McKenzie Tansey, Riley Van Denburgh, Andrew Pohl

SCHOHARIE – A New York State fire investigator recently fanned the flames of knowledge, sparking curiosity and potential new career choices among aspiring law enforcers at Capital Region BOCES.

During a two-hour lesson on April 15 on the Career and Technical Education – Schoharie Campus, New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control Investigator Andrew Pohl spoke about everything from fire “loads” to how fire spreads and how investigators pinpoint the origin of a fire, as well as how they collect evidence. He also led students in the Criminal Justice program through simulations of collecting evidence on a fire scene.

“It was very interesting and since I am not sure what I want to do yet with criminal justice, it provided me with new information I may be able to use,” said senior McKenzie Tansey, who attends the program from Cobleskill-Richmondville.

“I found it pretty interesting, different from what we usually learn about,” said Riley VanDenburgh, a Schalmont student planning a career as a forensic psychologist.

Pohl said he enjoyed sharing his knowledge and perhaps sparking an interest in fire investigation among the students. 

“It’s great to expose the students to these careers and to get them to think outside the box, to know that there are other opportunities in law enforcement,” he said.

Fire investigation is a unit in the Criminal Justice program that is offered at the Career and Technical Education Center Albany and Schoharie campuses.

There are approximately 100 students in the two-year Criminal Justice program. With the help of partners in law enforcement and higher education, Criminal Justice students learn about the history, theory, practices and recent developments in the field of criminal justice, as well as practice the skills necessary for those careers.