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Summary Job Description | Tasks | |||
Collect, identify, classify, and analyze physical evidence related to criminal investigations. Perform tests on weapons or substances, such as fiber, hair, and tissue to determine significance to investigation. May testify as expert witnesses on evidence or crime laboratory techniques. May serve as specialists in area of expertise, such as ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, or biochemistry. | Testify in court about investigative and analytical methods and findings. | |||
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Interpret laboratory findings and test results to identify and classify substances, materials, and other evidence collected at crime scenes. | ||||
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Operate and maintain laboratory equipment and apparatus. | ||||
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Prepare solutions, reagents, and sample formulations needed for laboratory work. | ||||
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Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity. | ||||
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Identify and quantify drugs and poisons found in biological fluids and tissues, in foods, and at crime scenes. | ||||
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Reconstruct crime scenes to determine relationships among pieces of evidence. | ||||
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Collect impressions of dust from surfaces to obtain and identify fingerprints. | ||||
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Analyze gunshot residue and bullet paths to determine how shootings occurred. | ||||
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Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations. | ||||
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Examine physical evidence such as hair, fiber, wood or soil residues to obtain information about its source and composition. | ||||
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Determine types of bullets used in shooting and if fired from a specific weapon. | ||||
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Examine firearms to determine mechanical condition and legal status, performing restoration work on damaged firearms to obtain information such as serial numbers. | ||||
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Confer with ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, documents, electronics, medical, chemical, or metallurgical experts concerning evidence and its interpretation. | ||||
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Compare objects such as tools with impression marks to determine whether a specific object is responsible for a specific mark. | ||||
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Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques. | ||||
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Use chemicals and other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases. | ||||
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Take photographs of evidence. | ||||
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Train new technicians and other personnel on forensic science techniques. | ||||
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Examine and analyze blood stain patterns at crime scenes. | ||||
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CompGeo Salary Survey Benchmark Job Summary and Competencies
Forensic Science Technicians
The Benchmark Job Description below represents the specific Position Characteristics of the job used in the Salary Survey. Benchmark Job Descriptions should be inspected carefully to review the degree of matching between an organizations' Job and the Salary Survey Benchmark. Matching internal Jobs to Salary Survey Benchmark Jobs should not be done on Job Title alone. A thorough comparison of Salary Survey Benchmark to Internal Job Descriptions is recommended. A good overlap should exist on any comparisons used on critical Job Dimensions and Competencies.- Job Description
- Knowledges
- Skills
- Abilites
- Tools and Technology
- Education and Experience
- Alternate Job Titles
- Salaries
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Important Knowledge Competencies | Competency Description | |||
English Language | Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. | |||
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Law and Government | Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process. | |||
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Customer and Personal Service | Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. | |||
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Public Safety and Security | Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. | |||
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Chemistry | Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods. | |||
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Clerical | Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology. | |||
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Computers and Electronics | Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming. | |||
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Education and Training | Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. | |||
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Mathematics | Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. | |||
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Biology | Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment. | |||
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Psychology | Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders. | |||
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Administration and Management | Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. | |||
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Design | Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models. | |||
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Important Skill Competencies | Competency Description | |||
Writing | Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. | |||
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Critical Thinking | Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. | |||
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Complex Problem Solving | Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. | |||
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Active Listening | Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. | |||
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Speaking | Talking to others to convey information effectively. | |||
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Reading Comprehension | Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. | |||
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Active Learning | Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. | |||
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Monitoring | Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. | |||
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Social Perceptiveness | Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. | |||
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Science | Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems. | |||
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Coordination | Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. | |||
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Instructing | Teaching others how to do something. | |||
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Judgment and Decision Making | Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. | |||
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Time Management | Managing one's own time and the time of others. | |||
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Persuasion | Persuading others to change their minds or behavior. | |||
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Mathematics | Using mathematics to solve problems. | |||
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Negotiation | Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences. | |||
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Service Orientation | Actively looking for ways to help people. | |||
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Systems Analysis | Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes. | |||
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Management of Personnel Resources | Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job. | |||
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Learning Strategies | Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things. | |||
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Operation Monitoring | Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. | |||
