On-line Investigator Courses

[FireOfficerTrue]

I have completed a number of the CFITrainer.net courses, and am currently looking at a number of on-line investigator courses. I am currently at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan as a fire inspector, and am also responsible for conducting some of the C&O of fires we've had here in theater. So the on-line classes work best for me right now at this point in time.
The on-line courses that I've found (Hill College, TX. & Kilgore College, TX.) both offer IFSAC Certification upon completion. They both have an on-line portion, and the hands-on skills session which must be completed at their respective locations to obtain the IFSAC cert. at the completion of the on-line portion.
Can anyone offer me some input on this and whether they feel these are credible, or if I should pursue other options? Has anyone else taken courses through these organizations?

Suggestions?

[cubbie]

I have completed a number of the CFITrainer.net courses, and am currently looking at a number of on-line investigator courses. I am currently at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan as a fire inspector, and am also responsible for conducting some of the C&O of fires we've had here in theater. So the on-line classes work best for me right now at this point in time.
The on-line courses that I've found (Hill College, TX. & Kilgore College, TX.) both offer IFSAC Certification upon completion. They both have an on-line portion, and the hands-on skills session which must be completed at their respective locations to obtain the IFSAC cert. at the completion of the on-line portion.
Can anyone offer me some input on this and whether they feel these are credible, or if I should pursue other options? Has anyone else taken courses through these organizations?

Suggestions?

I am only familiar with West Georgia Tech which has an excellent on-line B.A and B.S. degree program for fire science. You can take all your core classes on-line in this program. There are some labs you would normally need to attend. Example is processing a fire scene for the investigations class. You maybe able to get credit for this course based on prior training or certifications. They are very flexible and would most likely be able to come up with alternatives since you are active duty military stations outside the U.S.

[jkevn28]

www.firescience.net is the online link for the courses offered at West Ga. Technical College's Fire Science Academy.

We Currently offer NPQS certification in five ares, investigator is not one of them. I would be wary of any certification for investigator that could be "earned" online. Just my $.02

[FireOfficerTrue]

[QUOTE I would be wary of any certification for investigator that could be "earned" online. Just my $.02 [/QUOTE]

Two of the on-line fire investigation courses I ran across both say that upon completion of the on-line portion, the student must go to the training facility to complete the "hands-on skills portion" before the course can be considered completed and a certificate can be issued. So not ALL of it is "on-line". I'm just trying to find out if anyone has done courses through these organizations, or knows of anyone who has.

Also, the two courses I found are both through colleges in Texas, and allow you to take the TCFP (Texas Commission of Fire Protection) Test, and also qualifies you for an IFSAC Seal, which is the accredited certification agency used by the U.S. Military/DoD. The two colleges are Hill College: http://www.trainingdivision.com/Investigator.asp and Kilgore College: http://www.kilgore.edu/online_fire_academy_courses.asp.

[cubbie]

I have just returned from an Arson seminar this past week. Any certification you get will need to be NFPA 1033 compliant. If your certification is not 1033 complaint there is a strong possibility that your testimony maybe excluded.

[QUOTE I would be wary of any certification for investigator that could be "earned" online. Just my $.02

Two of the on-line fire investigation courses I ran across both say that upon completion of the on-line portion, the student must go to the training facility to complete the "hands-on skills portion" before the course can be considered completed and a certificate can be issued. So not ALL of it is "on-line". I'm just trying to find out if anyone has done courses through these organizations, or knows of anyone who has.

Also, the two courses I found are both through colleges in Texas, and allow you to take the TCFP (Texas Commission of Fire Protection) Test, and also qualifies you for an IFSAC Seal, which is the accredited certification agency used by the U.S. Military/DoD. The two colleges are Hill College: http://www.trainingdivision.com/Investigator.asp and Kilgore College: http://www.kilgore.edu/online_fire_academy_courses.asp.[/QUOTE]