Post by Brad-LaSpirits on May 14, 2007 0:01:53 GMT -5
Here is a copy of our Individual Roles and Investigative Outline form that we give all of our new members. Here, you can get a grasp of our structure and how our investigations are conducted.
Our main goal is to collect evidence of the paranormal and have fun, while at the same times staying safe. We have many different roles in Louisiana Spirits, and there is a lot that must be done before, during, and after investigations. This article will provide a basis for the way an investigation should be handled as well as what each individual person should do during that investigation. Each role is not restricted to only what is listed below; we encourage people to take initiative to do more within the group. Our “Job Titles” are as follows:
• Case Manager
• Technical Manager
• Investigator
• Investigator-in-Training
Case Manager:
Case Managers ( CM ) have a lot of different duties. We save this position for people who have had prior experience in paranormal investigation, or if they show qualities we look for in the position. Each chapter will have its own CM. CM’s have authority over his or her chapter regarding investigators and investigations as long as he or she stays within the limits of our rules and guidelines. Case managers are very important roles due to the numerous things that must be done. The Roles of this position are as follows:
• Advertise and find investigations for LaSpirits.
• Running his or her chapter.
• Organizing & scheduling Investigations and other group outings.
• Being the contact person for clients and potential members.
• Explaining the guidelines to clients before the investigation is scheduled, such as: no one under the age of 18, only the client and 1 to 2 other people present during the investigation, ect.
• Interviewing new members.
• In charge of investigations for his or her chapter:
o Making sure all paperwork is signed before investigators enter building.
o Doing the walkthrough with tech. manager and client.
o Setting up equipment with tech manager and investigators.
o Answer any questions the client or any other member of the group may have.
• Reviewing evidence after an investigation.
• In charge of training new investigators.
• Writing of a report on each investigation for the website.
Technical Manager:
The Technical Manager ( TM ) is in charge of equipment. Until LaSpirits starts to bring in money for equipment, we rely on members to purchase and use their own equipment. The tech manager is in charge of ALL equipment that is owned by LaSpirits. At an investigation the tech manager and case manager will decide where to put cameras, recorders, ect. If you don’t wish to do what the tech manager asks of you and your equipment, you don’t have to; just remember the tech manager and case manager know the best places for equipment based on previous contact with the client. The knowledge of the tech manager is extremely important since he is the guru of the instruments used. The Roles of this position are as follows:
• Advertise and find investigations for LaSpirits
• Keep Inventory of all equipment.
• Maintain equipment.
• Talk with the client and CM and decide placement for cameras, recorders, ect.
• Keep a strong knowledge of equipment used in the paranormal field, new and old.
• Train new investigators with equipment and how to use them properly in an investigation.
• Reviewing evidence after an investigation.
Investigator:
The investigator is the heart of our team. Investigators should have a strong knowledge of how to conduct an investigation and have a general knowledge of paranormal phenomena. It is not only the CM’s duty to help advertise LaSpirits and find investigations, it is everyone’s duty. Investigators should always be willing to expand their knowledge and experience in the field, and should enjoy what they do. Without good investigators there can’t be a good investigation, or even a group at all. The Roles of this position are as follows:
• Advertise and find investigations for LaSpirits.
• To always be professional on an investigation and to help whenever possible.
o When CM and TM are doing the walk through, always be ready to go.
• Aid the CM and TM with setup of equipment.
• Know the equipment you will be using on investigations such as Cameras, EMF meters, Camcorders, IR Thermometers, ect.
• To investigate homes and buildings without bias.
• Always have an open mind, don’t go in with your mind set that a location is or is not haunted.
• In charge of Training new investigators.
• Reviewing evidence after an investigation.
Investigator-in-Training:
Ahh the newbie, we were all there at one point. This field isn’t for everyone; the thing you need to remember the most is to keep your cool. We strive to have fun and be professional; and we ask that you do the same. There is a lot to be learned to become an investigator, you must learn the use of equipment and how to use it properly at investigations. You must also learn the techniques of debunking, and most importantly, realize that 90% of the time it’s always going to be dust. You’ll understand this later. The Roles of this position are as follows:
• Advertise and find investigations for LaSpirits.
• Always be with an investigator, CM, or TM.
• Learn to examine evidence, including photo, video, and audio analysis.
• Pay attention to your surroundings and learn from what you see and hear.
