Fire Investigator News - The IAAI-FIT® Credential

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The IAAI-FIT® Credential

Get recognition for your work on CFITrainer.Net®

Since CFITrainer.Net® has been delivering programs, we have often been asked, "What do I do with the training I receive on CFITrainer®?" The answer really depends on the user's needs and where they are in the profession. The experienced investigator, who holds a certification such as IAAI-CFI® or one from another certifying organization, may need the programs for continuing education or re-certification. The users who are just entering the profession either on the public or private side may be using the programs to develop their knowledge of the fire and its investigation.

The IAAI has developed the IAAI-FIT® (Fire Investigator Technician) credential specifically for individuals who perform fire investigation functions but may not have the training and experience - or need - to qualify for the IAAI-CFI® (Certified Fire Investigator) certification. IAAI-FIT® is designed for those who may be responsible for the initial origin and cause investigation, or those individuals in related professions who support the fire investigators at fire incidents. Selected job performance requirements (JPRs) from NFPA 1021, NFPA 1033 and NFPA 1037 were used to define the requirements for this credential. The IAAI-FIT® credential allows investigators and support personnel to validate the training and experience they have attained through training and education and programs available on CFITrainer.Net®.

For more information on IAAI-FIT® and other IAAI credentials and certifications visit the IAAI at www.firearson.com.

Fire Investigation Technician

News Archive

81 Available Training Programs Filters View All

Topic

Accidental Causes

Accreditation & Certification

Alternative Energy

Building Construction & Systems

Case Studies

Documentation

Electricity and Electrical Systems

Ethics

Evidence

Explosions

Fatalities

Fire Science & Fire Flow Analysis

For Fire Officers

For Non-Investigators

Insurance

Interviewing

Legal Issues

Marine Fires

Methodology

Motor Vehicle Fires

Natural Gas

Professional Development & Qualifications

Report Writing

Safety

Testifying

Wildland Fires

Youth-Set Fires

Canine Teams

IAAI Credential

IAAI-FIT® Track A

IAAI-FIT® Track B

IAAI-ECT®

IAAI-CI®

IAAI Motor Vehicle Fire Credential Endorsement

Training Course Pre-Requisites

ATF ARSON-CS-0002 Advanced Origin and Cause/Courtroom Techniques

IAAI Fundamentals of Fire Investigation

IAAI Electrical Aspects of Fire Investigation

IAAI Expert Report Writing

IAAI Expert Witness Courtroom Testimony

IAAI Forensic Photography — Basic

IAAI Forensic Photography — Advanced

IAAI Investigating Youth-Set Fires

IAAI Marine Fire Investigation

IAAI Motor Vehicle Fire Investigation (2 Day and 3 Day)

National Fire Academy Fire Investigation: Essentials R0772

National Fire Academy Fire Investigation: Forensic Interviewing and Evidence R0780 and P0780

