Skills for Justice Awards

Gardiner Associates Training and Research offer the following levels of accreditation for Fire Investigators.

GATR Level 2 Award – Introduction to Fire Investigation – Accredited by Gardiner Associates. For Tier 1 Fire Investigators;

Skills for Justice Level 2 Award in Introduction to Fire Investigation – Accredited by Skills for Justice. For Tier 1 Fire Investigators;

Skills for Justice Level 5 Certificate in Fire Investigation – Accredited by Skills for Justice. For Tier 2 Fire Investigators.

This online course has been designed to provide knowledge and skills to learners who investigate and report/present evidence relating to incidents involving fire and/or explosion at Tier 1 and serves as an introduction to fire investigation.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the principles and responsibilities of fire investigation.

2. Understand the methods used in Fire Investigation

3. Understand the recording of evidence by a tier 2 Fire Investigation Officer

4. Be able to investigate a fire within their own level of responsibility.

   
   By the end of the course you will be able to...
   
   • Describe why fire investigation is needed.
   • Explain the two tiers of fire investigation and the agencies involved.
   • Identify the legal requirements for a fire investigation that apply to your organisation.
   • Describe the limits of own responsibility as a Tier 1 Fire Investigator.
   • Describe the levels of Personal Protective equipment (PPE) to be worn by a Tier 1 Fire Investigator when carrying out their duties.
   • Describe the relevance of post fire indicators.
   • Describe different types of burn patterns.
   • Compare the differences between arson and deliberate fires.
   • Describe effective scene preservation by initial crews.
   • Identify the types of evidence gathered by a Tier 2 Fire Investigation Officer.
   • Explain the reasons for and importance of accurate contemporaneous notes at fire scenes.
   • Describe what is meant by ‘the chain of evidence’
   • Summarise the information recorded by a Tier 2 Fire Investigation Officer.
   • Identify the point of origin of a fire.
   • Investigate the cause of a fire.
   • Explain the development of a fire.
   • Record information relating to a fire.
   
   

The Online Course Process

The Learner must complete all lessons and lesson activities provided on the course.

The learner must achieve 100% in the knowledge check (The learner will have three attempts).

The learner must achieve 100% in the Fire Scene assessment (The learner will have three attempts).

For the Skills for Justice Award the learner is required to have a professional discussion with the course manager.

This online discussion is not required for those learners taking the GATR route.

The course manager must be satisfied that the learner completed all elements of the course and is competent to be issued with the award certificate at Level 2.

The Online course

Whilst completing the online course, you will be assessed in each learning outcome to see if you have understood the issues.

Course Manager sign-off

SFJ route and GATR route - A course manager will have been tracking your progress throughout the process and he/she will have access to your results and participation. He/she will review these and when satisfied, sign you off as having completed the course.

Results Stage

GATR route - Following completion of all lessons and successful completion of both assessments, you will have access to the Certificate area on the site. You will be able to download your certificate as recognition and evidence of successful completion of the course. You will not be provided with any other feedback.

SFJ Awards route - Following sign-off by your tutor, your results will be verified. You will be sent a Statement of Completion and your certificates will be sent to your organisation who will disseminate them to you. The certificate is evidence of successful completion
of the course and achievement in obtaining the Level 2 Award in Introduction to Fire Investigation qualification. You will not be provided with any other feedback.

What one of our Level 2 candidates said about the course.
”I would say that the amount and depth of content is enough for anyone to benefit from operationally and certainly sufficient to ignite that thirst for further information if you wanted.
I completed most of it using my phone, mainly for convenience, however I finished the scenario using the laptop, as the larger screen set the scenes better.
Back in the day when a firefighter asked the fio about them investigating an incident they would often get the reply "Its on a need-to-know basis and you don't need to know!". Now I understand that if I knew then what I know now, I may have been able to give greater assistance and ultimately make their job easier!?
I'm now 25 years into my career, the last 17 as a crew commander. I am truly grateful to have received this relevant, excellently presented and supported training. Not only has it been the missing piece in the puzzle and brought my understanding to a different level, it has changed my entire mindset upon how I approach, deal with and leave incidents.
Knowing the answers to something is good, understanding what we have learnt and being able to use it straight out of the box is brilliant. I cannot praise this course high enough and believe, in my opinion, every operational firefighter would be hard pressed not to benefit from this course”.

Introduction

This qualification has been designed to accredit the knowledge and skills of learners who investigate, report and present evidence related to incidents involving fire and/or explosion.

To successfully achieve the Level 5 Certificate in Fire Investigation you must complete 4 stages of assessment.

During these assessments you must demonstrate competence in a number of criteria set by the Awarding Body (SFJ Awards.)

The criteria laid out in the Qualification Handbook issued by SFJ Awards, are,

Prepare to investigate an incident involving fire and/or explosion.

Investigate an incident involving fire and/or explosion.

Report on the investigation of incidents involving fire and/or explosion.

Present evidence related to fire investigations in court and at other hearings.

The handbook will also provide you with the background to the qualification.

It is extremely important that you are familiar with the required criteria. Sufficient evidence must be gathered relating to every criterion listed so that the qualification can be awarded.

