The last word with… Matt Bonner, Head of Investigation Technology

The last word with…..
Matt Bonner, Head of Investigation Technology of BlackRainbow, discusses fire investigation software NIMBUS.

01: Can you tell us about your role at BlackRainbow, and what led to this decision?

I am the Head of Investigation Technology at BlackRainbow and have held that position since 2021. Prior to that, I was a Senior Investigating Officer in the Metropolitan Police Service leading Homicide and other serious crime investigations. My role at BlackRainbow involves working closely with different law enforcement and other investigation teams to ensure that our products meet all of their requirements and support them in delivering first class investigations of the highest integrity.

02: What expertise do you bring – particularly in the fire and safety sector and how will this support BlackRainbow’s position in the market?

The last role I had in policing was as the Senior Investigating Officer for the criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire at Grenfell Tower in West London in 2017. This tragic event resulted in the loss of many lives and the complexity of the resultant fire investigation was significant. My experience leading that case only highlighted the importance of case management software that can be used to manage such a complex investigation to deliver effective and efficient outcomes.

03: In your experience, what have been some of the most significant investigative challenges in the fire and safety sector, and how have you navigated them?

From my own experience, I think that the investigative challenges facing the fire and safety sector are no different to any other sector and that is simply volume of data. In my early days as a detective, the volumes of data that would be gathered in a case were pretty insignificant. A mobile phone seized from a suspect might contain 20 or so stored numbers and a few text messages. By comparison, a modern day case will include hundreds of thousands of data lines and each one of those data items needs to be accurately stored, reviewed and assessed. Such a task is impossible without an effective case management system and I fortunate to be able to work with such a great team to build and further develop such a solution.

04: What kind of feedback have you received so far about your product, and how are you using this to improve or innovate further?

NIMBUS – our case management platform has been designed by investigators for investigators. As I have already said, part of my role involves engaging with current and potential future users of the system and s I am able to take direct feedback and use it to inform further development of the product. Originally targeting the Law Enforcement market, we are now exploring other options such as the fire safety sector. Fire professionals can be assured that by using NIMBUS to manage their investigation, all evidence gathered, exhibits seized and examinations  conducted will be easily stored in one place. The case can be progressed using the Action management function and in the event of a criminal prosecution, case reports and disclosure forms can be automatically populated using data held within the system.

05: Where do you see this new product positioned in the market in the next 5 years?

NIMBUS has been enormously successful over the last five years and is now an established solution in the market. With the plans that we have for the immediate future, I expect that within 5 years it will become THE Investigation Platform that is tried and trusted by investigators from across the world and across all different types of cases.

View the digital International Fire & Safety Journal Magazine – issue #34

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