National Fire Academy Fire Investigation: Electrical Systems R0776

National Fire Academy Fire Investigation: Case Preparation and Testimony R0790

CFITrainer.Net Multi-Program Certificate

Fire Investigation for Fire Officers

Principles of Fire Investigation

NFPA 1033 (2022 Ed.) JPR

4.1.1 Meet JPRs in 4.2 Through 4.7

4.1.2 Employ Scientific Method

4.1.3 Complete Site Safety Assessment & Follow Standards

4.1.4 Maintain Liaison With Other Interested Professionals and Entities

4.1.5 Adhere to all Applicable Legal and Regulatory Requirements

4.1.6 Understand the Organization and Operation of the Investigative Team Within an IMS

4.1.7.1 to 4.1.7.3 Remaining Current & Continuing Education

4.2.1 Secure the Fire Ground

4.2.2 Conduct Exterior Survey

4.2.3 Conduct Interior Survey

4.2.4 Interpret Fire Patterns Individually

4.2.5 Interpret and Analyze Fire Patterns Collectively

4.2.6 Examine and Remove Fire Debris

4.2.7 Reconstruct Potential Area(s) of Origin

4.2.8 Inspect and Analyze the Performance of Building Systems

4.2.9 Discriminate the Effects of Explosions

4.3.1 Diagram the Scene

4.3.2 Photographically Document the Scene

4.3.3 Construct Investigative Notes

4.4.1 Utilize Proper Procedures for Managing Victims and Fatalities

4.4.2 Locate, Document, Collect, Label, Package, and Store Evidence

4.4.3 Select Evidence for Analysis

4.4.4 Maintain a Chain of Custody

4.4.5 Dispose of Evidence

4.5.1 Develop an Interview Plan

4.5.2 Conduct Interviews

4.5.3 Evaluate Interview Information, Analyze, Correlated, and Corroborate

4.6.1 Gather Reports and Records, Maintain Admissibility in Court

4.6.2 Evaluate the Investigative File

4.6.3 Coordinate Expert Resources

4.6.4 Establish Evidence as to Motive and/or Opportunity, Given an Incendiary Fire

4.6.5 Formulate an Opinion Concerning Origin, Cause, or Responsibility for a Fire

4.7.1 Prepare a Written Report

4.7.2 Express Investigative Findings Verbally

4.7.3 Testify During Legal Proceedings

NFPA 1033 (2022 Ed.) 4.1.7 Topic

4.1.7 (1) Fire Science

4.1.7 (1)(a) Fire Chemistry

4.1.7 (1)(b) Thermodynamics

4.1.7 (1)(c) Fire Dynamics

4.1.7 (1)(d) Explosion Dynamics

4.1.7 (2) Fire Investigation

4.1.7 (2)(a) Fire Analysis

4.1.7 (2)(b) Fire Investigation Methodology

4.1.7 (2)(c) Fire Investigation Technology

4.1.7 (2)(d) Evidence Documentation, Collection, and Preservation

4.1.7 (2)(e) Failure Analysis and Analytical Tools

4.1.7 (3) Fire Scene Safety

4.1.7 (3)(a) Hazard Recognition, Evaluation, and Basic Mitigation Procedures

4.1.7 (3)(b) Hazardous Materials

4.1.7 (3)(c) Safety Regulations

4.1.7 (4) Building Systems

4.1.7 (4)(a) Types of Construction

4.1.7 (4)(b) Fire Protection Systems

4.1.7 (4)(c) Electricity and Electrical Systems

4.1.7 (4)(d) Fuel Gas Systems

Live Event - Managing the Fire Claim - 3.9.23 1pm Eastern

Managing the Fire Claim from Notice of Loss to the Courtroom. Are you Prepared for Trial? This course will lead insurance professionals through the path of an insurance claim from the first notice of loss up to and including trial. We will review many of the important aspects of claims handling that need to be followed including the use of Reservation of Rights, Status letters, Preserving evidence for subrogation, Involving your SIU, and preparing the file for an EUO and beyond. We will discuss Bad Faith and Unfair claims practices and how to position your actions to avoid these common pitfalls through proper claims handling. We will also discuss pre-trial and trial preparations that will help prepare your file for pending litigation.

Accreditation, Certification, and Certificates

This program provides a primer on accreditation, certification, and certificates for fire investigation training.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles

This module covers how CNG, LNG, LPG, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles work and their implications for fire investigation.

An Analysis of The Station Nightclub Fire

A fire occurred on the night of Feb. 20, 2003, in The Station nightclub at 211 Cowesett Avenue, West Warwick, Rhode Island.

Arc Mapping Basics

Arc Mapping, or Arc Fault Circuit Analysis, uses the electrical system to help reconstruct a scene, providing investigators with a means of determining the area of a fire’s origin.

Basic Electricity

This module introduces basic electrical concepts, including: terminology, atomic theory and electricity, Ohm’s Law, Joule’s Law, AC and DC power.

Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire

A fire occurred on the evening of June 18, 2007, in the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, SC that resulted in the deaths of nine fire fighters.