• Listen to CMs, TMs, and investigators so you know what to do at future investigations.
• Ask questions!! If you’re not sure about something, then just ask…it’s the best way to learn. We are always willing to help, and we would rather you stop to ask then do something you’re not sure about.
Your Basic Investigation:
Barring any special circumstances, investigations should always be run a certain way. LaSpirits has a very strong base in Louisiana, and the only way to keep that growing is by impressing our clients at our investigations and spreading our good name. We are here to have fun, but our first thought should be helping the client, and keeping the integrity of our evidence.
To get the ball rolling, the client will either contacts us, or we contact a potential client. The CM for that area talks to the client and finds out what is happening, and what they are looking for in an investigation. The CM also makes sure to explain all the prerequisites of an investigation. Once all that is settled, a date is set and the CM can start putting the team together. Generally case managers get first pick on investigations, but they don’t always use it so things are fair to investigators. Once the date is set and the team has been chosen, the CM will stay in contact with the client to answer any questions before, during, and after the investigation.
Investigation night: Generally investigations will start around 9 PM, but that mainly depends on the case manager and the client. If you’re in training then you should be wearing something comfortable such as blue jeans. We do ask that you wear a navy blue t-shirt. If you’re an investigator, you should be wearing your dickies shirt with the LaSpirits Logo on it. Once the team arrives at the location, the case manager and the tech manager will go inside to greet and conduct a walk through of the location with the client. The reason for this is to talk with the client and get an idea of where to place equipment. While they are doing this, investigators are to remain close to the vehicles. Investigators are to stay outside so they know as little as possible about the location before investigating. Until the liability form is signed, nobody should wander around the property. Just relax, smoke a cigarette, or have conversation, because once the CM and TM are done with the client it’s time to get busy. First, everyone will help carry the equipment into the site to the designated monitoring room. When you first see the client, it’s always nice to say hello and introduce yourself. Once all the equipment is inside, the CM and TM and 1 or 2 investigators will start setting up cameras and other equipment. The remaining investigators should walk the building and/or property with an EMF or IR Thermometer and get a few base readings. Also keep your eyes open and scope out the building, look for anything you think would be good to know before we go “lights out”, such as anything that could hurt someone, or any areas that you feel could cause concern.
Time to go lights out: Once all the cameras and voice recorders are set, then its time to go lights out. All lights are to be turned off and at this point the investigation has officially started. We will split up into small 2-3 person groups. The main point is for each group to eventually hit each room separately. Never go off by yourself! This is for two reasons: one is for safety, and the other is that if you experience something and you are alone, then there isn’t a second person to validate or share your experience. Investigators in training should be grouped with the most experienced Investigator, the CM, or TM. Each group should carry with them some type of recording equipment. If there is not enough equipment for each group to get an EMF meter, voice recorder, and a mini DV or camera, then the equipment will be distributed evenly by the tech manager. Once all types of equipment and all groups have investigated all rooms, and the CM feels the investigation is complete, it’s time to turn the lights back on and gather equipment.
Be extremely careful when gathering equipment; the same people who setup the equipment should break it down. As the equipment is packed, other investigators should take it and pack it into the vehicles. Remember, there is always something to be done. Tapes and evidence are to be gathered for the CM and/or the TM. If you aren’t 100% sure on how to analyze evidence, let someone know and you and a qualified person can go over it together. If possible, CDs will be burned on site and passed out. The more eyes and ears that analyze evidence, the better off we are!! Once all the evidence and equipment is secure in the vehicles, we are ready to depart. A courteous “thank you” would be a great thing for all investigators to say to the client. Right before departure the CM will thank the customer and explain that we will be in contact after we go through all the evidence.
After all the video, audio, pictures, ect., have been analyzed, it’s time to report our findings to the client. If at all possible, a personal visit to go over evidence is preferred. Even if there was no paranormal evidence collected, or we debunked something, we will always get back with the client. Clients generally want to be comforted and to know that they aren’t crazy, so we do whatever we can to do just that. Depending on what the client wants, we will either not post any evidence or post it on our website. This will only happen if the client has agreed by signing the evidence release form. A report will be written by the case manager on the investigation for the website as well. If the client did not want us to post any evidence, then we won’t, but we can always post a report on the investigation and not use any exact locations or names.
