David Cheers

As a professional firefighter and eventually rising to Lieutenant, David Cheers began fire origin and cause investigations in 1989. David began a regiment of advanced training that would grow into hundreds of hours of specialized education that enhanced his origin and cause skills as well as his court related testimony experience. He has directly supervised and trained many new detectives in the skills of fire origin and cause and was frequently called upon by local fire departments to conduct training burns to enhance fire investigation skills at the local level. He was recognized multiple times as Investigator of the Year, Investigator of the Quarter, and was twice nominated by his agency for the State Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award due to his leadership in the area of gang related arsons. David became the Chief Executive Officer for Jack Ward Fire Consultants in 2006 and continues that role today as an owner of the company. In addition to his position as CEO, he is actively involved in many industry organizations. He has held a position on the board of directors and is a past President of the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention (FACAP) and has served as a Director and Secretary with the Florida Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI-FL). David most recently rose to a position on the IAAI Board as a Director. He has also had the pleasure of instructing at numerous conferences hosted by the Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee (FIFEC), Insurance Committee on Arson Control (ICAC), Florida Advisory Committee on Arson prevention (FACAP), International Association of Arson Investigators and the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU). With numerous courtroom testimonies in State and Federal courts as an expert in the field of fire origin and cause investigation, David has been instrumental in the investigation of many high-profile cases including those involving serial arsonists, arson for profit, insurance fraud and homicides. David continues to promote the industry of fire investigation and strives daily to enhance the level of expertise that our clients deserve and have come to expect. Most recently, David was appointed to serve as a member of the National Fire Protection Association 921 Technical Committee, where he is instrumental in the development of industry practices that guide fire and explosion investigations worldwide.