Your assessor will constantly be seeking evidence of skills, knowledge or understanding of these criteria throughout the various stages of the assessment process - but the onus is on you to demonstrate them.

Please note - your own organisation may not necessarily deal directly with some aspects of a fire/explosion investigation such as: the recording, collecting, packaging and storing of physical evidence, report writing and courtroom procedures.

As a generic Level 5 fire Investigator you are expected to have some knowledge and understanding and demonstrate skills, which maybe outside your regular roles and responsibilities. Therefore, prior to attendance at the Assessment Centre, you are advised to consider seeking additional sources of information which would enhance your professional development.

The Assessment Process

A streamlined four stage assessment process:

Stage 1. Practical Assessment

Stage 2. Expert Witness Report

Stage 3. Written Examination and Portfolio of Questions

Stage 4. Inquisitorial Hearing

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PROCESS IN DETAIL

What is the cost of the GATR two-day four-stage assessment process?
£2200 + VAT per candidate.
Does the cost cover all stages of the assessment?
Yes. It covers all four stages of the assessment, registration and certificate.
Does the price include refreshments and accommodation?
GATR provides refreshments at the Phoenix Heights Assessment Centre and can direct those requiring overnight accommodation, (prior to Stages 1—3) to local options. Accommodation costs are not included in the cost of assessment.
What does the Level 5 Certificate equate to in academic and NVQ terms?
NVQ’s are still in existence but have largely been replaced by the
Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) process. The title of each qualification contains details of the size
e.g. award — certificate — diploma and level of difficulty (Entry to Level 8). The Level 5 Certificate is roughly equivalent to foundation degree level or NVQ level 4—5.
Who designed the Level 5 Certificate and how does it relate to the National Occupational Standard (NOS)?
The NOS was designed and developed by many members of the UK fire investigation community between 1996 and 2013, when Skills for Justice Awards (SFJA) translated it into a professional award. The NOS Units and components can be cross referenced
to the Level S Certificate learning outcomes and assessment criteria and GATR professional development training programs.
Who was the NOS designed for and the GATR Level 5 Certificate targeted at?
Experienced practitioners responsible for carrying out Tier 2 investigations.
How long does it take to achieve the award?
From attendance at the practical assessment to obtaining the results will take approximately 10 to 12 weeks depending on the availability of both candidate and assessor for the final Inquisitorial process.
What do I have to do?
Demonstrate competence, knowledge and understanding of a number of criteria set by SFJA. These criteria cover preparing to investigate a fire scene, investigating a fire scene, reporting on the investigation and presenting evidence of your findings. We assess you against the criteria by observing you investigating the fire scene; providing you with a written exam to test your knowledge and understanding; assessing a report you make following your investigation and finally, providing you with a chance to discuss your findings at an Inquisitorial hearing. It is very important you understand all the criteria and know how to evidence them.
When reading the handbook and criteria, I notice my skills do not cover all aspects required of the qualification. How do I overcome this?
You must thoroughly prepare to meet all the criteria in the handbook in order for you to be awarded the qualification.
This may mean preparing yourself by seeking resources for your own developme nt or attending training or preparatry events delivered by organisations that can show you how to do this.
Can I explain to the assessor what I am doing?
Yes. It will help both you and the assessor if you explain your actions as you are going along. Don’t forget the assessor will be looking to mark off criteria as you are completing the assessment and he/she may not see or understand everything you are doing.
What happens if I do not achieve one part of the assessment but pass the others?
We will give you every opportunity to satisfactorily meet all the criteria, but if there is an area that requires significant development, we will detail this in your feedback and make arrangements for you to retake that particular area after a period of self-development (additional costs may apply).
What happens if I can’t meet the report stage submission deadline?
You must be prepared to submit your report on time as you would in a real life situation or you will not meet the pertinent criteria in the SFJA handbook.
We will only allow deferred reports under exceptional circumstances.
What will GATR supply on the practical assessment?
GATR will provide scene lighting, tools and evidence packaging. The candidate must provide PPE, note-taking and photographic equipment.
Will I investigate a real fire scene?
Yes. A real fire set in a real building, subject to real weather conditions.
What if I’m wrong about the cause of the fire in my submitted report?
The assessment isn’t about whether you are right or wrong. It’s about the process and how you came to your hypothesis. You may be challenged on this during the Inquisitorial stage — but it is assumed you are the subject matter expert.
I get nervous when being watched and assessed by one of my peers.
All GATR SFJA assessors are trained to sensitively observe and assess the candidate. They will put you at ease if you are nervous but they will not interfere with your investigation. They may ask you to clarify your actions but the fire scene is yours to investigate.
Do I receive feedback?
Yes. You will receive basic feedback on each part of the process.
The feedback will be in terms of the amount of evidence you have provided during the assessment and how well you met the criteria i.e., Very Strong evidence; Practice Standard; Adequate Awareness; Little or No evidence. For each part of the process, you will receive a total score, which is categorised as Excellent; Practice standard with identifiable strengths; Practice standard with opportunities for development; Significant development required.
How can I prepare for the certificate?
Throughout the year, when we respond to those registering for the Level 5 process we will provide additional information including a list of reading materials.