The Fire Investigator Strike Force of Illinois at their annual training conference in Rosemont, IL announced the Mr. Richard J. Keyworth was the recipient of the Harry P. Schaeffer award as Fire Investigator of the Year for 2012.
The award was presented by President Mitch Kirshner, Arson Investigator from the IL State Fire Marshalls Office and Lt. Andrew Veath Investigator from the Cary (IL) Fire Department who nominated Mr. Keyworth for this award.
Mr. Keyworth was nominated for his 40+ years as a Fire Investigator and Instructor of Fire and Arson Investigation classes. It was also stated that most, if not all of the investigators attending the conference had been trained by Mr. Keyworth .
Mr. Keyworth is a Retired Lieutenant from the Elk Grove Village IL) Fire Department and a former Private Investigator in the Fields of Fire and Arson Investigation and Insurance Fraud. He is also a renowned Speaker and story teller.
Mr. Keyworth has been qualified in court as an “Expert Witness” in the “Cause and Origin of Fires” as well as Amusement Ride Accidents. He has testified more than 300 times on matters of Code Enforcement, Fire Causes, and Environmental Crimes. Mr. Keyworth began Instructing Classes in Fire and Arson Investigation at Harper College in Palatine, IL in 1972. He has continued to instruct a number of classes at Harper as well as at seminars and meetings across the country. Mr. Keyworth is an Adjunct Faculty Instructor at Harper College still today teaching in the Fire Science Curriculum.
