The National Center for Forensic Science provides professional training in the area of fire debris. All courses are developed and taught by subject matter experts. The courses are offered through the University of Central Florida’s Continuing Education. 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 courses incorporate videos and animation along with text to assist the student in learning the concepts introduced in the lesson.
Basic Fire Debris Analysis
| Dates: | Enroll anytime. Continuous Enrollment |
|---|---|
| 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, Verity Labs, 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 a four-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 |
Advanced Fire Debris Analysis
| Dates: | Enroll anytime. Continuous Enrollment |
|---|---|
| Course Title: | Advanced Fire Debris Analysis |
| Course Description: | This course was designed by subject matter experts (SMEs) for professional crime laboratory analysts and technicians who have received prior basic fire debris analysis training. The course is comprised of lessons on the subjects of fire dynamics, interfering products, degradation of ignitable liquids, and analysis of less common ignitable liquids. The lessons also include data analysis of ignitable liquid residues from fire debris, emerging methods of data analysis, and quality assurance/quality control procedures. The material in the lessons 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 have a general knowledge of fire dynamics and the processes that interfere with interpretation and identification of ignitable liquid residues. The analyst will learn how to analyze ignitable liquid residues that are complicated by these processes and learn about new emerging methods of data analysis. |
| CEU: | Students must pass all quizzes, complete all course sections, and score a 70% or higher on the practical exam to successfully complete this course.
Two (2) continuing education units (CEU) given upon successful completion of this course. |
| Instructor: | Carl Chasteen, Director, Bureau of Forensic Fire and Explosion Analysis, Florida Fire Marshal’s Office |
| Prerequisites: | Students must have a completed the NCFS basic fire debris analysis course or an equivalent course.
Students must be practicing in the field of Fire Debris Analysis. |
| Location and Duration: | This is a six-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.
Students must have access to and permission for the use of laboratory instrumentation (GC-MS) for this course. There is a practical exam. |
| 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. For general inquiries and registration questions contact Mary Williams at (407) 823-6038 or ncfsclasshelp@ucf.edu. Register Now |
Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry
| Dates: | Enroll anytime. Continuous Enrollment |
|---|---|
| Course Title: | Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry |
| Course Description: |
Subject matter experts have developed this course for analysts who want to learn more about the GC-MS and its use. The course is comprised of lessons on the subjects of chromatographic separation, ionization sources, mass analyzers and detectors, method development and troubleshooting, and applications. The material in the lesson is varied in format with text, figures, and animation 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. 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 |
| Instructor: | Laura Hernandez, Forensic Scientist |
| 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 a 4-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. |
| 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. For general inquiries and registration questions contact Mary Williams at (407) 823-6038 or ncfsclasshelp@ucf.edu. Register Now |