene investigations. This is another reason why insurers, attorneys and product manufacturers turn to Carman & Associates when they need scientifically sound results.

Notable Experiences and Education

• 5 years of fire and explosion investigation experience.
• Investigated and/or assisted with approximately 200 fires.
• Experience with large-scale losses in residential, commercial, and wildland fires.
• Involved in numerous scientific burn tests.
• Experienced with Computer Modeling programs.
• Drone pilot with photogrammetry 3D scanning experience.
• B.S. Aeronautical Engineering (Embry Riddle Aeronautical University)

Wade has built experience investigating fire and explosion scenes including residential fires, large commercial fires, and multibillion dollar wildland urban interface fire losses. Wade has participated in large test-burns of structures and vehicles studying and documenting the scientific basis of fire behavior. Wade’s education and background in scientific testing and analysis are perfectly suited for the fire investigation field.