To become an IAAI-ECT, the applicant must meet the following requirements within the five years preceding the application:
- Have a minimum of 18 months of general experience in a fire investigation related industry
- Have collected 12 items of forensic evidence (must be supported with documentation)
- Complete a minimum of 29 hours of tested training, including the following mandatory classes from CFITrainer.Net®:
- DNA (3 hours)
- Documenting the Event (4 hours)
- Ethics and the Fire Investigator (3 hours)
- Evidence Examination: What Happens at the Lab? (4 hours)
- Introduction to Evidence (4 hours)
- NFPA 1033 and Your Career (2 hours)
- Physical Evidence at the Fire Scene (4 hours)
- The Practical Application of the Relationship Between NFPA 1033 and NFPA 921 (2 hours)
- The Scientific Method for Fire and Explosion Investigation (3 hours)
and
- Pass all critical elements and achieve a minimum score of 70% on each of the 10 components of a practical exam. Practical examinations are scheduled periodically throughout the year and will be listed on the training page.
or
Applications for NEW ECT applicants will be provided in the confirmation email upon completing registration for the selected Evidence Collection Practicum. To locate the calendar of upcoming practicums in your area, please click
HERE.
To view sample applications prior to registering, please click the links below.
To obtain the Member discount rate, a non-Member may choose to join IAAI prior to filing the IAAI-ECT application. Once you have submitted the application, it will be reviewed by the IAAI-ECT Committee. If the application is approved, you will then be provided with instructions on how to take the practical examination. If the application is not approved, you will be advised of the appeals process. For detailed information on the full process of the IAAI-ECT program, please read the International Association of Arson Investigators Evidence Collection Technician (ECT) Program Manual.