We look forward to many fruitful and interesting investigations and would like to thank you for joining us!
Louisiana Spirits Paranormal Investigations
Our main goal is to collect evidence of the paranormal and have fun, while at the same times staying safe. We have many different roles in Louisiana Spirits, and there is a lot that must be done before, during, and after investigations. This article will provide a basis for the way an investigation should be handled as well as what each individual person should do during that investigation. Each role is not restricted to only what is listed below; we encourage people to take initiative to do more within the group. Our “Job Titles” are as follows:
• Case Manager
• Technical Manager
• Investigator
• Investigator-in-Training
Case Manager:
Case Managers ( CM ) have a lot of different duties. We save this position for people who have had prior experience in paranormal investigation, or if they show qualities we look for in the position. Each chapter will have its own CM. CM’s have authority over his or her chapter regarding investigators and investigations as long as he or she stays within the limits of our rules and guidelines. Case managers are very important roles due to the numerous things that must be done. The Roles of this position are as follows:
• Advertise and find investigations for LaSpirits.
• Running his or her chapter.
• Organizing & scheduling Investigations and other group outings.
• Being the contact person for clients and potential members.
• Explaining the guidelines to clients before the investigation is scheduled, such as: no one under the age of 18, only the client and 1 to 2 other people present during the investigation, ect.
• Interviewing new members.
• In charge of investigations for his or her chapter:
o Making sure all paperwork is signed before investigators enter building.
o Doing the walkthrough with tech. manager and client.
o Setting up equipment with tech manager and investigators.
o Answer any questions the client or any other member of the group may have.
• Reviewing evidence after an investigation.
• In charge of training new investigators.
• Writing of a report on each investigation for the website.
Technical Manager:
The Technical Manager ( TM ) is in charge of equipment. Until LaSpirits starts to bring in money for equipment, we rely on members to purchase and use their own equipment. The tech manager is in charge of ALL equipment that is owned by LaSpirits. At an investigation the tech manager and case manager will decide where to put cameras, recorders, ect. If you don’t wish to do what the tech manager asks of you and your equipment, you don’t have to; just remember the tech manager and case manager know the best places for equipment based on previous contact with the client. The knowledge of the tech manager is extremely important since he is the guru of the instruments used. The Roles of this position are as follows:
• Advertise and find investigations for LaSpirits
• Keep Inventory of all equipment.
• Maintain equipment.
• Talk with the client and CM and decide placement for cameras, recorders, ect.
• Keep a strong knowledge of equipment used in the paranormal field, new and old.
• Train new investigators with equipment and how to use them properly in an investigation.
• Reviewing evidence after an investigation.
Investigator:
The investigator is the heart of our team. Investigators should have a strong knowledge of how to conduct an investigation and have a general knowledge of paranormal phenomena. It is not only the CM’s duty to help advertise LaSpirits and find investigations, it is everyone’s duty. Investigators should always be willing to expand their knowledge and experience in the field, and should enjoy what they do. Without good investigators there can’t be a good investigation, or even a group at all. The Roles of this position are as follows:
• Advertise and find investigations for LaSpirits.
• To always be professional on an investigation and to help whenever possible.
o When CM and TM are doing the walk through, always be ready to go.
• Aid the CM and TM with setup of equipment.
• Know the equipment you will be using on investigations such as Cameras, EMF meters, Camcorders, IR Thermometers, ect.
• To investigate homes and buildings without bias.
• Always have an open mind, don’t go in with your mind set that a location is or is not haunted.
• In charge of Training new investigators.
• Reviewing evidence after an investigation.
Investigator-in-Training:
Ahh the newbie, we were all there at one point. This field isn’t for everyone; the thing you need to remember the most is to keep your cool. We strive to have fun and be professional; and we ask that you do the same. There is a lot to be learned to become an investigator, you must learn the use of equipment and how to use it properly at investigations. You must also learn the techniques of debunking, and most importantly, realize that 90% of the time it’s always going to be dust. You’ll understand this later. The Roles of this position are as follows:
• Advertise and find investigations for LaSpirits.
• Always be with an investigator, CM, or TM.
• Learn to examine evidence, including photo, video, and audio analysis.
• Pay attention to your surroundings and learn from what you see and hear.
• Listen to CMs, TMs, and investigators so you know what to do at future investigations.
