Program Description
Advanced Origin and Cause/Courtroom Testimony (AOCCT) is designed to enhance the origin and cause investigative skills of the public service state, local and international fire investigator. The goal of this course is to provide state, local and international fire investigators with the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to systematically determine the origin and cause of a fire and to be able to present these findings to a prosecutor and to a jury in all subsequent judicial proceedings. It involves the in-depth study of fire dynamics, fire chemistry, electrical fire causation, burn pattern analysis and fire scene documentation. Instruction will be presented through classroom lectures and practical exercises. The curriculum involves fire scene processing with an emphasis on the practical applications of scientific knowledge. Students are required to process fire scenes utilizing the Scientific Method and “team concept” as well as prepare technical reports documenting their findings for use in court proceedings as an expert witness. A written test is administered at the completion of the course, as well as a final practical exercise, and a mock trial which is designed to prepare the student to testify as an expert witness. In order to cover the amount of material required for this course, completion of work assignments and studying after classroom hours will be necessary. The course is delivered at the ATF Fire Programs & Training Branch located at the National Center for Explosives Training & Research (NCETR) on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
Curriculum Includes
- Fire & Damage Dynamics
- Report Writing
- Scene Documentation
- Electrical Aspects of Fire Scenes
- Appliance Fires
- Fatal Fire Investigations
- Fuel Air Explosions
- NFPA 921 & 1033
- Current Case Law Related to Fire Investigation
- Expert Testimony & Trial Preparation
Prerequisites for Attendance
This course is designed for experienced fire investigators and is highly advanced and technical in nature. Because of the advanced level of this program, student selection is considered vital to the overall effectiveness of the program. To meet minimum background prerequisites, applicants must possess a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent (per NFPA 1033) and be full-time state, local or international public service employees whose responsibilities include fire scene origin and cause determination. All training and education must be documented by transcript or completion certificate and submitted with the application packet. Special provisions apply to international applicants.
Further details for all required documents to include in one’s application packet are as follows:
Experience Requirements
*Applicants must possess a minimum of 3 years of experience as a FULL-TIME public sector fire investigator or 6 years as a PART-TIME public sector fire investigator where other assigned duties include fire suppression, fire inspection, fire safety, fire prevention, or criminal investigations where fire investigation is a significant component of the applicant’s assigned duties (requires letter from employer on department letterhead).
*In addition to the registration application, all applicants must submit a curriculum vitae (CV), which documents their experience in arson investigation, origin and cause determination and courtroom testimony, if any.
Training Prerequisites
*The NFA R0772 or Equivalent Training Certificates requirement is met by providing documentation/proof for one of the following:
Completion of National Fire Academy (NFA) R0772 – “Fire Investigation: Essentials.”
OR
- A state equivalent Fire Investigations course that resulted in the issuance of a certificate recognized by the state in which the applicant is employed. The state equivalent Fire Investigation course must either be recognized by the state for designation/certification or by an accredited instructional program, i.e., ProBoard, IFSAC, etc. The student must complete all modules required by the state course series. (For example, if a state offers three modules of training within the Fire Investigator series, all three modules must be completed for credit and before applying to this course).
*The requirement for an additional 80 hours of training is met by providing documentation/proof that shows the successful completion of 80 or more hours of any in-person and tested fire investigation related training. Training certificates applied toward this requirement must be dated January 1, 2018, or later. The state certification hours or R0772 hours do not count toward this requirement. CFITrainer.net modules also do not count towards this requirement.
*CFITrainer.net transcript must show all the following courses as completed:
- Documenting the Event
- Fatal Fires: An Introduction
- Fire Investigator Scene Safety
- Fire Protection Systems
- Fundamentals of Residential Building Construction
- Introduction to Evidence
- Introduction to Fire Dynamics and Modeling
- Physical Evidence at the Fire Scene
- The Scientific Method for Fire and Explosion Investigation
- Search and Seizure
- Arc Mapping Basics
- Basic Electricity
- Effective Investigation and Testimony
- Electrical Safety
- Explosion Dynamics
- Fire Chemistry
- Investigating Natural Gas Systems
- Managing Complex Fire Scene Investigations
- NFPA 1033 and Your Career 2025
- Post-flashover Fires
- Process of Elimination
- Residential Electrical Systems
- Residential Natural Gas Systems
- The Impact of Ventilation in Building Structures on Fire Development
- The Practical Application of the Relationship between NFPA 1033 and NFPA921
- Thermometry, Heat, and Heat Transfer
- Writing the Initial Origin and Cause Report
- Discovery in Criminal Cases
- MagneTek: A Case Study in the Daubert Challenge
- Fatal Fires: Investigation
- Fire Flow Analysis
Application Form
Download ATF F 6310.1 — Arson and Explosives Training Request for Non-ATF Employees and complete all applicable fields of the form.
Program Cost
All travel (airfare, baggage fees, mileage, etc.), tuition, lodging and per diem costs for this program are covered by ATF. Airport transfers and local travel from the hotel to and from the training center will be arranged by ATF. Students will be reimbursed for covered costs by direct deposit, following submission of a travel voucher at the conclusion of the training program. Daily per diem rates are determined by GSA. Hotel lodging costs will be direct billed to ATF.
Length of Training
This an intense course of study consisting of a two-week period with ten (10) days of classroom/range instruction. Fire scene practical will be performed on Friday of the first week with the weekend utilized for report writing. Students should expect to work during the evenings and on weekends.
Application
Please send completed applications with all required supporting documentation via email to AOCCT@atf.gov. Applicants will be notified when a complete application packet including the correct supporting documentation is received. Complete application packets will then undergo an evaluation to ensure that applicants meet the specified minimum qualifications. Once approved, applicants will be placed on a waiting list for the next available course with selections made as openings become available. Those selected will be contacted with available course dates. Once accepted into a particular course, travel instructions will be sent to each student.
Course Dates
Course dates will be determined based upon funding and as such may be flexible. No course dates will be posted on this website. Approved applicants will be placed on a waiting list for the next available course with selections made as openings become available. Those selected from the course waiting list will be contacted with available course dates.
Contact
Please direct all inquiries to AOCCT@atf.gov.
