ABOUT US
Shirley Niven
P. Eng., CFEI, CFII, WFBS, INVF
Shirley is a licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer, Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, Certified Fire Investigator Instructor, Certified Wildland Fire Investigator, and Wildland Fire Behaviour Specialist.
With nearly 30 years of experience in the study of fire science and fire behaviour, and in the field of fire investigation and forensic engineering, Shirley has been involved in over 1000 fire investigations, including structural, vehicle, marine, industrial and wildland fires. Shirley has also been involved in hundreds of evidence examinations into the the failure or malfunction of appliances and machinery which resulted in both fire or water losses.
Shirley has worked with agencies from across Canada, the USA, and Australia and advised on fire behaviour from a fluid mechanic/thermo dynamic perspective, assisted in the development of strategic planning, and participated in prescribed burns and wildland fires as an incident command team member.
As the only engineer in Canada with this combination of education and training, Shirley is uniquely qualified to conduct all aspects and types of fire investigation. As a Mechanical Engineer and Thermo/Fluid specialist, Shirley is also highly qualified to conduct investigations into failures or malfunctions of all types of appliances and machinery.
TECHNICAL AFFILIATIONS
- Licensed Professional Engineer in British Columbia
- International Assssociation of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
- National Fire Investigators Association (NAFI)
- Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI)
- Certified Fire Investigation Instructor (CFII)
- Certified Wildland Fire Investigator (CWFI)
- Wildland Fire Behaviour Specialist (WFBS)
- Licensed British Columbia Private Investigator
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
July 2021 – Present
Forensic Engineer, Phoenix Forensics, Sidney, BC
- Conducts detailed structural, vehicle, marine, industrial, and wildland fire origin and cause investigations
- Conducts detailed evidence examinations as to the failure or malfunction of appliances and machinery which resulted in either fire or water loss
March 2018 to October 2019
Forensic Engineer, Origin and Cause Inc., Victoria, BC
- Conducted detailed structural, vehicle, industrial, and wildland fire and explosion origin and cause investigations in British Columbia
- Conducted detailed evidence examinations as to the failure or malfunction of appliances and machinery which resulted in either fire or water loss
August 2015 to February 2018
Forensic Engineer, Pario Engineering, Concord, ON
- Conducted detailed structural, vehicle, industrial, and wildland fire and explosion origin and cause investigations in Ontario and Quebec
- Conducted detailed evidence examinations as to the failure or malfunction of appliances and machinery which resulted in either fire or water loss
September 2012 to August 2014
Forensic Engineer, Sereca Fire Consulting, Calgary, AB
- Conducted detailed structural, vehicle, industrial, and wildland fire and explosion origin and cause investigations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon
- Conducted detailed evidence examinations as to the failure or malfunction of appliances and machinery which resulted in either fire or water loss
February 2009 to September 2012
Forensic Engineer, SCN Engineering, Jasper, AB
- Conducted detailed structural, vehicle, industrial, and wildland fire and explosion origin and cause investigations in Alberta
- Conducted detailed evidence examinations as to the failure or malfunction of appliances and machinery which resulted in either fire or water loss
September 2003 to January 2009
Forensic Engineer, A. D. Williams Engineering, Edmonton, AB
- Conducted detailed fire origin and cause investigations (both structural and wildland fires), motor vehicle accident reconstruction, building failure investigations, product failure investigations, and personal liability cases
May to September 2000, 2001, 2002
Consultant, Parks Canada, Rocky Mountain National Parks
- Incident Command Team Member on Prescribed Burns and Wildland Fires within the Four Mountain Park Block
- Assisted in the Development of Strategic Planning
- Advised on Fire Behaviour from a Fluid Mechanic/Thermo Dynamic Perspective
- Installed Heat Transfer Data Loggers in the Fire’s Path and on the Fire’s Edge to Determine the Type(s) of Heat Transfer Involved and the Intensity Levels Associated with the Wildland Fires
May 1999 to September 2003
Research Assistant, University of Alberta, Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Simulated below grade natural gas leaks with subsequent explosions
- Calculated the level of hazard involved for pipeline personnel with respect to fire and explosions
- Investigations into Fire Behaviour with respect to Convective and Radiant heat Transfer
- Developed FEM models using both ANSYS and MATLAB to simulate various wildland fire blowup scenarios and determine the distance from the flame front needed to ensure firefighter safety
- Validated models with field data obtained on prescribed burns with Parks Canada, at the International Crown Fire Modeling Project in the NWT, along with information gathered during simulations below grade pipeline ruptures with subsequent explosions
- Generated a guideline for firefighters to determine the required area needed to ensure safety in the field with respect to differing terrain and fuel types