Do you know where your CV is?
When was the last time you looked at your Curriculum Vitae (CV)? (If you are not sure what a CV is, then you are in the right place). Like many of you, I have not looked at or updated my CV in a while. With an arson case going to court in a few weeks, I figured it was time to get it tuned up. In this article, we will take a peek at the CV and give some tips on how to improve yours.
For those not familiar, a CV is a one-to-two-page document describing your experience as an investigator. Your CV is essentially an expert witness resume and will be used as the basis for your expert testimony. It is important to remember your CV is NOT A JOB RESUME. This is an important point. It is not a twenty-page resume describing every detail of every job you have ever had. Your CV should focus on what makes you an expert in the field of fire investigations.
Your CV should include:
1. Your education.
2. Relevant training.
3. Practical experience.
4. Affiliations with professional organizations and associations.
5. Awards, titles, honors or achievements related to fire investigation.
6. Number of times you have testified in court and as an expert witness.
7. Any research or study in the field of investigation or fire investigation.
8. Technical committee memberships.
9. Publications you have written related to fire investigations.
For many, you might only have a few of these. The top two you can control are training and experience. Make sure you are training yearly in fire investigation. This is especially true for anyone who does not have required training to maintain certifications. For those who only do wildfire investigation, make sure you are getting additional training. This can be hard since there are not many wildfire investigation courses out there. One of the best ways is to find an FI210 course you can help with. IAAI’s CFI Trainer is also a great source of free online training. While they do not have a lot of wildland content, some of their content is still relevant and worth taking. Another great way to get training every year is coming to SWAIT! And you are in luck. The next SWAIT Reno is February 6-8, 2024.
The next item you have some control over is practical experience. You must get out there and use your skills. Fire investigation skills are perishable. You need to practice your craft. Working one or two fires a year is not going to cut it. Helping with an FI210 course is another way of getting practical experience. Working with students in the burn plots is a great way to start the season and brush off the rust. Keep track of your practical experience outside of your CV. The best way to do this is keep a spreadsheet for your experience. Track fire investigations you have worked or assisted with, every fire you have worked even if you did not investigate the fire and training you have taken. When it is time to update your CV, you can use the spreadsheet to help fill in the gaps from when you last updated it.
For those who work in the federal system, you should be aware of recent changes to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule 16. Rule 16 now requires a complete statement of all opinions that the government will elicit from the expert witness, the basis and reasons for the opinions, the witness’s qualifications, including a list of all publications authored in the previous 10 years, and a list of all other cases in which, during the previous 4 years, the witness has testified as an expert at trial or by deposition. Your CV will be an important basis for these disclosures.
The biggest thing to remember is do not embellish your experience! Embellishing is a quick way to be embarrassed or worse impeached. Lying in court is a career ender.
The upcoming SWAIT will focus on preparing your wildland or serial arson case for prosecution. Luke Coyne and C.H. Chung with the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office will go in depth and discuss the importance of a good CV. Join us in Reno for SWAIT 2024!