This course is designed to provide the basic knowledge and skills necessary for senior firefighters and fire officers to conduct initial fire cause determinations at structural fire scenes. Improved determination of fire cause helps identify a community's fire problem that can enable the development of effective fire prevention strategies to improve public safety. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to make observations and gather information that will assist in identifying the area(s) of origin, and assess the need for additional assistance to accurately determine the cause of a fire. Subjects include fire behavior, determining area of origin, accidental and incendiary fire cause determination, fire scene examinations, documentation, and handling/ preservation of evidence. This course includes classroom presentations along with a hands-on realistic fire cause determination module, utilizing a mobile fire cause simulation trainer. This course fulfills 16 hours of prerequisite training for the Missouri Division of Fire Safety 40-hour Fire Investigation and Fire Inspector course.

Host requirements

• Host is responsible for supplying furnishings for 3 separate burn cells (rooms). It is recommended to have furnishings related to the hosts fire risks: office, residential, institutional, etc.

Missouri Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)

• 8 hours Technical
• 8 hours Skill

Continuing education units (CEUs)

• DFS 8 — Investigator