FI-310 Wildfire Investigation Case Development Course
Serial Arson Case Planning
Whereas the FI-210 training is a technically based Origin and Cause investigation course, it stops at the findings from the fire scene. Wildland and Law Enforcement (LEO) investigators require further training in case development when they recognize that their wildfire is in fact an incendiary event.
In the mid 2000’s, the NWCG, recognizing a historical lack of training in criminal investigations and case development for wildland investigators, created the FI-310 course to fill that training gap. This course was designed for experienced public agency wildland investigators who want to take their case “to the next level”.
The FI-310 course is a mixture of teaching basic criminal investigation techniques such as case planning, interviewing, evidence handling, and basic canvassing operations. It then delves into more advanced subjects such as surveillance operations, plotting and tracking arson trends, geo-spatial analysis, incendiary device exploitation and analysis, and finally the behavior analysis of an arsonist or series of arson events. Lastly, the course helps the investigator to prepare for prosecution of a suspect. All these techniques are taught at a practical case investigator level that coincides with modern methods of criminal investigation and prosecution.
Incendiary Device Exploitation and Analysis
The two-pronged goal of all this training is to link the appropriate suspect with every crime they have committed, prosecute them, and to “clear” or exonerate other potential suspects from crimes that they did not commit.
This course is “high-end” investigative training that is focused on major arson events such as arson murders, major destructive arson fires, and developing or ongoing serial arson cases.
The special cadre that teaches this course includes senior investigators, prosecutors, geo-spatial experts, pattern analysis experts, and behavior analysts or profilers.
Many teaching members of the SWAIT training group are involved in teaching the FI-310 course of instruction.
For more information about FI310 and NWCG
For further information contact Ed Nordskog-SWAIT. ednordskog@gmail.com