• Ask questions!! If you’re not sure about something, then just ask…it’s the best way to learn. We are always willing to help, and we would rather you stop to ask then do something you’re not sure about.
Your Basic Investigation:
Barring any special circumstances, investigations should always be run a certain way. LaSpirits has a very strong base in Louisiana, and the only way to keep that growing is by impressing our clients at our investigations and spreading our good name. We are here to have fun, but our first thought should be helping the client, and keeping the integrity of our evidence.
To get the ball rolling, the client will either contacts us, or we contact a potential client. The CM for that area talks to the client and finds out what is happening, and what they are looking for in an investigation. The CM also makes sure to explain all the prerequisites of an investigation. Once all that is settled, a date is set and the CM can start putting the team together. Generally case managers get first pick on investigations, but they don’t always use it so things are fair to investigators. Once the date is set and the team has been chosen, the CM will stay in contact with the client to answer any questions before, during, and after the investigation.
Investigation night: Generally investigations will start around 9 PM, but that mainly depends on the case manager and the client. If you’re in training then you should be wearing something comfortable such as blue jeans. We do ask that you wear a navy blue t-shirt. If you’re an investigator, you should be wearing your dickies shirt with the LaSpirits Logo on it. Once the team arrives at the location, the case manager and the tech manager will go inside to greet and conduct a walk through of the location with the client. The reason for this is to talk with the client and get an idea of where to place equipment. While they are doing this, investigators are to remain close to the vehicles. Investigators are to stay outside so they know as little as possible about the location before investigating. Until the liability form is signed, nobody should wander around the property. Just relax, smoke a cigarette, or have conversation, because once the CM and TM are done with the client it’s time to get busy. First, everyone will help carry the equipment into the site to the designated monitoring room. When you first see the client, it’s always nice to say hello and introduce yourself. Once all the equipment is inside, the CM and TM and 1 or 2 investigators will start setting up cameras and other equipment. The remaining investigators should walk the building and/or property with an EMF or IR Thermometer and get a few base readings. Also keep your eyes open and scope out the building, look for anything you think would be good to know before we go “lights out”, such as anything that could hurt someone, or any areas that you feel could cause concern.
Time to go lights out: Once all the cameras and voice recorders are set, then its time to go lights out. All lights are to be turned off and at this point the investigation has officially started. We will split up into small 2-3 person groups. The main point is for each group to eventually hit each room separately. Never go off by yourself! This is for two reasons: one is for safety, and the other is that if you experience something and you are alone, then there isn’t a second person to validate or share your experience. Investigators in training should be grouped with the most experienced Investigator, the CM, or TM. Each group should carry with them some type of recording equipment. If there is not enough equipment for each group to get an EMF meter, voice recorder, and a mini DV or camera, then the equipment will be distributed evenly by the tech manager. Once all types of equipment and all groups have investigated all rooms, and the CM feels the investigation is complete, it’s time to turn the lights back on and gather equipment.
Be extremely careful when gathering equipment; the same people who setup the equipment should break it down. As the equipment is packed, other investigators should take it and pack it into the vehicles. Remember, there is always something to be done. Tapes and evidence are to be gathered for the CM and/or the TM. If you aren’t 100% sure on how to analyze evidence, let someone know and you and a qualified person can go over it together. If possible, CDs will be burned on site and passed out. The more eyes and ears that analyze evidence, the better off we are!! Once all the evidence and equipment is secure in the vehicles, we are ready to depart. A courteous “thank you” would be a great thing for all investigators to say to the client. Right before departure the CM will thank the customer and explain that we will be in contact after we go through all the evidence.
After all the video, audio, pictures, ect., have been analyzed, it’s time to report our findings to the client. If at all possible, a personal visit to go over evidence is preferred. Even if there was no paranormal evidence collected, or we debunked something, we will always get back with the client. Clients generally want to be comforted and to know that they aren’t crazy, so we do whatever we can to do just that. Depending on what the client wants, we will either not post any evidence or post it on our website. This will only happen if the client has agreed by signing the evidence release form. A report will be written by the case manager on the investigation for the website as well. If the client did not want us to post any evidence, then we won’t, but we can always post a report on the investigation and not use any exact locations or names.
We look forward to many fruitful and interesting investigations and would like to thank you for joining us!
Louisiana Spirits Paranormal Investigations
