ATF Certified Fire Investigators (CFI)
Purpose
The ATF Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) is a highly trained special agent who provides technical support, analysis and assistance to ATF and its state and local partners in fire origin and cause determination and arson investigation. The ATF CFI is a field division’s primary resource in fire- and arson-related matters.
Authority
ATF’s basic investigative jurisdiction in arson is delineated in 18 United States Code, Chapter 40, Section 844 (Title XI of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, as amended by the Anti-Arson Act of 1982); Section 846 and 26 United States Code, Chapter 53 (Title II of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended).
Mission
The ATF CFI helps resolve and prevent fire-related crimes. They investigate violent crimes of arson and arson-for-profit, conduct fire scene examinations, make origin and cause determinations, provide expert testimony, assist other special agents and prosecutors with investigations, and conduct training for ATF agents and other federal, state and local fire investigators. The CFI program's leadership by example, teaching, research, and training enhances the entire fire investigative community.
The CFI completes a two-year training program that includes fire origin and cause determination, fire dynamics, fire modeling, building construction, electricity and fire causation, health and safety and computer-aided schematic drawing. The program relies on rigorous training, education and experience to provide agents with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to obtain credentials to testify as expert witnesses in the field of fire origin and cause.
ATF’s 87 CFIs, based in 41 states and 79 cities, provide support to the entire United States, its territories and other countries. In 2011, ATF’s CFIs participated in 952 fire investigations.
In addition to its CFIs, the expertise of ATF’s U.S. Bomb Data Center, explosives enforcement officers, National Response Team, three forensic science laboratories and Fire Research Laboratory contribute to fire and arson investigations.
For more information about CFIs, go to www.atf.gov.
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