Staff and Contacts
SEL’s engineering and investigative staff provide a full range of forensic services and expert testimony.
Engineers
Donald J. Hoffmann
PhD., P.E., IAAI-CFI
Donald J. Hoffman
Donald J. Hoffmann, PhD., P.E., IAAI-CFI
Don is president of SEL and leads the engineering analysis of fires and explosions, conducts testing and analysis of products and materials, and oversees process safety projects. Don has over 35 years of experience in the engineering analysis of a broad array of incidents, including process failures, gas explosions, chemical plant incidents, residential fires, vehicle fires, and wildfires. Don is also an expert in the analysis of lithium-ion batteries, personal electronic devices, and appliances.
Michael T. Burr
M.S., P.E., IAAI-CFI
Michael T. Burr
Michael T. Burr, M.S., P.E., IAAI-CFI
Mike, a Materials Engineer with SEL since 2006, performs engineering analysis of fires and explosions, provides fire and non-fire related failure analysis of metal and plastic components, supervises our library of analytical and testing equipment including FTIR and SEM-EDS, and executes data analysis in large-scale projects. Mike also designs and executes fire models in incident analysis.
Benjamin D. Drullinger
M.S. Chemical Engineering
Benjamin D. Drullinger
Benjamin D. Drullinger, M.S. Chemical Engineering
Ben has been part of SEL’s team since 2015. He designs and performs fire and non-fire related failure analysis of a variety of systems and components, performs data acquisition during product and burn testing, and assists with the engineering analysis of fires and explosions and process safety projects.
Erik M. Swonder
M.S., P.E., IAAI-CFI
Erik M. Swonder
Erik M. Swonder, M.S., P.E. IAAI-CFI
Erik is an Electrical Engineer and Certified Fire Investigator responsible for laboratory and on-site forensic failure analysis and examination of electrical systems, equipment, and devices. He also facilitates and conducts testing and analysis of electrical products and appliances to evaluate alleged failures. Erik has been with SEL since 2003.
David L. Kinny
M.Eng., P.E., NAFI-CFEI
David L. Kinny
David L. Kinny, M.Eng., P.E., NAFI-CFEI
Dave joined SEL in 2021 after a 36 year career in appliance design and safety. Dave is a Professional Engineer and Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator who conducts forensic analysis in both laboratory and scene investigations. His expertise includes forensic engineering with an emphasis on electric and gas appliances, engineering analysis of fire cause, failure analysis of gas appliances and electrical equipment, and appliance design and safety.
John G. Finch
M.B.A., P.E.
John G. Finch
John G. Finch, M.B.A., P.E.
John joined SEL in 2019 and provides expertise gained over an extensive career in metallurgical engineering including materials testing and development and forensic analysis of products and manufacturing processes. He performs engineering analysis of a wide variety of incidents, applying his experience with product development and codes, standards and regulatory development.
Alexander J. Hoffmann
B.S. Chemistry,
B.S. Chemical Engineering
Alexander J. Hoffman
Alexander J. Hoffmann, B.S. Chemistry, B.S. Chemical Engineering
Alex is a Chemical Engineer and Chemist who designs and executes laboratory testing as well as performing inspections and examinations of artifacts. He has particular experience with the inspection, testing, and evaluation of lithium-ion batteries, and is also an Authorized Radiation Equipment Operator and SEL’s in-house CT scanning specialist. Alex joined SEL in 2019.
Certified Fire Investigators
Sean Crawley
B.S., IAAI-CFI
Sean Crawley
Sean Crawley, B.S. Emergency Management/Fire Science, IAAI-CFI
Sean has been investigating fires since 2011, documenting fire scenes, interviewing witnesses and other parties, collecting and preserving pertinent evidence, and applying other investigative tools to determine the origin and cause of fire events. Mr. Crawley is an FAA certified remote pilot and performs 3D scanning at scenes. Sean is HAZWOPER certified.
Brian Sampson
B.S., IAAI-CFI
Brian Sampson
Brian Sampson, B.S. Emergency Management/Fire Service, IAAI-CFI
Brian has been investigating fires since 2000, documenting fire scenes, interviewing witnesses and other parties, collecting and preserving pertinent evidence, and using these in conjunction with other investigative tools to determine the origin and cause of fire events. Brian regularly performs inspections and examinations of artifacts. Brian is HAZWOPER certified, is qualified as a Hazardous Materials Technician, and has achieved Firefighter II status.
Jerry Wallace
B.S.HS., A.E.M.T., IAAI-CFI
Jerry Wallace
Jerry Wallace, B.S.HS., A.E.M.T., IAAI-CFI
Jerry has been with SEL investigating fires and developing safety programs since 1997. He has investigated fires and explosions in chemical plants, refineries, warehouses, industrial manufacturing facilities, LP gas installations, commercial properties, and residential properties. Jerry also assists with the design and development of small- and large-scale tests and physical models used in demonstrations and testing.
Lee West
IAAI-CFI, NAFI-CFEI
Lee West
Lee West, IAAI-CFI, NAFI-CFEI
Lee has over 45 years of fire-related experience in firefighting, law enforcement, insurance special investigations, and private investigations. Since joining SEL in 2007, Lee has investigated fires and explosions in chemical plants, warehouses, industrial manufacturing facilities, LP gas installations, commercial properties, and residential properties and managed a number of large, complex fire scenes.
Professional and Support Staff
Miranda Benoit
Administrative Assistant to Michael Burr, David Kinny, Brian Sampson and Erik Swonder
Haley Cantrell
Administrative Assistant to Sean Crawley, Benjamin Drullinger, Alexander Hoffmann, Jerry Wallace, and Lee West
Inquiries and Billing
For inquiries, call 586-771-0660 or contact info@safetyengineeringlabs.com.
Billing questions may be directed to billing@safetyengineeringlabs.com.