The National Center for Forensic Science provides professional training in the area of fire debris analysis. The Basic and Advanced Fire Debris Analysis courses are specific to fire debris analysis, and the Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry course is designed for forensic science in general. All courses are developed and taught by subject matter experts. The instructor is available during the course period for questions and discussion.
The courses are offered through the University of Central Florida’s School of Technology Leadership and Innovation Workforce Upskilling. Web based instruction provides training without the cost of travel and time lost from the laboratory. Our courses are asynchronous, meaning students can access the information at a time most convenient for them.
The Basic Fire Debris Analysis course is currently being redeveloped to align with the 2025 ASTM standards. Future developments will be forthcoming.
Basic Fire Debris Analysis
| Dates: | Enroll anytime. Continuous Enrollment |
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| Course Title: | Basic Fire Debris Analysis |
| Course Description: |
Subject matter experts have developed this course for analysts new to fire debris analysis. The course is comprised of lessons on the subjects of basic organic chemistry, ignitable liquid production, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, extraction of ignitable liquid residues, and laboratory analysis of ignitable liquids. The material in the lesson is varied in format with text, figures, animation, and film that explain and demonstrate basic principles and procedures. An instructor will be available to answer questions and promote discussion of particular topics. Exercises and quizzes are at the end of each lesson to reinforce comprehension and retention of the lesson concepts. By the end of the course the student will understand the theory of gas chromatography – mass spectrometry and be able to develop an analytical method for analysis of ignitable liquids. The student will have knowledge of petroleum industry operations and how ignitable liquids are produced. The student will be introduced to the ASTM International methods of extraction and analysis of ignitable liquids. The culmination will be the student’s ability to analyze and classify ignitable liquids. This is a pre-requisite for the advanced fire debris analysis course where students apply knowledge gained in the basic fire debris analysis. The course is asynchronous and self paced. It contains approximately 20 hours of content; with study and testing we estimate that the entire course will take 35-40 hours. Students will have access to the course and the instructor for the entire time frame. |
| CEU: | Two continuing education units (CEU) are given upon completion of this course. |
| Instructor: | Laura Hernandez, Forensic Scientist, Forensic and Scientific Testing, Inc. |
| Prerequisites: | Students must have a college degree in chemistry or a related scientific degree and experience with instrumental analytical techniques |
| Location and Duration: | This is an 8-week online course. |
| Technical Requirements: | To take this online course, you must have access to a computer with an Internet connection and an email account. A broadband Internet connection is preferred. You must be able to download zipped GC-MS data files and a spectral library from the course website. You will need Chemstation or AMDIS to use the library and analyze the data files for lesson exercises. |
| Costs: | $500.00
Refunds will be issued only in extreme cases and considered on a case by case basis. |
| Registration: | Registration is now open.
Please note: Payment in full must be received before course access will be granted. To pay by check, please call UCF’s Continuing Education department at 407-882-0260. Credit card payment may be made online. If you have questions about this course, please contact Mary Williams at (407) 823-6038 or ncfsclasshelp@ucf.edu. Register Now |