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Operation and Control | Controlling operations of equipment or systems. | |||
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Important Ability Competencies | Competency Description | |||
Flexibility of Closure | The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material. | |||
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Inductive Reasoning | The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). | |||
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Deductive Reasoning | The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. | |||
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Near Vision | The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). | |||
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Oral Comprehension | The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. | |||
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Written Comprehension | The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. | |||
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Oral Expression | The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. | |||
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Problem Sensitivity | The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. | |||
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Information Ordering | The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). | |||
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Written Expression | The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. | |||
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Far Vision | The ability to see details at a distance. | |||
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Speech Recognition | The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. | |||
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Speech Clarity | The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. | |||
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Perceptual Speed | The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object. | |||
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Category Flexibility | The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways. | |||
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Speed of Closure | The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns. | |||
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Finger Dexterity | The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects. | |||
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Visual Color Discrimination | The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness. | |||
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Fluency of Ideas | The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity). | |||
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Visualization | The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged. | |||
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Arm-Hand Steadiness | The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position. | |||
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Originality | The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem. | |||
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Selective Attention | The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted. | |||
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Mathematical Reasoning | The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem. | |||
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Manual Dexterity | The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. | |||
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Number Facility | The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly. | |||
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Time Sharing | The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources). | |||
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Multilimb Coordination | The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion. | |||
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Tools/Technology Example | Product Category | |||
Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop software | Graphics or photo imaging software | |||
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Automated Biometric Identification System ABIS | Data base user interface and query software | |||
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Combined DNA Index System CODIS | Data base user interface and query software | |||
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Corel WordPerfect software | Word processing software | |||
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DNA sequence analysis software | Analytical or scientific software | |||
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DataWorks Plus Digital CrimeScene | Data base user interface and query software | |||
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DesignWare 3D EyeWitness | Graphics or photo imaging software | |||
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Eos Systems PhotoModeler | Graphics or photo imaging software | |||
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Graphics software | Graphics or photo imaging software | |||
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IBM Lotus Notes | Electronic mail software | |||
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Image enhancement software | Graphics or photo imaging software | |||
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Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS | Data base user interface and query software | |||
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Laboratory information management system LIMS software | Analytical or scientific software | |||
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Microsoft Access | Data base user interface and query software | |||
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Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | |||
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Microsoft Office Visio | Charting software | |||
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Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | |||
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Microsoft Word | Word processing software | |||
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Mideo Systems EZDoc Plus | Graphics or photo imaging software | |||
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Midwest Information Systems PAX-it | Graphics or photo imaging software | |||
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National Crime Information Center NCIC database | Data base user interface and query software | |||
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National Integrated Ballistics Information Network NIBIN | Data base user interface and query software | |||
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SmartDraw.com SmartDraw Legal | Graphics or photo imaging software | |||
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The CAD Zone The Crime Zone | Graphics or photo imaging software | |||
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Trancite Logic Systems ScenePD | Graphics or photo imaging software | |||
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Visual Statement Vista FX3 CSI | Graphics or photo imaging software | |||
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Web browser software | Internet browser software | |||
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35 millimeter cameras | Still cameras | |||
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Benchtop mixers | Laboratory mixers | |||
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Biohazard suits | Hazardous material protective apparel | |||
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Blood collection kits | Biological evidence collection kits | |||
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Body fluid collection kits | Biological evidence collection kits | |||
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Breathalyzers | Alcohol analysers | |||
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Colored camera filters | Camera lenses or filters | |||
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Crime scene evidence flags | Flags or accessories | |||
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Crime scene tape measures | Tape measures | |||
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Cyanoacrylate fuming chambers | Forensic chemical workstations | |||
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Deoxyribonucleic acid DNA collection kits | Biological evidence collection kits | |||
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Desktop computers | Desktop computers | |||
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Digital cameras | Digital cameras | |||
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Digital video cameras | Digital camcorders or video cameras | |||
