In an industry when meticulousness and quality often mean the difference between victory and loss in the courtroom, VFE’s highly experienced, quality-focused engineers are the core of our success. VFE’s professional engineers are licensed in 32 states and are well recognized both inside the courtroom as expert witnesses and outside as trainers, publishers and experts in their fields thus providing the foundation for building our practice around the principles of integrity, reliability, and thoroughness.
Meet Our Team
DAVID A. REITER, P.E., C.F.I., C.F.I.I.
Mr. Reiter is a Licensed Professional Electrical Engineer in Texas and eight other states. He is also a Certified Fire Investigator and has worked as an electrician and design engineer. During his 40+ years in the electrical field Mr. Reiter has instructed at numerous seminars on the electrical aspects of fire investigation and presented several technical papers at international conferences.
Mr. Smith is a Licensed Professional Electrical Engineer in Texas and three other states serving VFE and clients as advisory consultant. He is also certified through the National Council for Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), and a Licensed Professional Real Estate Inspector in the State of Texas.
PAUL L. CARPER, P.E., C.F.I.I.
Mr. Carper is a Licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer in Texas and six other states. He is also certified through the National Council for Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), which allows for licensing in others states in an expedited manner, if needed. During his 35+ years in the mechanical field, Mr. Carper has worked in the areas of nondestructive testing and failure analysis in aerospace and industrial settings. He has received training in fire investigation, fire dynamics, and vehicle accident reconstruction.
Mr. Tate is a Licensed Professional Mechanical and Fire Protection Engineer in Texas and 28 other states. He is a Past President of the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and served on the SFPE License Examination Committee. He is also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the International Code Council (ICC). In 2007, he received the ‘Hats Off Award’ from the Society of Fire Protection Engineers “in recognition of exceptional effort in support of the PE Exam for the benefit of SFPE and the profession”.
Mr. Stahl is a Licensed Professional Electrical Engineer in the State of Texas. He has 27+ years of experience in the electrical field. Mr. Stahl has spent the last 20+ years in the study, testing and determination of Electrical Faults and Failure Mode Scenarios, including residential, commercial and industrial electrical distribution, product/appliance electrical failures, electronic devices, components and systems, and vehicle electrical systems.
Mr. Battley is a Senior Engineering Assistant. He is an expert in operating and maintaining Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) with over 30 years of experience. He has extensive experience in working with real-time X-rays, stereo microscopy, Infrared Imaging System (FLIR), and metallurgical analysis. He has attended numerous training events in Forensic Fire Death Investigation, Forensic Photography, and Evidence Examination.