City of Tampa

This is a lead position in the fire prevention office responsible for investigative, technical, law enforcement work and the coordination of duties conducted by investigators.

An employee in this class is responsible for determining the origin and cause of fires, classifying fires as to cause, and conducting thorough latent criminal felony and misdemeanor investigations as well as non-criminal investigations. Work is of more than average difficulty and requires the application of specialized knowledge, skills and abilities. An employee in this position performs  as lead investigator.  The employee assigned  will be required to work independently and must use  proficient judgment, discretion and initiative in making  arrests and determining appropriate courses of action to pursue while conducting investigations. Under general supervision, most duties are performed in the field and involve extensive contact with municipal, county, state, federal government agencies, and the general public.  Arson investigations are conducted in concerted effort with the State Attorney and local law enforcement agency(ies). A close professional relationship must be developed between Fire Investigators and the Assistant State's Attorney to ensure proper review of pertinent criminal cases. Employees are required to maintain combat firefighter readiness as they are subject to deployment in that capacity. The employees  maybe required to work after normal duty hours. Work is reviewed by the Fire Investigations Supervisor through observation, conferences and results obtained.

Leads, plans, and/or assigns the work of investigators; serves as a liaison between subordinates and upper levels of management; coaches subordinates as required; is responsible for understanding and interpreting the Rules and Regulations and Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG), accurate dissemination of information, and any other communications of a departmental nature.

Performs activities which may be of a very dangerous nature while at the fire scene and while developing latent investigations, such as: identifies and collects physical evidence; properly interviews witnesses, suspects, property owners, and others as required; effects arrests.

Trains and educates in the investigation of fires to determine their cause and origin; solicits information from witnesses, owners, occupants, and others; takes photographs of fire scene; observes smoke and burn patterns, discoloration, amount of damage relative to area and combustibility of materials, and positions of doors and windows; uses various hand and power tools to search area for physical evidence; arrests arson suspects and provides sworn testimony during legal proceedings; completes detailed narrative reports and diagrams documenting results of investigations.

Train and educate in the conduct of latent arson investigations; secures, marks, preserves, and stores evidence; cultivates informants and participates in surveillance of suspected arson targets; reviews financial, inventory and insurance records in attempts to ascertain motives; correlates information from various cases in order to identify patterns.

Investigates fires; cites code violations in buildings; investigates complaints; writes "fire lane" parking violation tickets; responds to Arson Task Force investigations where fire- caused death or life-threatening injuries occur; conducts surveillance and stakeout operations; performs special assignments and assists other governmental agencies.

Conducts fire prevention inspections assigned by Fire Marshal or designee, inspect and enforce for compliance with fire prevention ordinances and codes.

Maintains accurate records; writes complete and concise reports; performs records checks.

Performs related work as required.

Knowledge of: pertinent State statutes regarding the crime of arson and companion crimes; fire prevention and inspection techniques including fire prevention laws, codes and ordinances; lead responsibilities.

Working knowledge of: building materials, construction practices and mechanical systems related to fire prevention, fire suppression and the protection of lives and property from fire; laws, court decisions, and legal opinions relating to the investigation and prosecution of arsonists; firefighting principles and practices.

Ability to: conduct thorough fire investigations in compliance with legal requirements and procedures; perform physical tasks requiring light to moderate exertion; prepare written and oral reports and impart them effectively; establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, law enforcement agencies and the public; conduct after hours fire inspections as required.

Skill in: crime scene photography and its various applications.

Possession of:   

A valid Florida driver's license.

Florida State Fire Inspector I certification

Florida State Fire Inspector II certification

A valid current NREMT/Florida State Paramedic Certification

Florida State Fire Investigator certificate

Florida State certifications as a Law Enforcement Officer.