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Sonia Kwasnycia
Fire Investigator IAAI-FIT IAAI-ECT NAFI-CFEI
Licensed Factual/Surveillance Investigator
Forensic Examiner
Sonia is a certified Fire Investigation Technician (IAAI-FIT) and Evidence Collection Technician (IAAI-ECT) with the International Association of Arson Investigators and a Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator with the National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI-CFEI). She achieved First Class Honours in a Bachelor of Science in Applied Chemistry – Forensic Science from the University of Technology Sydney with a thesis in Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) chemical imaging of fingerprints developed with novel cyanoacrylates. She also has achieved a Graduate Certificate in Fire Investigation with Merit from Charles Sturt University, a Bachelor of Advanced Science from the University of Sydney, a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from Macquarie University and a Graduate Certificate in Accounting from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.
Sonia has also completed the Gardiner Associates Training and Research Joint Services Advance Practical training course in fire investigation which is required for UK Skills for Justice Level 5 Certification.
Sonia was previously a Fire Investigator with Fire Forensics Pty Ltd where she conducted a wide range of fire investigations involving residential structures, commercial structures, industrial structures, motor vehicles, caravans and motor homes, heavy equipment/machinery and mining machinery. She moved into the specialty of fire investigation after working as a Crime Scene Officer within the Forensic Evidence and Technical Services Command within the NSW Police Force. There she worked within Fingerprint Operations and Evidence Recovery Unit where she undertook activities such as fingerprint comparisons, crime scene documentation and processing, evidence collection and analysis of evidence.
Previous work experience also includes teaching at the University of Technology Sydney in Fire & Explosion Investigation, Crime Scene Investigation and other Forensic Science subjects, in addition to research supervision of students in Fire Investigation at the Canberra Institute of Technology.
Ongoing learning is of upmost important to Sonia, she regularly attends conferences within Australia and overseas in the forensic science and fire investigation fields to ensure her knowledge remains current and up to date. Sonia utilises the scientific method in addition to the most recent guides, regulations and standards in her work.
Sonia is also involved in a range of professional and industry associations and remains connected with fire investigation and forensic science professional contacts worldwide. She is the current Treasurer and Webmaster for the NSW Association of Fire Investigators, she sits on the International Association of Arson Investigators’ Ethical Practices & Grievances Committee, she was a past Treasurer for the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (NSW Branch), she has long standing memberships in the above associations in addition to the National Association of Fire Investigators and the Colorado Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators.
Renzo Alessi
Mechanical Examiner/Investigator
Licensed Factual/Surveillance Investigator
Fire Investigator
Renzo is the Director and Founder of Shire Investigations and All Motor Vehicle Investigations (AMVI). Under the banner of AMVI, he has over 14 years of experience in the investigation industry, with specific experience in vehicle, fire and factual investigations. Prior to moving into the investigations industry in 2009, he obtained his trade certificate in automotive mechanics and he worked as a mechanic for various vehicle manufacturers, then moved into owning his own workshop. He has amassed an extensive knowledge base on all types of vehicles and continues to do so. To date, Renzo has almost four decades of experience in the automotive industry.
Upon entering the investigation industry, Renzo obtained his Commercial & Private Inquiry Agents (CAPI) Licence, a Certificate III in Investigative Services, a Certificate IV in Government Investigations, and a Certificate IV in Government Statutory Compliance. He worked for MJM Investigations, G4S Investigations, Australian Transport Investigations, Resolve Investigations and Thinklink Investigations and obtained extensive investigation experience in general insurance matters in relation to vehicle and property fraud, common law, workers compensation, liability, and CTP matters.
Renzo also obtained a Graduate Certificate in Fire Investigation from Charles Sturt University in 2010 which expanded his investigation scope to include fire investigation. His experience in fire investigation has included structural, motor vehicle, truck and heavy machinery fires and is often called upon as an Expert Vehicle Examiner and Fire Investigator by a range of insurance companies, law firms, private clients and the NSW Police Force. Renzo has provided Expert Witness testimony with regard to expert mechanical examinations and crash data retrieval.
Renzo is a Deputy Captain in the NSW Rural Fire Service and is planning on expanding his knowledge into wildfire investigation. He is a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators, a member and on the board of the NSW Association of Fire Investigators, a member of the Australasian and South Pacific Association of Collision Investigators and the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators. Renzo is an accredited RMS Examiner in heavy and light vehicles.