Charting Your Career Path In Fire Investigation

This module looks at the many ways fire investigators enter and grow in the profession through academia, the fire service, law enforcement, insurance, and engineering.

Communicating the Value of Membership in the IAAI

This module will present a description of the IAAI organization.

Critical Evaluation and Testing of Commonly Reported Accidental Causes

This module looks at four of the most commonly-reported accidental fire causes: cooking equipment, heating equipment, electrical distribution, and smoking materials.

Critical Thinking Solves Cases

This program brings three highly experienced fire investigators and an attorney with experience as a prosecutor and civil litigator together for a round table discussion.

The Deposition Part 1: Format, Content, and Preparation

This module introduces the elements of a deposition, discusses typical lines of questioning, and describes how to prepare for a deposition.

The Deposition Part 2: Questioning Tactics and Effective Responses

This module proposes effective ways to respond to the most common questioning tactics employed by opposing counsel in a deposition.

Digital Photography and the Fire Investigator

The program discusses the basics of digital photography for fire investigators as well as software and editing procedures for digital images intended as evidence.

Discovery in Civil Cases

This self-paced program is an introduction to discovery in civil proceedings such as fire loss claims and product defect lawsuits.

Discovery in Criminal Cases

This self-paced program is an introduction to discovery in criminal proceedings.

DNA

This module covers the foundation of DNA evidence: defining, recognizing, collecting, and testing.

Documenting the Event

This program provides a practical overview of how to perform the baseline documentation tasks that occur at every scene.

Effective Investigation and Testimony

This module will discuss the techniques and strategies for conducting a proper science-based fire scene investigation and effectively presenting an investigator’s findings in court as an expert witness.

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Design Basics

This program explains the basic principles of how electric and hybrid vehicles are designed and work, including major systems and typical components.

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Fires

This program discusses common failure modes, evidence handling procedures, and safety protocols for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Electrical Safety

This module presents critical electrical safety practices that every fire investigator should implement at every scene, every time.

Emerging Technologies in Fire Investigation

In this program, we will look at emerging technologies that fire investigators are integrating into their daily investigative work with great success.

Ethical Duties Beyond the Fire Scene

This self-paced program examines the fire investigator's ethical duties beyond the fire scene.

Ethics & Social Media

This module discusses the intersection of social media, ethics, and the relationship of what’s legal to what’s ethical in decision-making.

Ethics and the Fire Investigator

Should you work for a private lab as a consultant if you are on an Arson Task Force? How about accepting discounts from the local hardware store as a “thanks” for a job well done on a fire they had last year?

Evidence Examination: What Happens at the Lab?

This module takes investigators into the forensic laboratory and shows them what happens to the different types of fire scene evidence that are typically submitted for testing.

Explosion Dynamics

This module teaches the foundational knowledge of explosion dynamics, which is a necessary precursor to investigating an explosion scene.

Fire Chemistry

This module addresses the foundations of fire chemistry and places it within the context of fire scene investigations.

Fire Dynamics Calculations - Version 2.0

The program is designed to introduce a new Palm/Pocket PC application called CFI Calculator to users and provide examples of how it can be used by fire investigators in the field.

Fire Effects Part 1: Heat Effects on Fuels

This module discusses the mass loss and deformation effects of heat on fuels. Each fire effect is defined, explained, described in the context of a fire scene, and related to implications for fire pattern analysis that informs origin and cause determination.

Fire Effects Part 2: Combustion By-Products Effects

This module discusses the fire effects of combustion by-products that cause discoloration and smoke deposition on surfaces. Each fire effect is defined, explained, described in the context of a fire scene, and related to implications for fire pattern analysis that informs origin and cause determination.

Fire Flow Analysis

This module explains fire flow path and discusses the effects of ventilation, fuel availability, and the modern fire environment on that flow path.

Fire Investigation for Fire Officers

This module provides a road map for fire officers to integrate and navigate their fire investigation duty with all their other responsibilities and describes where to obtain specific training in fire investigation.

