Resilience of Fingerprints on brass surfaces – article
Ahead of the upcoming CSFS Fingerprint conference read a recent article by one of the speakers, Jack Deans FCSFS, on the Resilience of Fingerprints on brass surfaces after being subjected to Fire and Fire suppression conditions, Fingerprint Retrieval at the Scene’.
Abstract: In October 2020, continuing my research projects in relation to the possibility of finger marks surviving on articles subjected to fire and suppression conditions, I conducted by 41st project using pieces of brass plates and copper piping. Twelve pieces of brass plate and twelve pieces of copper piping were handled by four separate Associates at the fireground of Gardiner Associates Fire and Rescue in Essex. Each Associate handled six items of either copper piping or brass plate.
Six pieces of brass plate and six pieces of copper piping were placed in each of two units at the fireground – this gave a total of twenty-four pieces of metal involved in the project. The items were placed in various areas of the units and at various heights. The units were set alight and during the fire the temperature was recorded in each unit at floor, middle and ceiling level, so it was possible to ascertain the temperature reached in the vicinity of each item. As I had confirmed in all my previous projects over the past 20 years, the fingerprints tended to survive if they were on the surface of the article which was facing down on to the surface on which it was located, so not being directly subjected to the fire and water ‘attack’.
View the full article and associated images on the Features pages of the CSFS member platform
Booking for the Fingerprint conference is open at news-events/csfs-fingerprint-virtual-conference-2022/