Fire Investigation: Case Preparation and Testimony R0790

The target audience is full-time public service personnel tasked with fire investigative duties.

Priority will be reserved for students who have successfully completed the NFA's "Fire Investigation: Essentials" (R0772 or R0206 - 2015 or later) course.

Applicants who are not employed full time in the fire investigation field may be eligible.  Applicants must submit a detailed letter from the chief of the department attesting to their position, duties and responsibilities as related to fire investigation and involvement with the prosecution of state arson laws, including responsibilities to testify in court.

Incident Command System (ICS)-100-level and ICS-200-level training. Preferred courses are Q462 and Q463 available through NFA Online. Chief's signature on the application attests that the applicant has completed this required training.

Applicants must meet ONE of the following SECTIONS:

Successful completion of the National Fire Academy's (NFA’s) "Fire Investigation: Essentials" (R0772 or R0206 - 2015 or later) course.

Additionally, successful completion (above 80%) of any in-person and tested fire investigation training which totals 40 hours. NFA courses R0204, R0205, R0206, R0214 and R0255 may be counted toward this requirement. CFITrainer.net courses do not count toward this requirement. 

OR

Successful completion (above 80%, 3.0 or B) of in-person and tested fire investigation-specific training which totals 150 hours. Applicants must provide documentation (transcripts or certificates) to reach the 150-hour level. Hours credited toward State FIT or CFI certificates may count toward this requirement. (CFITrainer.net courses do not count toward this requirement.

AND

Successful completion of the following 10 CFITrainer.net modules (transcript MUST be submitted with application):

1. Critical Thinking Solves Cases.
2. The Deposition Part 1: Format, Content and Preparation.
3. The Deposition, Part 2: Questioning, Tactics and Effective Responses.
4. Effective Investigation and Testimony.
5. Ethical Duties Beyond the Fire Scene.
6. Ethics and the Fire Investigator.
7. Magnetek:  A Case Study in the Daubert Challenge.
8. Process of Elimination.
9. Discovery in Civil Cases.
10. Discovery in Criminal Cases.

Applicants must provide a copy of their CFITrainer.net transcript and all documentation to support the prerequisite requirements at the time of application. Documentation (certificates, transcripts, certifications and letters) must be clear, readable, concise, show hours required to meet thresholds and be attached to the application at time of submission.

Note: As a pre-course assignment, accepted students will be required to upload certificates of the above listed CFITrainer.net courses into the NFA's Learning Management System (LMS). For this pre-course assignment, the classes must have been taken or "refreshed" within a calendar year of the first day of class attendance. Certificates, dated within a calendar year of the start of class, must be uploaded to the LMS prior to arrival on campus.