1. (a) Training programs that are intended to satisfy the requirements of this section must meet the curriculum, competencies, and hour requirements of this section. All applicants for certification must meet the examination requirements of this section.

2. (b) In order to be certified by the commission as a Basic Arson Investigator an individual must:

   1. (1) possess a current basic peace officer's license from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education or documentation that the individual is a federal law enforcement officer;
   2. (2) hold a current commission as a peace officer with the employing entity for which the arson investigations will be done;

   3. (3) complete a commission approved basic fire investigation training program and successfully pass the commission examination as specified in Chapter 439 of this title (relating to Examinations for Certification). An approved basic fire investigation training program shall consist of one of the following:

      1. (A) completion of the commission approved Fire Investigator Curriculum, as specified in Chapter 5 of the commission's Certification Curriculum Manual;

      2. (B) successful completion of a minimum of 128 hours of instruction in a National Fire Academy program for fire investigation. The program must include the basic course, Fire Arson Investigation, and any combination of the following courses or their predecessor:

         1. (i) Arson Detection; or
         2. (ii) Fire Cause Determination for Company Officers; or
         3. (iii) Initial Fire Investigation; or
         4. (iv) Management of Arson Prevention and Control.
      3. (C) successful completion of an out-of-state or military training program which has been submitted to the commission for evaluation and found to meet the minimum requirements as listed in the commission approved Fire Investigator Curriculum as specified in Chapter 5 of the commission's Certification Curriculum Manual; or
      4. (D) successful completion of the following college courses: Arson Investigator, 3 semester hours; Hazardous Materials, 3 semester hours; Building Construction, 3 semester hours; Fire Protection Systems, 3 semester hours. Total semester hours, 12. NOTE: The three semester hour course "Building Codes and Construction" may be substituted for Building Construction. Arson Investigator I or II may be used to satisfy the requirements of Arson Investigation. Hazardous Materials I or II may be used to satisfy the requirements of Hazardous Materials.
3. (c) A person who holds or is eligible to hold a certificate upon employment as a part-time arson investigator may be certified as an arson investigator, of the same level of certification, without meeting the applicable examination requirements.
4. (d) An individual from another jurisdiction who possesses valid documentation of accreditation from the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress as a Fire Investigator shall be eligible to take the commission written examination for Fire Investigator.

Source Note:The provisions of this §431.3 adopted to be effective October 11, 2000, 25 TexReg 10189; amended to be effective March 8, 2001, 26 TexReg 2044; amended to be effective July 29, 2002, 27 TexReg 6724; amended to be effective December 24, 2002, 27 TexReg 12007.