Richard L. Eley, CFI, CFEI, CFII, CFVI Certified Investigator
Investigative Services Companies was formed in 1988 by Rick Eley, after being employed by INS Investigations Bureau, Inc., for more than ten and a half years. The last eight years, of which he served as Office Manager and Chief Special Agent, supervising Fire Investigators in Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee.
He began his investigative career at the Williamson County Sheriffs Department, where he served in the Criminal Investigation Division, working closely with State and Federal authorities investigating fires within that jurisdiction.
In 1976 he was recruited by the Tennessee Arson and Bomb Investigation Section, where he was placed in charge of the Memphis branch.
During his investigative career he has attended over 4,000 hours of training in the criminal and arson investigation field and investigation field and investigated in excess of 6500 structure and vehicle fires.
Rick has attended the National Fire Training Academy, The Arkansas Fire Training Academy, The Tennessee Fire Training Academy, University of Tennessee, University of Alabama and Shelby State Community College, majoring in police science and is presently completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Science Technology at Memphis State University.
Chief Investigator Eley is a highly trained and qualified investigator, having been qualified as an expert witness in fire causation in the state, local and federal courts in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Kentucky.
He is a certified Fire Investigator by the International Association of Arson Investigators, a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator and Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator by the National Association of Fire Investigators, as well as NFPA !033 Pro Board, the newest Fire Investigator Certification, through the National Fire Protection Association.
He is as a Certified Law Enforcement Instructor, by the State of Arkansas and a Certified Fire Instructor by the Arkansas Fire Training Academy, the Tennessee Fire Training Academy, and The Tennessee State Board of Regents and by the National Fire Academy.
He has served as an instructor in the fire and arson investigation at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Field Training Seminars. He instructs regularly at the Tennessee Fire Training Academy, The Arkansas Fire Training Academy, Mississippi State Fire Marshal’s Office, Tennessee Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators, the Arkansas Chapter of the international Association of Arson Investigators, various police and fire departments, as well as insurance companies.
He has been a part time instructor in fire and arson investigation at Shelby State Community College in Memphis.
Rick has now begun teaching for the various branches of the military investigative agencies and recently he instructed Special Agents from the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC.
In 1983, he received special recognition from the Jaycees and was named an “Outstanding Young Man of America” by that organization.
He is past president of the Tennessee Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators and presently serves as Chairman of the Education Committee, Co-Chairman of the Ethics Committee, and Co-Chairman of the Professional Fire Investigators Certification Committee and was the State Chapter’ s Newsletter Editor, for ten years.
He is a member of the following professional organizations: Tennessee Association of Fire Instructors, Fraternal Order of Police, West Tennessee Criminal Investigators Association, Memphis Criminal Investigators Association, Arkansas Advisory Committee on Arson, Tennessee Advisory Committee on Arson, Tennessee Claims Association, Mississippi Claims Association, National Association of Fire Investigators, National Fire Protection Association. International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Arson Investigators and is a licensed Private Investigator in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri.
Rick has written numerous articles on fire and arson investigation, interviewing techniques, records research, and many other related topics in the fire and arson investigative field. In 1993 he published two books on Fire and Arson Investigation, which are an extensive study of the methods used in both criminal and civil fire investigations.
Since 1986 he has served as a part time officer with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. His duties have included; Commander of Special Operations Task force, Commander Metro DUI Squad, Executive Officer of the Detective Crime Scene Analysis Unit, and Chief Inspector over all investigations of the Reserve Operations Division. He currently holds the rank of Chief Inspector and supervised the Detective Crime Scene Analysis Unit.
He presently resides in Bartlett, Tennessee a suburb of Memphis and conducts fire, bomb and explosion investigations for insurance companies throughout the United States.
Rick has been associated with the Tennessee Claims Association, Memphis Chapter for more than 25 years, serving as their President in 200 and 2001. He was elected to the Tennessee Chapter State Board and served as President of that Association. He received the Ernest Crawford Achievement award from the Memphis Chapter TCA and has been their Fire Committee Chairman for 10 years.