California Conference of Arson Investigators
Certified Fire Investigator (CCAI-CFI) Program
CCAI’s Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) Program is the leading program in the industry. CCAI has the only program adhering to requirements set forth in NFPA 1033 by not only testing applicants through written examination, but also through a practical skills evaluation that tests the applicants ability to actually perform Origin and Cause Fire Investigation. CCAI and its CFI Committee continue to raise and set the bar on the Certified Fire Investigator program in order to best serve its members and the Fire Investigation field.
CCAI’s program currently has three kevels of certification as outlined below. Each certification tab below contains the SOP, Requirements, Application, and any needed forms. Once the necessary documents are completed, they can be submitted through the form below. Once reviewed, someone from our office and/or CFI committee will contact you.
Click Below for Information on Each Program:
Certified Fire Investigator - Technician (CFI-T)
Certified Fire Investigator Technician Certification
The California Conference of Arson Investigators (CCAI) offers an entry level certification. Once a member obtains the appropriate academics and meets the minimum requirements, they may qualify to take the CCAI Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) – Technician exam. Upon satisfactory completion of the CFI – Technician exam, the member will be awarded the CCAI CFI – Technician certification.
To maintain a CCAI CFI – Technician certification, the member must satisfactorily complete thirty (30) hours of CCAI approved tested training or forty-five (45) hours of CCAI approved non-tested training every three years. The timeline for training begins at the date the certificate was issued. The hourly training requirement can easily be met by attending three or more CCAI training seminars within the three-year period.
To Apply:
A person does not have to be a member of CCAI. However, it is strongly encouraged that everyone in the field of fire investigations belongs to the California Conference of Arson Investigators, the leading organization for training in fire and arson investigations in the Nation.
To Qualify:
The applicant must provide verified completion of 80 hours of fire investigation training. This can be inclusive of seminars in advanced fire investigation that must include the topics referenced in NFPA 1033 – Standards for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator. At least 40 hours of training must have been completed within the prior thirty-six (36) months of the application. Successful completion of the above requirements will allow the applicant to sit for the written examination consisting of 100 questions.
The initial application fee, if you are a CCAI member, is $150.00 and the certification is valid for three years. If you are not a member of CCAI, the initial application fee is $300.00 and the certification is valid for three years.
Renewal:
Each CCAI CFI-T must present to the CCAI Business Office verification of attendance at approved training programs, along with a NON-REFUNDABLE maintenance fee of $150.00 for members and $300.00 for non-members.
Certified Fire Investigator (CCAI-CFI)
CCAI Certified Fire Investigator Certification
The California Conference of Arson Investigators (CCAI) Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) Certification reflects a two-component examination process, consisting of a written examination and a practical competency examination. The CCAI-CFI certification program requires the applicant to first successfully pass the written exam to qualify to take the practical competency portion.
To apply:
A candidate does not have to be a member of CCAI; however, it is strongly encouraged that everyone in the field of fire investigations belongs to the California Conference of Arson Investigators, the leading organization for training in fire and arson investigations in California.
To qualify:
Applicants must submit certificates of training showing that they have completed 160 hours of advanced fire investigation training. Fire Investigation classes 1A, 1B, 1C are strongly recommended to reach the 160-hour requirement. In addition, applicants must successfully complete the following classes online at CFItrainer.net and supply a certificate of completion:
- Accreditation, Certification and Certificates.
- Digital Photography and the Fire Investigator.
- Ethics and the Fire Investigator.
- Physical Evidence at the Fire Scene.
- Practical Application of the Relationship between NFPA 1033 and NFPA 921.
- Residential Electrical Systems.
- The Scientific Method for Fire and Explosion Investigation.
- Writing the Initial Origin and Cause Report.
- Wildland Fire Investigation
- Motor Vehicle Fire Investigation
- Marine Fire Investigation
Applicants must also validate that they have conducted 75 fires for origin and 75 fires for cause investigations. The applicant must have completed the CCAI or IAAI Courtroom Testimony Course. The following courses/classes will meet or substitute for the CCAI or IAAI Testimony course.
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF & E) course on “Advanced Origin and Cause, Courtroom Techniques”.
- The National Fire Academy (NFA) course on “Interview/Interrogation & Courtroom Techniques”
Successful completion of continued professional education is required to maintain the CFI certification. A CFI candidate must complete 90 hours of CCAI approved tested training, or 135 hours of CCAI approved non-tested training, every three years. This time period runs consecutively from the date the initial certificate was issued. The hourly training requirement can easily be met by attending four of the biannual CCAI training seminars within the three-year period.
The question has risen, “If an investigator possesses a California State Fire Investigator II certification, why would he or she have to verify again that he or she has investigated 75 fires for origin and 75 fires for cause? It is the CCAI Board of Directors’ position that, if CCAI is going to certify an investigator, the person’s qualifications must be independently validated by CCAI using documents and under oath statements.
The initial application fee, if you are a CCAI member, is $250.00 and the certification is validated for three years. Renewal of the CCAI-CFI certification, if you are a CCAI member, is $150.00 every three years. If you are not a member of CCAI, the initial application fee is $500.00, and renewal is $300.00 every three years.
Certified Fire Investigator - Master (MCFI)
CCAI Master Certified Fire Investigator
The California Conference of Arson Investigators: has offered a new level of certification to its members. The Master CFI is an investigator with superior experience and has been a CCAI certified Fire Investigator for at least five years and has completed a very large number of investigations in his/her career. The purpose of this certification is to acknowledge the experience with an elevated certification.
To apply:
An applicant must be a member in good standing with the California Conference of Arson Investigators.
To qualify:
- Applicant must have been a CCAI-CFI for at least four years.
- Applicant must have completed 750 fires for cause.
- Applicant must have completed 750 fires for origin.
- Applicant must be able to verify the number of fires by identification of location and date, employer’s letter, or by other means.
The application is a one-time fee of $300.00 and the certification is valid for as long as the CFI certification remains valid. Renewal of the CCAI-CFI certification automatically renews concurrently with the applicants current CFI. The Master CFI can be applied for at any time, but it does not affect the renewal date of his/her CFI re-certification.
An example is if a Master CFI applicant is approved and awarded his or her CFI in March of 2017 and his or her last CFI re-certification was December of 2015, then his or her next re-certification date will be December of 2018 for both. All hours are accredited toward both and they become transparent as one as far as re-certification.