SECTION 431.7. Minimum Standards for Advanced Arson Investigator Certification

(a) Applicants for Advanced Arson Investigator certification must complete the following requirements:

(1) hold as a prerequisite an Intermediate Arson Investigator Certification as defined in §431.5 of this title (relating to Minimum Standards for Intermediate Arson Investigator Certification); and

(2) acquire a minimum of eight years of fire protection experience and complete the requirements listed in one of the following options:

(A) Option 1--Successfully complete six semester hours of fire science or fire technology from an approved Fire Protection Degree Program and submit documentation as required by the commission that the courses comply with subsections (b) and (c) of this section; or

(B) Option 2--Completion of coursework from either the A-List or the B-List courses. Acceptable combinations of courses are as follows: two A-List courses; or eight B-List courses; or one A-List course and four B-List courses (See the exception outlined in subsection (c) of this section); or

(C) Option 3--Completion of coursework from either the A-List or the B-List courses in combination with college courses in fire science or fire protection. Acceptable combinations of courses are three semester hours meeting the requirements of Option 1 with either one A-List course or four B-List courses (See the exception outlined in subsection (c) of this section); or

(D) Option 4--Advanced Arson for Profit or Complex Arson Investigative Techniques (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives resident or field course, 80 hours); or

(E) Option 5--Hold current Advanced Peace Officer certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement with four additional law enforcement courses applicable for fire investigations (See exception outlined in subsection (c) of this section).

(b) Non-traditional credit awarded at the college level, such as credit for experience or credit by examination obtained from attending any school in the commission's Certification Curriculum Manual or for experience in the fire service, may not be counted toward this level of certification.

(c) The training required in this section must be in addition to any training used to qualify for any lower level of Arson Investigator Certification. Repeating a course or a course of similar content cannot be used towards this level of certification.

Source Note: The provisions of this §431.7 adopted to be effective November 1, 1998, 23 TexReg 10897; amended to be effective July 29, 2002, 27 TexReg 6724; amended to be effective December 24, 2002, 27 TexReg 12007; amended to be effective November 15, 2003, 28 TexReg 9885; amended to be effective August 5, 2004, 29 TexReg 7454; amended to be effective May 26, 2005, 30 TexReg 3035; amended to be effective March 2, 2014, 39 TexReg 1169