About GFIA

About GFIA

The Georgia Fire Investigator Association is proud to be the 8th Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators. 

The objectives and purpose of the Georgia Fire Investigators Association are:  

 
To unite for the mutual benefit those public officials and private persons engaged in the control of arson and kindred crimes. 
 
To provide for the exchange of technical information and developments. 
 
To cooperate with other law enforcement agencies and associates to further fire prevention and the suppression of crime. 
 
To encourage professional standards of conduct among arson investigators and to continually strive to eliminate all factors which interfere with administration of crime suppression. 

The Georgia Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators was chartered April 21, 1964. The Chapter has become the largest fire investigation training group in the state of Georgia. The Georgia Chapter of the IAAI is comprised of members from the fire service, law enforcement, insurance industry, private investigators, and engineers who conduct investigations into the origin and cause of fires.

Our membership is not limited to fire investigation professionals in Georgia. We have members throughout the Southeast and across the United States.

Each year the Chapter hosts two training conferences for our members. These conferences draws an average attendance of 300+ attendees and is approved for continuing education training/in-service from both the Georgia Police Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission and the Georgia Fire Fighters Standards and Training Division. The conference also sees many fire investigation colleagues from Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky. To assist with continuing education requirements from these and other states, classes on ethics and other relevant topics are provided as often as possible.

The Georgia Chapter of the IAAI is governed by a Board of Directors and Officers who are elected by the general membership every year during the SEATC in Savannah, Georgia. The Board of Directors and Officers conduct business on behalf of the Chapter in accordance with the organization’s Constitution and Bylaws.

OFFICERS 2022-2023

Bryan Cash – President 

Hall County Fire Department  Office: 770-531-6838  Email: bcash@hallcounty.org

Tommy Sipsy – Senior Vice President

Southern Company Gas  Office: 404-606-6900  Email: tsipsy@southernco.com

Brian Smith 2nd Vice President

Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office Cell:404-783-7042 Email: BSmith@oci.ga.gov

Dana F. Mason – Treasurer         

Jack Ward Fire Consultants. Cell: 678-471-6494   Email: danamason@jackwardfire.com

Cheri Collett – Secretary

Cherokee County Fire Department  Cell: 678-614-9007 Email: ccollett@cherokeega.com


  • GFIA Past Presidents
1964-1966Arthur Hutchins  Georgia Bureau of Investigations  
1967-1969  Milton RoseGeorgia Forestry Service 
1970-1971Clyde Bowden State Fire Marshal’s Office 
1972-1974Bobby Cato State Fire Marshal’s Office  
1975-1976Eddie Smith  INS Investigations 
1977 Bruce Oitts   
1978-1980David Page  Atlanta Gas Light 
1981-1982R.L. “Buck” Kennedy  Kennedy and Kennedy 
1983-1984Johnny Locke  Columbus Arson Squad  
1985-1986Walter J. Campbell  State Farm Insurance 
1987Kevin Cunningham  Cunningham Investigation Service  
1988Ralph Newell  Newell Investigation Service 
1989Ron Kibble  Georgia Farm Bureau 
1990I.J. Krants  Krants and Company Investigations 
1991Miles Watters State Farm Insurance 
1992  Mike Weaver  Georgia Farm Bureau 
1993Tony Nix  State Farm Insurance 
1994 Ralph Newell Newell Investigation Service 
1995  Steve Sprouse  State Fire Marshal’s Office 
1996A.W. “Wes” Durham Cobb County Fire Department  
1997Thom Burruss  AGL Resources 
1998Sandra VanLandingham State Farm Insurance 
1999  Barry Slotter Slotter and Associates 
2000Gary Kendrick  Spalding County Fire Department  
2001Paul McGahee  Georgia Farm Bureau  
2002David Herndon  Cobb County Fire Department 
2003Teresa McAfee State Farm Insurance 
2004Laurel Mason Analytical Forensic Associates 
2005Thom Burruss  AGL Resources 
2006William “Bill” Barrett Gwinnett County Fire Department 
2007  Alan”Wade” Crider  Gwinnett County Fire Department 
2008Zane Newman  Americus Fire Department  
2009Charlie Mangan AGL Resources 
2010 Doug Byron Forensic and Scientific Testing 
2011Ken LeCroy  Cobb County Fire Department 
2012 R. Keith Bell R.K. Bell Consulting 
2013  Kevin Wallace Forsyth County Fire Department 
2014  Ron Reagan Henry County Fire Department 
2015Bill Knight  Crisp County Fire Department 
2016  John Dancsecs City of Milton Fire Department 
2017 Perry Hopkins Hopkins Forensics Group, LLC 
2018 Joe Kelley Henry County Fire Department 
2019 Kenny Wright Wright Fire Investigations 
2020 Walter Shaw ATF 
2021 

2022
Corey Cunningham 

Troy Reynolds
Cunningham Investigation Service

Travelers Insurance
  • GFIA Life Members
Sam Lowe
Luke Lassiter
Clyde Bowden
Clayton Farnham
R.L. “Buck” Kennedy
David Page
Walter Campbell
Ralph Newell 
Kevin Cunningham
K.G. Davis
I.J. Krants
Jim Swindell 
Ed Canipelli 
Ron Kibble
Susan Cunningham
Robert “Bob” Holland
Thom Burruss
Jane Cox
Teresa McAfee 
Laurel Mason 
Charlie Mangan IAAI Life Member
Bill Knight 
Kenny Wright
  • Past IAAI Board Members
1997-1981   Bruce Potts
1986-1988R.L. “Buck” Kennedy
1988-1993Kevin Cunningham
1993-1999 I.J. Krants*
2003-2006Teresa McAfee
2010-2014Charlie Mangan
2013-2017 Randy Watson**

.

* Elected 2nd Vice President – 1999, 1st Vice President – 2000, President – 2001
** Elected 2nd Vice President – 2020, 1st  Vice President – 2022, President – 2022
  • Chapter CFIs

David Adams Jessica Aliberti Brian Beaty Robert Bell

William Benzur Chris Block Shun Borders Charlie Bryson


Ira Burnette Michael Carlyle Bryan Cash Lance Christenson


Brian Clavier. Gregory Cloer Cheri Collett Joseph Cox


Wesley Cox. Corey Cunningham Kevin Cunningham Jeffrey Cutrer


Shane Daniel James Darst Donna Dingler. William Dodd


Donald Dowling A. Durham

Tony Echols Allen English. Jeffrey Felmet Steve Forren

Jonathan Fuqua Joseph Geitgey Elizabeth Goddard Mitch Griffin

Daniel Gwinn Nathan Hawkins Fintan Hobbs Richard Holmes

Mark Hook Mickey Hunt. Daniel Irions Jeff Johnson

Joe Kelley Hart Kerlin Jeremiah Kittle Robert Klitsch

William Knight Stephen Knowles William Lambert Robby Landis

Kenneth LeCroy Jimmy Maddox Dana Mason Robert McCormick

Paul McGahee Stephen Morris John Nemeth John Norred

James Powell Ron Reagan Troy Reynolds Rodney Sanders

David Scarbrough Tommy Sipsy William Skinner Brian Smith

Tim Smith David Stapleton Brad Stapp Roynell Stone

Jeffrey Tanski Ryan Thurmond Luis Velazco Jerry Wainright

Stanley Ward Randy Watson Roderick Wilson Kenneth Wright

Vincent Zellars Cory Colligan Robert Collins Jason Stribling

As of July 2022