CompGeo Salary Survey Benchmark Job Summary and Competencies

Fire Investigators

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.
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Protective Services
Job Family: Fire Service
Benchmark Title: Fire Investigators
 
Summary Job Description Tasks
Conduct investigations to determine causes of fires and explosions. Package collected pieces of evidence in securely closed containers such as bags, crates, or boxes, to protect them.
 
Examine fire sites and collect evidence such as glass, metal fragments, charred wood, and accelerant residue for use in determining the cause of a fire.
 
Instruct children about the dangers of fire.
 
Analyze evidence and other information to determine probable cause of fire or explosion.
 
Photograph damage and evidence related to causes of fires or explosions to document investigation findings.
 
Subpoena and interview witnesses, property owners, and building occupants to obtain information and sworn testimony.
 
Swear out warrants, and arrest and process suspected arsonists.
 
Testify in court cases involving fires, suspected arson, and false alarms.
 
Prepare and maintain reports of investigation results, and records of convicted arsonists and arson suspects.
 
Test sites and materials to establish facts, such as burn patterns and flash points of materials, using test equipment.
 
Conduct internal investigation to determine negligence and violation of laws and regulations by fire department employees.
 
Dust evidence or portions of fire scenes for latent fingerprints.
 
Coordinate efforts with other organizations such as law enforcement agencies.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Protective Services
Job Family: Fire Service
Benchmark Title: Fire Investigators
 
Important Knowledge Competencies Competency Description
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.
 
Law and Government Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 
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.
 
Building and Construction Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Physics Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
 
Mechanical Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
 
Computers and Electronics Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 
Sociology and Anthropology Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
 
Personnel and Human Resources Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
 
Telecommunications Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
 
Communications and Media Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
 
Mathematics Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Protective Services
Job Family: Fire Service
Benchmark Title: Fire Investigators
 
Important Skill Competencies Competency Description
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.
 
Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
 
Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
 
Complex Problem Solving Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
 
Writing Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
 
Coordination Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
 
Judgment and Decision Making Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
 
Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
 
Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
 
Science Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
 
Instructing Teaching others how to do something.
 
Time Management Managing one's own time and the time of others.
 
Active Learning Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
 
Learning Strategies Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
 
Social Perceptiveness Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
 
Persuasion Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
 
Service Orientation Actively looking for ways to help people.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Protective Services
Job Family: Fire Service
Benchmark Title: Fire Investigators
 
Important Ability Competencies Competency Description
Deductive Reasoning The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
 
Inductive Reasoning The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
 
Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
 
Oral Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
 
Speech Clarity The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
 
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).
 
Far Vision The ability to see details at a distance.
 
Written Comprehension The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
 
Speech Recognition The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
 
Category Flexibility The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
 
Visual Color Discrimination The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
 
Written Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
 
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.
 
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).
 
Speed of Closure The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
 
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.
 
Visualization The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
 
Selective Attention The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
 
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.
 
Static Strength The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
 
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).
 
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.
 
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.
 
Trunk Strength The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
 
Extent Flexibility The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
 
Depth Perception The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
 
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.
 
Reaction Time The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Protective Services
Job Family: Fire Service
Benchmark Title: Fire Investigators
 
Prerequisite Qualification Category Education and Experience Level
On-the-Job Training Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
 
On-Site or In-Plant Training Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
 
Related Work Experience Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Protective Services
Job Family: Fire Service
Benchmark Title: Fire Investigators
 
Alternate Job Title(s)
Arson Investigator
Arson and Bomb Investigator
Bomb Squad Commander
Bomb Technician
Captain
Chief Arson Division
Detective
Fire Captain
Fire Chief
Fire Inspector
Fire Investigation Lieutenant
Fire Investigator
Fire Lieutenant
Fire Marshal
Fire and Explosion Investigator
Firefighter
Investigator
State Fire Marshal
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Protective Services
Job Family: Fire Service
Benchmark Title: Fire Investigators
 
 
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