1. Updated 10/2014
NortheastService Center
Robert F. O’Keefe, CFEI
Special Investigator
Worcester, MA
413-736-1220
rokeefe@uis-usa.com
EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Science - Law Enforcement (1999)
Western New England College
Springfield, Massachusetts
Associate Degree - Fire Science (1996)
Quinsigamond Community College
Worcester, Massachusetts
Associate Degree - Criminal Justice (1991)
Quinsigamond Community College
Worcester, Massachusetts
Graduate Massachusetts State Police Academy (1978)
Framingham, Massachusetts
Graduate Malden High School (1972)
Malden, Massachusetts
EMPLOYMENT:
Unified Investigations & Sciences, Inc.
Springfield, Massachusetts
Special Investigator
March 2013 - Present
2. 2
EMPLOYMENT (CONT.):
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Department of Public Safety
Division of State Police (31.5 years)
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Department of Public Safety
Division of State Police
Uniform Branch Field Operations
September 2005 - July 2009
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Department of Public Safety
Division of State Police
Explosion Investigation Unit attached to Office of the State Fire
Marshal
Worcester County District Attorney’s Office - Case Supervisor &
Investigator
June 2003 - September 2005
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Department of Public Safety
Division of State Police
State Police Detective
Criminal Investigator - Fire Investigator - MA State Police Fire
Marshal
July 1989 - June 2003
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Department of Public Safety
Division of State Police
State Police Detective
Division of Investigation and Intelligence
Undercover Narcotics Officer
July 1988- July 1989
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Department of Public Safety
Division of State Police
Uniform Branch - Field Operations
1978 - 1988
3. 3
EXPERIENCE:
Mr. O’Keefe has 31 years of experience in Public Safety. He served as a uniformed
Massachusetts State Police Officer, as a State Police Detective for the Worcester County
District Attorney’s Office, and as a Fire Investigator and Supervisor within the
Massachusetts Department of Fire Services - Fire and Explosion Investigations Section. He
has investigated over 700 fires during his career with the Massachusetts State Police.
SPECIALIZED TRAINING:
IAAI Training Seminar, “ National Grid Energy Distribution Overview”,
September 18, 2014, 6 hours (tested)
IEE / Institute for Environmental Education, “Asbestos Awareness”, July 11, 2014,
2 hours (tested)
IAAI CFI Trainer.net, “NFPA 921 and 1033 2014 Editions: Important Revisions”,
May 20, 2014, 3 hours (tested)
IAAI Training Seminar, Ma Chapter, “Case Study / Cheshire CT Arson / Triple
Murder, November 13th, 2013, 6 hours
IAAI CFI Trainer.net “Explosion Dynamics”, August 26, 2013, 3 hours (tested)
IAAI CFI Trainer.net “ Arc Mapping Basics”, August 14th, 20113, 3 hours (tested)
IAAI CFI Trainer.net, “Fire Investigator Scene Safety”, August 13, 2013,
3 hours (tested)
Unified Investigations & Sciences, March 7, 2014, “Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labeling of Chemicals”, 1 hour (tested)
IAAI Training Seminar, “Legal Issues & Todays Fire Investigator, Chicopee, MA,
March 21, 2013, 6 Hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Fire Pattern Recognition, Live Burn Training,
Cape Cod Community College, Barnstable County Fire Academy, June 7-9, 2000, 24
hours
US Department of Justice, Weapons of Mass Destruction Incident Command, Nevada
Test Site, May 2000, 40 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Advanced Fire Dynamics, Heating Systems,
Techniques for Accelerant Detection Collection, April 2000, 6 hours
MA Fire Fighting Academy, Structural Hazards, June 2000, 8 hours
4. 4
SPECIALIZED TRAINING (CONT.):
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Actual Case Uses of Fire Modeling, Lessons
Learned from Major Fires, Fire & Arson Investigation, March 23, 2000, 6 Hours
MA State Police Academy Department of Fire Services, Hazardous Materials - First
Responder Operational, October 1999, 24 hours
Arson Seminar, Saint Anselm College, New Hampshire, May 1999, 40 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Annual Training Seminar, Fire Investigation
Techniques, Certificate of Training, May 17-18, 1999, 28 Hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Non-Verbal Clues to Detect Deceit, Inter-Fire
for Fire Investigation, Fire & Arson Investigation Seminar, January 1999, 6 Hours
MA State Fire Academy Professional Development Program, Electrical Vehicle
Fires, 1998, 8 hours
Advanced Arson Program, Office of the State Fire Marshal, New Braintree Live
Burn, Court Procedures, November 1998, 40 hours
MA State Police Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Post Blast Investigation,
September 30 - October 1, 1998, 16 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, Explosives and Bombings, September 1998, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter , Explosives, September, 1998, 6 hours
Advanced Analytical Interviewing Program, Department of Treasury - ATF,
Conducted at MA State Police Academy, June 1998, 80 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Terrorism, Fraud & Legal Issues, June 1998, 6
hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Annual Training Seminar, Fire Investigation
Techniques, Certificate of Training, May 17 - 18, 1999, 28 Hours
Management for Arson Prevention and Control, National Fire Academy,
Emmittsburg, Maryland, March - April 1998, 80 hours
NAFI Seminar, Determining Origin and Cause of Fire & Explosions, March 1998, 6
hours
Criminal Investigative Analysis, FBI, MA State Police Academy, March 1998, 40
hours
5. 5
SPECIALIZED TRAINING (CONT.):
