North Carolina Chapter

A Message from the President

Dear NCIAAI Members and Colleagues,

As President, my goal is to build upon the strong foundation established by those who have served before me. I believe our Chapter's success depends on providing meaningful training and educational opportunities, strengthening professional relationships, and encouraging greater participation from our membership. We will continue working to expand access to quality fire investigation training in North Carolina, build upon our established conference offerings, and pursue opportunities to bring nationally recognized programs to our state, including the IAAI's Fundamentals of Fire Investigation.

Equally important is the involvement of our members. Our association is strongest when members take an active role, contribute their experience, serve on committees, attend training, and step forward to pursue leadership positions. I encourage each of you to become involved, share your ideas, and help shape the future of NCIAAI. Whether you are an experienced investigator or just beginning your career, your participation and perspective are valuable to this organization.

I look forward to working with our officers, Board of Directors, committee members, instructors, and general membership to make the coming year productive and successful. Together, we can continue to promote excellence in fire investigation, support the professional development of our members, and strengthen the relationships that make our association such a valuable resource.

Thank you for your continued support of NCIAAI and for the important work you do every day. I am proud to serve as your President and look forward to what we will accomplish together.

Respectfully,

Patrick J. Barker, IAAI-CFI
President
North Carolina Chapter, International Association of Arson Investigators

Following the Chapter voting process, the following Officers and Board Members were elected to the following positions:

Patrick Barker, President (term expires 10/2027)

Jason Boggs, 1st Vice President (term expires 10/2027)

Craig Jarman, 2nd Vice President (term expires 10/2027)

Mike Tapp, Treasurer (re-elected, term expires 10/2027)

James Thomas, Secretary (re-elected, term expires 10/2027)

Bill States, Fire Service Director (re-elected, term expires 10/2028)

Kyle Kohler, Insurance Director (term expires 10/2028)

Sarah Robinson, Law Enforcement Director (term expires 10/2028)

Jerry Coble, Law Enforcement Director (filling partial term of C Jarman, 10/2027)

Chad Edmunds, Director-At-Large (term expires 10/2028)

Conferences/Summits for 2027 have been posted to the NCIAAI website.

Current active members may cast their ballot for Officers and Board of Directors. Log in to your membership profile to access the ballot.

The NCIAAI Board of Directors and the Scholarship Committee are offering TWO (2) $500 scholarships for NCIAAI members to assist in expenses incurred in attending the NC/SC IAAI Joint Conference in October 2026.

NCIAAI Members, visit https://nciaai.wildapricot.org/event-6742374 to apply for a scholarship to offset expenses related to the 2026 NC/SC IAAI Joint Conference in Myrtle Beach.

The NC Chapter, IAAI will be presenting two awards at the Fall NC/SC IAAI Joint Conference in October 2026.

One award will recognize an individual Fire Investigator of the Year.

A second award is to acknowledge a Fire Investigation Team of the Year.

Please complete the required information and attach a summary with the basis of the nomination.  The description must detail the case work for the investigator or team investigation.

Nominations must be completed/submitted by a person/persons who were not involved in the investigation (i.e. no self-nominations accepted).

For questions about the application process, please contact NCIAAI Board Member and Chair of the Scholarship/Awards committee Patrick Barker.

Application deadline is September 1, 2026.

Nominations for Board of Director positions and Officers are open until 8/21/2026.

Please email nominations to Jerry Coble (jerry.coble@nciaai.gov)  and membership@nciaai.com.

Registration for the 2026 NCIAAI Mountain Summit in Asheville is open as of Monday June 15, 2026.

Attendees need to pick one of two possible tracks: Track A and Track B.

Track A consists of classes on Practical Approach for Fire Investigators, Wildland Fire Investigations, and Propane Fire Investigations.

Track B is limited to 25 seats and will feature the National Fire Academy's Youth Firesetter Intervention Specialist course.

All participants will attend the general session class on Tuesday 8/18 from 1-5pm.

Additional details at https://nciaai.com/2026-Mtn-Summit

From Scene to Courtroom—Get It Right the First Time 
Learn how to document visual evidence accurately and defensibly under real-world conditions.
• Exposure, lighting, composition
• Scene context & clarity
• Courtroom-ready documentation

 Members save 10% when you register by June 5, 2026!
$195 Member (10% Discount Price $175) | $265 Non-Member

Register today! https://ow.ly/TYe350YZ8TI

With budget issues resolved, the National Fire Academy fatal fire investigation classes in Asheville, NC are a GO for June and July!!!!

View more about the class and complete the online application by visiting https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/nfacourses/catalog/details/10927

It’s a full week of critical training dedicated to navigating the most challenging fire investigations. 

As a NFA course, travel and hotel costs are reimbursable (up to federal per diem) with only meals as the out-of-pocket cost.