New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 5 - COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
Chapter 73 - STANDARDS FOR FIRE SERVICE TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION
Subchapter 18 - FIRE INVESTIGATOR
Section 5:73-18.2 - Certification and adopted training programs

Universal Citation: NJ Admin Code 5:73-18.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024

(a) Certification for Fire Investigator shall be granted to an individual who meets the following requirements:

1. Be at least 18 years of age;

2. Has a high school diploma or equivalent;

3. Holds one of the following certifications, licenses or titles:
i. Firefighter I;

ii. Fire Inspector or Fire Official;

iii. Police Officer or Police Detective or Police Investigator;

iv. Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) through IAAI;

v. Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI) through NAFI; or

vi. Certified Fire Investigator designated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (U.S. ATF);

4. Satisfactorily completes a Basic Fire Investigation course of at least 80 hours of instruction that meets the requirements of NFPA 1033, 2014 Edition, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator; and NFPA 921, 2017 Edition, Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, incorporated herein by reference, as amended and supplemented;
i. Only an educational program completed within the three years prior to, or at the time of, application shall be accepted toward fulfilling the education program requirements for Fire Investigator certification.

5. Satisfactorily pass a written and skills exams specified in (c) below;
i. Only exam results passed within three years prior to, or at the time of, application shall be accepted toward fulfilling the examination requirements of the Fire Investigator Certification; and

6. Submits an application to the Office of Training and Certification within the Division of Fire Safety, accompanied by the required fee established at 5:73-18.6. The application shall include such information and documentation as the Office of Training and Certification may require.

7. The Office of Training and Certification shall be authorized to determine equivalency to (a)4 and 5 above to accommodate previously credentialed individuals from government and private industry. The three-year course and examination completion date requirement of (a)4 and 5 above of this subchapter shall not apply to individuals who fall under this equivalency determination. The Office of Training and Certification shall issue a Fire Investigator Certification where the applicant has previously passed an examination and received certification as a Certified Fire Investigator (CFI), Basic Arson Investigator (BAI), or Certified Fire Explosive Investigator (CFEI), and has paid the application fee established in 5:73-18.6.
i. The issuance of a Fire Investigator certification through this equivalency provision shall be restricted to a one-time issuance, and shall not be applied to a Fire Investigator certification, which has lapsed.

ii. The subsequent renewal of a certification issued shall be compliant to this subchapter.

(b) The following training curriculum shall be required to satisfy the requirements of (a)4 above:

1. The minimum hours required is 80;

2. The instructional curriculum must cover the following subject areas:
i. Chemistry of Fire;

ii. Accidental Origin & Cause/Incendiary Fires;

iii. Documenting the Fire Scene;

iv. Legal Aspects;

v. Report Writing;

vi. Fire Origin and Cause/Burn Patterns;

vii. Wildland Fires;

viii. Motives/Juvenile Firesetters;

ix. Interview & Interrogation;

x. Fatal Fire Investigations;

xi. Appliances as Fire Starters;

xii. Building Construction for the Fire Investigator;

xiii. Electrical Systems and Their Involvement;

xiv. Insurance Aspects;

xv. Vehicular Theft and Arson Investigations;

xvi. Planning and Managing the Investigation;

xvii. Fire Investigator Safety;

xviii. Post Blast/Explosives Recognition;

xix. Evidence Handling;

xx. Depositions/Expert Testimony;

xxi. Field Operations/Actual Fire Scene Examination; and

xxii. Examinations and quizzes.

3. The following courses can be substituted for the Basic Fire Investigation course as specified in this subchapter:
i. A Basic Fire/Arson Investigator course administered through the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, the National Fire Academy, or sanctioned through the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) or the National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI); or

ii. Any other course taken can be submitted by the candidate to the Office of Training and Certification for evaluation as an equivalent. The Office will maintain a list of reviewed and approved courses.

(c) Applicants for the Fire Investigator Certification shall demonstrate knowledge of the subject areas by successful completion of the fire investigator written and skills examinations administered through the Office of Training and Certification. A successful minimum passing score of the written and skills examinations shall be 80 percent correct.

1. Only examination results passed within three years prior to, or at the time of, application shall be accepted toward fulfilling the examination requirements of the Fire Investigator Certification.

2. An applicant who fails the fire investigator examination during three attempts shall be required to retake the basic fire investigation program of instruction.

(d) The Office of Training and Certification within the Division of Fire Safety shall be permitted to adopt a training program, establish training procedures and forms, establish and administer exams, establish instructor qualifications and train-the-trainer programs, and evaluate educational programs submitted by applicants to determine equivalency towards issuance of certifications.

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