Advanced Arson Training, Office of the MA State Fire Marshal, December 1997–
January 1998, 56 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Spoliation of Evidence, Defensive and
Offensive Tactical Uses of NFPA 921, January 1998, 6 hours
National Fire Academy, Initial Fire Investigation Program, Conducted at MA State
Fire Academy, 1996, 40 hours
Advanced Cause and Origin, Court Techniques Program, Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms, National Academy, Glynco, Georgia, 1994, 80 hours
Advanced Explosion Investigation Program, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms, National Academy, Glynco, Georgia, 1993, 80 hours
Arson Seminar, Saint Anselm College, New Hampshire, 1991, 40 hours
Arson Investigation Program, National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg, Maryland, 1990,
80 hours
Interview and Interrogation Program, Institute of Police Management and
Technology, University of Florida, 1988, 40 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Propane Fires and Explosions, Using NFPA
921, November 1997, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Use of Polygraph in Fire Investigations, Owner
Arson Fraud Interviews, September 1997, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Mock Trial, Trial Preparation, May 15 - 16,
1997, 16 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Investigation of Fatal Fires, March, 1997, 6
hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Computer Modeling and Design, January
1997, 5 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Electrical Fires - An Investigator’s Viewpoint,
November 1996, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Safety on the Fire Ground and Wood Frame
Building Collapse, September 1996, 6 hours
6. 6
SPECIALIZED TRAINING (CONT.):
MA State Police Academy, ”The Reid Technique of Interviewing and Interrogation”,
September 10 - 12, 1996, 24 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Investigation of Fires in Gas & Oil Heating
Appliances, Witness Preparation, Implementing NFPA 921 in Today’s Fire
Investigations, November 1995, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Investigation of Electrical Fires, September
1995, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Fire Dynamics, Case Preparation, Defending
Civil Case, Flashover Versus Flammable Liquid Burn Patterns, Environmental
Considerations, May 31- June 1, 1995, 16 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Eye Witness Testimony, Court Room
Demeanor, Investigation of Large Loss Fires - The Black Hole, January 1995, 6
hours
Massachusetts Arson Watch Rewards Program, Juvenile Firesetter Intervention and
Screening Interviews, December 1994, 6 hours
Hampden County District Attorney’s Office and MA State Fire Marshal’s Office
Arson Seminar, Arson Investigation and Prosecution, December 1 - 2, 1994, 16
hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Vehicle and Recreational Vehicle Fires,
Photography, Hazmat and the Fire Investigator, May 18 - 19, 1994, 10 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Juvenile Firesetter, Automatic Sprinkler
Systems, March 1994
Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, Arson Investigation and Prosecution,
December 1993, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, How to Handle Bomb Threats, Explosives
Devices and Bomb Scene Investigation, World Trade Center Bombing, November,
1993, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Understanding and Investigation of Chimney
Fires, Coconut Grove Revisited, September 1993, 6 hours
7. 7
IAAI Annual Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Fatal Fires, Cause and Origin,
Insurance and the Civil Case, Interfacing Insurance with Public Sector, ATF Asset
Forfeiture, Report Writing, NFPA Major Fire Cases, May 18 - 20, 1993, 24 hours
SPECIALIZED TRAINING (CONT.):
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, The Paper Chase, March 1993, 5 hours
Mattresses, January 1993, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Reverse Conspiracy, Gas and Oil Equipment
Fires, November 1992, 5 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Evidence Collection, September 1992, 5 hours
Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Homicide Training, June 1992, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Cause and Origin of Fire, January 1992, 6
hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Cooperation between Public Agencies and
Private Sector, How NFPA Conducts Fire Investigations, Lecture and Slide
Presentation on Arson Indicators, January 1992, 5 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Recovering Physical Evidence, Fire and
Explosion Litigation, Electrical Fire Scene Investigations, March 1991, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Juvenile Firesetters and Arson, March 1991, 5
hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, The Reid Technique of Interview and
Interrogation, January 1990, 6 hours
IAAI Training Seminar, MA Chapter, Chemistry of Fire and Combustion,
September 1989, 6 hours
CERTIFICATIONS:
National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI) Certification#: 18310-10428
COURT QUALIFICATIONS:
Qualified Expert - Arson Investigation and Origin and Cause determination in District
and Superior Court - MA Judicial System
8. 8
Testified in Civil Depositions related to Fire Origin and Cause Determination and
Fire Behavior
COURT QUALIFICATIONS (cont):
Qualified Expert - Arson Investigation, Fire Behavior and Origin and Cause
Determination in Worcester Federal Court
Qualified Expert - Drug Investigation in District and Superior
Court, MA Judicial System
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI MA
Chapter)
National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI)
