Fire Investigations Office Opens in Paulding County

Dallas, Georgia, September 22, 2020 – Paulding County Fire & Rescue announced today it has opened an office of Fire Investigations. This new division will be responsible for investigating a variety of incidents including structure fires, explosions, and burn injuries.
Captain Chris Kendrick, an 18-year veteran of the Department, has been promoted to Chief Fire Inspector. In his new role, Chief Kendrick is tasked with investigating fire origin & cause determination, scene documentation, witness interviews, investigation of explosions, hazardous materials incidents, interfacing with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and its Crime Lab as well as Insurance companies, and providing expert testimony in criminal court during arson cases.
“Paulding County continues to grow in population and density. With that growth we’ve experienced a significant increase in the number of structure fires and other highly complex incidents,” according to Chief Joey Pelfrey.
“Until today PCFD has been investigating the cause & origin of structure fires using our own certified Investigators who also serve in other roles within the Department. With over 16,000 emergency responses last year and growing, our call volume necessitates dedicated Investigation resources. Our new Fire Investigations office, under Chief Kendrick’s leadership, allows us to focus attention on this extremely important job - which often extends beyond our Department to include law enforcement and the court system.”