Only highly experienced professionals can perform the complex tasks of uncovering the origin and cause of a fire or explosion. By evaluating the circumstances surrounding what happened and why, VERTEX is able to provide our clients with the technical expertise needed for them to determine coverage in a timely manner, reduce claim costs, combat fraud, and ultimately achieve closure with a solid, court defensible understanding of events and outcomes.
Using a full service approach and in a manner consistent with the Scientific Method and guidelines of NFPA 921, our NFPA 1033 qualified experts apply the highest level of professional competence in their investigative skills and techniques. VERTEX provides evidence collection, chain of custody as well as incident reporting, providing our customers with solid and reliable determination of origin and cause that will withstand the challenges of litigation.
Through scientific analysis, VERTEX can quickly and accurately determine whether the root cause of the fire or explosion was due to an electrical or mechanical component, human error, natural events, or arson.
VERTEX experts assist the insurance client and litigator by having highly trained and qualified professionals conduct site investigations that can determine the potential existence of third party culpability. VERTEX experts are experienced in reporting, depositions, and court testimony regarding fire and explosion incidents.
Our experts are available to not only investigate the origin and cause of structure fires, but also fires that have taken place in motor vehicles, trucks, industrial equipment and marine vessels.
Origin & Cause Investigation of Fire at Auto Repair Shop
National Division Manager, Fire Investigation
Henry Stormer is the National Division Manager for VERTEX’s Fire Investigation Division. His primary responsibilities include management of origin and cause investigations nationwide for the insurance industry as well as conducting Cause and Origin investigations of fire and explosions. Mr. Stormer is a fire expert with over 30 years of experience investigating fires and explosions both in the public and private sectors. His fields of expertise include: fire and explosion investigations, origin and cause, subrogation, failure analysis, evidence collection and preservation, fire code analysis and research, crime scene investigations, and arson investigations.
January 18, 2019
The Vertex Companies, Inc. (VERTEX) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Compass Project Management, Inc. (Compass). “To VERTEX this acquisition is about joining forces with an amazing company whose mission and core values are aligned with ours.” said Jeff Picard, President of VERTEX. “Together we believe we will create more value to our employees and…
January 16, 2019
On Monday, January 28th, VERTEX CEO, Bill McConnell, will be presenting on the State of the Construction Industry at AGC’s 2019 Conference on Surety Bonding and Construction Risk Management in Bonita Springs, Florida. AGC’s annual Conference on Surety Bonding and Construction Risk Management focuses on the thought leaders in the field of construction risk management, including the…
January 14, 2019
On January 17th and 18th, VERTEX’s Mark Degenaars, Managing Director of Construction Services, will be speaking on two panels at the Fidelity & Surety Law 2019 Midwinter Conference in San Diego, CA. Thursday, January 17th at 2:00 PM Performance Bond Surety’s Exposure to Damages The obligee’s ultimate goal in pursuing relief under a performance bond is the recovery…
January 10, 2019
Henry Stormer, National Fire Investigation Division Manager for VERTEX, was recently awarded the Certified Fire Protection Specialist credential. The Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) credential was created in 1971 to recognize, through certification, qualified individuals who are dedicated to curtailing fire loss, both physical and financial, and who have acquired a level of professionalism through applied work…
December 21, 2018
VERTEX would like to thank our clients, vendors, and employee-owners for your continuous support throughout 2018. Take some time during the holidays to relax and enjoy the company of family and friends. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a great start to 2019!
December 19, 2018
Here in New England, the winter weather is in full swing. With the cold weather comes the threat of home fires from heating sources. According to the US Fire Administration (USFA): 890 people die in winter home fires each year. $2 billion in property loss occurs each year from winter home fires. Winter home fires…
October 10, 2018
Each year, at the beginning of October, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sponsors Fire Prevention Week; a campaign to raise awareness around fire safety and prevention. This year’s focus is “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere,” which is aimed at educating people about three basic but essential steps to take to reduce the likelihood…
July 3, 2018
Fireworks are synonymous with the celebration of Independence Day. It’s almost impossible to make it through the holiday without seeing some kind of fireworks display. But, even small fireworks can cause serious damage. Each July 4th, thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. Despite the dangers of fireworks, few…
April 11, 2018
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), over 500,000 people are treated each year for ladder related falls. Whether you use a ladder out in the field, in your workplace or at home, safety should always be your number one priority. At VERTEX, safety is part of our culture. We recently hosted…
February 21, 2018
As forensic engineers, it is often our responsibility to assess the structural integrity of a building after a natural disaster or an event from unfortunate circumstances. It is also our responsibility to determine the necessary repairs that need to be made to the structural framing of the building in order to return it to a…
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