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Distance measuring wheels | Measuring wheels for distance | |||
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Drug testing kits | Narcotic test kits | |||
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Electronic measuring devices | Distance meters | |||
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Electronic precision balances | Laboratory balances | |||
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Electrostatic dust print lifters | Footprint lifters | |||
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Evidence collection containers | Specimen collectors | |||
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Evidence scissors | Laboratory scissors | |||
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Fingerprint brushes | Fingerprint applicators or brushes | |||
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Fingerprint evidence kits | Fingerprint latent print kits | |||
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Fingerprint recognition systems | Biometric identification equipment | |||
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Footwear protectors | Footwear covers | |||
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Fuming hot plates | Laboratory hotplates | |||
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Gel lifters | Footprint lifters | |||
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Glass specimen jars | Specimen collectors | |||
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Glassware washers | Laboratory washing machines | |||
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Gunshot residue kits | Nitrogen or nitrate or nitrite analyzer | |||
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Hand held magnifiers | Magnifiers | |||
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Handheld digital thermometers | Handheld thermometer | |||
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Handheld evidence collection computers | Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers | |||
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Impression casting kits | Footprint lifters | |||
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Infrared light sources | Infrared lamps | |||
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Insect collection containers | Laboratory insect containers | |||
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Insect swoop nets | Fabric or netting for entomology | |||
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Inspection mirrors | Magnifiers | |||
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Laboratory benchtop centrifuges | Benchtop centrifuges | |||
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Laptop computers | Notebook computers | |||
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Large format cameras | Still cameras | |||
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Laser trajectory kits | Lasers | |||
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Long-wave ultraviolet UV lamps | Ultraviolet UV lamps | |||
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Medical hemostats | Floor grade forceps or hemostats | |||
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Metal detectors | Metal detectors | |||
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Microscope slides | Microscope slides | |||
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Mobile data computers | Notebook computers | |||
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Navigational compasses | Direction finding compasses | |||
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Optical compound microscopes | Binocular light compound microscopes | |||
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Personal computers | Personal computers | |||
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Photo markers | Identification markers | |||
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Photographic scales | Rulers | |||
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Plastic evidence tweezers | Laboratory tools | |||
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Plastic specimen jars | Specimen collectors | |||
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Pointed scalpels | Laboratory scalpels | |||
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Police vans | Minivans or vans | |||
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Portable generators | Gas generators | |||
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Portable lasers | Lasers | |||
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Portable two way radios | Two way radios | |||
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Postmortem print spoons | Postmortem fingerprint or impression materials | |||
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Protective latex gloves | Protective gloves | |||
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Protective masks | Medical staff isolation or surgical masks | |||
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Protractors | Protractors | |||
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Reciprocating saws | Power saws | |||
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Rounded scalpels | Laboratory scalpels | |||
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Safety glasses | Safety glasses | |||
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Self-contained breathing apparatus | Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories | |||
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Sexual assault evidence collection kits | Sexual assault determination kits | |||
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Shovels | Shovels | |||
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Sifting screens | Laboratory sifting equipment | |||
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Spades | Spades | |||
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Spectrophotometers | Spectrophotometers | |||
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Stainless steel scissors | Laboratory scissors | |||
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Stainless steel spatulas | Laboratory spatulas | |||
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Stainless steel tweezers | Laboratory tools | |||
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Steam sterilizers | Steam autoclaves or sterilizers | |||
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Steel measuring tape | Tape measures | |||
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Thermocyclers | Temperature cycling chambers or thermal cyclers | |||
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UV forensic goggles | Goggles | |||
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Ultraviolet UV camera lens filters | Camera lenses or filters | |||
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Ultraviolet UV lights | Ultraviolet UV lamps | |||
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Utility knives | Utility knives | |||
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Prerequisite Qualification Category | Education and Experience Level | |||
Related Work Experience | None | |||
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Required Level of Education | Bachelor's Degree | |||
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On-Site or In-Plant Training | Up to and including 1 month | |||
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Alternate Job Title(s) | |||
Ballistic Expert | |||
Ballistic Technician | |||
Ballistician | |||
Ballistics Expert | |||
Computer Forensics Technician | |||
Crime Lab Technician | |||
Crime Laboratory Analyst | |||
Crime Scene Analyst | |||
Crime Scene Examiner | |||
Crime Scene Investigator | |||
Crime Scene Technician | |||
Crime Specialist | |||
Criminalist | |||
Criminalist Technician | |||
Criminologist | |||
DNA Analyst (Deoxyribonucleic Acid Analyst) | |||
Detective | |||
Detective-Crime Scene Investigations | |||
Dna Analyst | |||
Drug Analysis Unit Forensic Scientist | |||
Evidence Technician | |||
Fingerprint Classifier | |||
Fingerprint Expert | |||
Fingerprint Technician | |||
Firearms Examiner | |||
Forensic Analyst | |||
Forensic Ballistics Expert | |||
Forensic Chemist | |||
Forensic Computer Examiner | |||
Forensic Document Examiner | |||
Forensic Engineer | |||
Forensic Investigator | |||
Forensic Science Examiner | |||
Forensic Science Manager | |||
Forensic Science Technician | |||
Forensic Scientist | |||
Forensic Services Technician | |||
Forensic Specialist | |||
Forensic Technician | |||
Forensic Toxicologist | |||
Handwriting Expert | |||
Identification Technician | |||
Keeler Polygraph Operator | |||
Latent Fingerprint Examiner | |||
Latent Print Analyst | |||
Latent Print Examiner | |||
Lie Detector Operator | |||
Polygraph Examiner | |||
Polygraph Operator | |||
Trace Evidence Technician | |||
Wildlife Forensic Geneticist | |||
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