Fire Investigator Scene Safety

The evaluation of hazards and the assessment of the relative risks associated with the investigation of fires and explosions are critical factors in the management of any investigation.

Fire Protection Systems

This module will describe the most commonly encountered fire protection systems.

Fundamentals of Interviewing

This module presents best practices in preparing for and conducting the informational interview with witnesses in the fire investigation case.

Fundamentals of Residential Building Construction

This module provides instruction on the fundamentals of residential building construction with an eye toward how building construction affects fire development.

The HAZWOPER Standard

This module provides introductory information on the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standard – 29 CFR 1910.120.

How First Responders Impact The Fire Investigation

This module teaches first responders, including fire, police and EMS, how to make critical observations.

The Impact of Ventilation in Building Structures on Fire Development

The program examines the importance of assessing the impact of ventilation on a fire.

Insurance and the Fire Investigation

This program discusses how to access insurance information, understand insurance documents, ask key questions of witnesses, and apply the information learned.

Introduction to Appliances

This module offers a basic introduction about how some selected major appliances operate.

Introduction to Evidence

This program introduces the fire investigator to the issues related to the collection, handling and use of evidence related to a fire investigation.

Introduction to Fire Dynamics and Modeling

This program takes you inside the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) archives of some of the most interesting and instructive test burns and fire model simulations they have ever conducted.

Introduction to Youth-Set Fires

This program describes the scope of the youth-set fire problem, how fire investigation addresses it, and the fire investigator’s responsibilities in a youth-set fire case.

Investigating Fatal Fires

This module provides a thorough understanding of the ways an investigation changes when a fire-related death occurs.

Investigating Fire and Explosion Incidents Involving a Line-Of-Duty Death

This self-paced program will help you understand what to expect at a fire where an LODD has occurred, what your role is, how to interact with others, and how to handle special circumstances at the scene.

Investigating Motor Vehicle Fires

This program will introduce the fire investigator to the basic methodologies use to investigate vehicle fires.

Investigating Natural Gas Systems

This module discusses investigating a fire when natural gas is present, including natural gas as an ignition and fire spread source, documentation, and system testing.

Legal Aspects of Investigating Youth-Set Fires

This module discusses the juvenile justice system, legalities of interviews and interrogations, arson statutes, search and seizure, and confidentiality.

Lithium-Ion Battery Fires

This program explains what lithium-ion batteries are, how they are constructed, where they are used, safety concerns, and how they can cause fires and explosions.

MagneTek: A Case Study In The Daubert Challenge

This program discusses the latest developments in expert testimony under the Daubert standard, including the MagneTek case decided in the United States Circuit Court of Appeals.

Managing Complex Fire Scene Investigations

This module focuses on how to manage investigations that have “complicating” factors.

Motive, Means, and Opportunity: Determining Responsibility in an Arson Case

This module uses the Motive, Means, and Opportunity case study to demonstrate how responsibility is determined in an arson case.

Motor Vehicles: The Engine and the Ignition, Electrical, and Fuel Systems

This program covers the general anatomy of a motor vehicle and a description of typical components of the engine, electrical, ignition, and fuel systems.

Motor Vehicles: Transmission, Exhaust, Brake, and Accessory Systems

This program describes the function and major components of a motor vehicle’s transmission, exhaust, brake, and accessory systems.

NFPA 1033 & 921: 2022/2021 Editions Important Updates

The 2022 edition of NFPA 1033 and the 2021 edition of NFPA 921 contain changes from their previous editions that are critical to the practice of fire investigation. This module discusses the highlights of those changes and their implications for fire investigation.

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CFITrainer.Net is the online resource for training fire investigators at all levels. The broad-based training modules assist fire investigators in meeting the topical areas contained in NFPA 1033, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigators. In addition to individual program training, CFITrainer.Net offers multi program training certification, fire investigation podcasts, the Fire Scene Evidence Guide, and the latest fire investigation news. Register online to get started.