Justin Weller
Fire & Explosion Scene Investigator, LaRovere Consulting
Fire service and law enforcement experience, on one investigator
Justin Weller brings 13+ years in Arizona law enforcement and eight years in the fire service to LaRovere's fire and explosion investigations, backed by more than 1,200 documented hours of fire, explosives, and related technical training. He served as a firefighter, EMT, and hazardous materials technician before moving to law enforcement, where his duties included criminal investigations and bomb investigation.
On a LaRovere engagement, Justin documents the scene, preserves and tracks evidence, and works the origin-and-cause questions alongside our licensed engineers, who analyze the HVAC, gas, plumbing, and electrical equipment involved. That pairing answers both where a fire started and why the equipment failed.
- 13+ years in Arizona law enforcement
- 8 years in the fire service and EMS
- 1,200+ hours of fire, explosives & technical training
- 2× FBI Post Blast Investigators School
What Justin brings to an investigation
- Scene documentation. Experience documenting investigative activity across patrol, criminal investigation, and bomb investigation duties.
- Evidence and chain of custody. A law enforcement background in criminal investigation, including Pima County Criminal Investigations School.
- Explosions and post-blast scenes. Two completions of the FBI Post Blast Investigators School, plus large vehicle bomb scene training.
- Hazardous scenes. Hazardous materials technician and WMD/CBRN training for contaminated or unstable sites.
- Interviews. Reid School training for witness and occupant interviews.
Certifications & Training
Fire & Explosion
- FBI Post Blast Investigators School (two completions)
- FBI Large Vehicle Bomb Crime Scene Investigation School
- Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings — New Mexico Tech
- Explosives Awareness / Booby Trap Workshop — Tucson Police Department Bomb Squad
- Firefighter I and II — Arizona State Fire Marshal's Office
- Fire Instructor I — Arizona State Fire Marshal's Office
- Basic Wildland Firefighting — Arizona State Fire Marshal's Office
Hazardous Materials & Rescue
- Hazardous Materials Technician — Arizona Department of Emergency Management
- WMD HazMat Technician (COBRA, 24 hours) — U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Confined Space Rescue and Operations — AZSFMO / IAFF
- Emergency Stabilization and Extrication — Arizona State Fire Marshal's Office
- Swift Water Rescue I — Rescue 3 International
- High Angle Rescue (24 hours) — National Park Service
- CERT Train the Trainer — Arizona Division of Emergency Management
- FEMA IS-100, IS-195, IS-200, IS-340 (HazMat Prevention), IS-700 (NIMS), IS-003
Investigations & Law Enforcement
- Arizona POST Peace Officer Certification — SALETC
- Arizona DPS Advanced Academy
- Pima County Criminal Investigations School
- Reid School of Interviewing and Interrogation
- Terrorism Liaison Officer Training — Arizona ACTIC
- Arizona POST General Instructor and Firearms Instructor
- Arizona DPS Advanced Interdiction
- Arizona POST HGN / ARIDE
Experience
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Law Enforcement Officer
13+ yearsArizona Department of Public Safety · Apache County Sheriff's Office · Sahuarita Police Department
- Patrol and criminal investigations, bomb investigator, search and rescue coordinator, terrorism liaison officer, and field training officer.
- Six months as a class officer and trainer at the Northern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy.
- Managed complex, multi-agency incidents from first response through resolution.
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Firefighter / EMT
8 yearsRural Metro Fire Department · Bisbee Fire Department · Silverbell Army Heliport
- Firefighter, EMT, and hazardous materials technician roles before moving to law enforcement.
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U.S. Army Reserve / National Guard
1995–2005Heavy Vehicle Operator · Combat Life Saver
- Deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2003 for Operation Iraqi Freedom, supervising convoy movements and security across more than 22,000 miles.
Education
Emergency Medical Technology Certificate — Cochise College
Articles by Justin
The First 72 Hours After a Fire or Explosion
What to secure, who to notify, and how to preserve evidence before the scene is lost.
Read article → Fire & ExplosionHow Gas Explosion Investigations Determine Cause
Fuel behavior, the odorant question, the leak path, and the ignition source.
Read article →Had a fire or explosion loss?
Evidence disappears fast. Tell us about the loss and we'll get back to you within one business day.