SPECIALIZED PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES
- Fire Origin and Cause Investigation
- Electrical Equipment Failures
- Process Incidents
- Production Operations Incidents
- Chemical Process Design
- Loss Mitigation and Rehabilitation
- Computer Fire Modeling
- O.H.S.A. Requirement Analysis
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Bachelor of Applied Science, Chemical Engineering (Honours), University of Windsor (1972)
Master of Business Administration, McMaster University (1982), Dean’s Honour’s List
Master of Engineering, University of Toronto (1983)
Juris Doctor, University of Detroit Mercy (1996)
Bachelor of Laws, University of Windsor (1997)
Additional Courses:
- N.F.P.A. and N.A.F.I. Sponsored Courses and Seminars:
- Advanced Fire, Arson and Explosion Training Program
- Computer Fire Modelling Course
- Fire Analysis Litigation Seminar
- Analysis of Electrical Fire Causes
EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND
Giffin Koerth Inc.
Senior Associate
2003 - Present
- Investigating, reporting and testifying on forensic engineering matters including fires, explosions, electrical failures and injuries, industrial production and operations, product liability, loss prevention and mitigation
Brosz and Associates
Manager of Forensic Engineering Services
1998 – 2003
Managed a group of Professional Engineers and technologists investigating, reporting and testifying of forensic engineering matters including fires and explosions and specializing in electrical related matters
Imperial Oil and Osler, Hoskins & Harcourt
Articling Student in Law Department
1997 – 1998
Gained experience in the areas of Labour, Construction, Product Liability, Insurance and Environmental Law.
Terra International (Canada) Ltd.
Upgrading Production Supervisor and Commissioning Manager
1994 – 1997
Supervised production in urea, nitric acid, and ammonium nitrate production facilities. Commissioning Manager for a $25 million capital expansion that more than doubled urea production and reduced specific production costs nearly 20%.
Joy-MK Projects Company
Field Construction and Commissioning Engineer
1991 – 1994
Developed the base commissioning plan for this $200 million capital facility. Supervised the installation and commissioning of the instrumentation and all of the control and power electrical wiring. The facility scrubbed the sulphur compounds out of the flue gas from two large, coal-fired utility boilers
Shell Canada Products Ltd.
Supervisor of Measurement and Control
1987 – 1991
Supervised a group of Professional Engineers and technologists supporting the day-to-day operational activities and new capital projects in an oil refinery and chemical production plant
Stelco Inc.
Senior Engineering Staff Specialist
1973 – 1987
Fourteen years in the Combustion Engineering group involved in the design, installation, commissioning and operation of a variety of processing facilities, water treatment facilities and combustion systems including boilers, blast furnaces, coke ovens, soaking pits and reheat furnaces. Managed Stelco’s largest and most critical process control projects including the first two installations of distributed micro-processor based control systems
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES / ASSOCIATIONS
Associations
- Registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario since 1978
- Member of the Law Society of Upper Canada since 1999
- Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator and member of the National Association of Fire Investigators since 1999
- Member of the National Fire Protection Association since 2000
- Member of the International Association of Arson Investigators since 2000
- Member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences since 2002
- Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers since 2004
- Member of the Canadian Association of Fire Investigators since 2004
PUBLICATIONS / SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Court & ADR Appearances
- Qualified and testified as a fire origin and cause expert with particular expertise in electrical causes, in courts in both Canada and the United States:
- Ellis-Don Limited v. Canon Canada Inc., Ontario Court General Division, Court File No.: 92-CU-56528, 1999 (File 3386-96)
- Abdella Karkari, et al. and Ted Smith Building Services, et al., Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Court
- File No.: 98-CV-8391, 2002 (File 4279-01)
- Her Majesty the Queen against Nathan Kales, Ontario Court of Justice, 2004 (File 32K150)
- Maggi-B Limited v. Toronto Hydro-Electric Commission, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Court File No.: 99-CV-172243A, 2005 (File 3931-99 &32L212)
- Elizabeth Eddy/Lucy Raposo, et al v. Fisher-Price, et al., Massachusetts Superior Court, Civil Action No.: 96-01931, 2005 (File 4306-01 & 32L207)
- Illinois Power v. Wegman Electric, Circuit Court, third Judicial Circuit, Madison County, Illinois, Court File No.: 98 L 280, 2007 (File 3934-99 & 57F243)
- Rita Hamilton et al. v. Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Court File No.: 2523-02, 2008 (File 42L253)
- Bain et. al. v. Black and Decker of Canada, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Court File No.: 05-19890, 2009 (File 74L694)
- Testified under oath in several depositions in the United States as a fire origin and cause expert:
- Pajerski Foods Inc. v. Tri-Con Maintenance Services et al., Circuit Court, 19th Judicial District, McHenry County, Illinois, Court File No.: 99 LA 221, 2000 (File 4085-00)
- Illinois Power v. Wegman Electric, Circuit Court, third Judicial Circuit, Madison County, Illinois, Court File No.: 98 L 280, two depositions, 2000 and 2006 (File 3934-99 & 57F243)
- Elizabeth Eddy/Lucy Raposo, et al v. Fisher-Price, et al., Massachusetts Superior Court, Civil Action No.: 96-01931, 2004 (File 4306-01 & 32L207)
- Appeared at mediations and arbitrations as a forensic engineering expert:
- Novaquest v. Liquipure, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, 2004 (File 4439-01 & 34L211)
- M.G. Transport Canada Limited et al. v. Halsall Associates Limited et al., Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Court File No.: 02-CV-2388902CM, 2005 (File 32L216)
- Whitco Canada Inc. v. Calgon Carbon Corp., 2007 (File 72L140)
- Shell Canada Limited et al. v. Toronto Hydro Coporation et al., Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Court File No.: 05-CV-283938PD1 (File 52L051)
Technical Papers:
- “Optimal Heating of Steel in Slab Furnaces”, AISE 1984
Publications:
- Several photographs and diagrams illustrating the documentation of fire patterns by Mr. Learmonth are included in the 5th and 6th editions of Kirk’s Fire Investigation by John DeHaan.
- Ten recommendations for additions or modifications to NFPA 921, the Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, submitted by Mr. Learmonth to the NFPA were adopted and are included in the 2008 edition.
- Mr. Learmonth’s photograph of fire damage created by a fire ignited by electrical arcing, won first prize in the Accidental Category in the 2003 Photographic Award Competition conducted by the International Association of Arson Investigators and was published in the July 2003 edition of Fire & Arson Investigator magazine.
- Mr. Learmonth’s photograph of severe spalling of concrete created by a fire involving propane cylinders, won first prize in the Accidental Category in the 2006 Photographic Award Competition conducted by the International Association of Arson Investigators, and was published in the July 2006 edition and was the cover photo of the January 2007 edition of Fire & Arson Investigator magazine.
- Mr. Learmonth’s photograph of fire damage to a historical aboriginal village was awarded Honorable Mention in the Arson Category in the 2008 Photographic Award Competition conducted by the International Association of Arson Investigators and was published in the July 2008 edition of Fire and Arson Investigator magazine.
- Technical advisor for several episodes of the network TV drama, C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation
