Police Strengthen Expertise in Fire Investigation... 105 Internationally Certified Fire Investigators Qualified

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters announced on the 14th that it has promoted the acquisition of internationally certified fire investigator qualifications to enhance the expertise and credibility of fire investigations, with a total of 105 people passing the certification in the past two years.

Representative internationally certified qualifications related to fire investigation include the 'Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI)' and the 'Certified Fire Investigator (CFI)'. The CFEI is a certification awarded by the National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI) in the United States since 1982 to experts with specialized knowledge and skills in fire and explosion investigation.

Additionally, the CFI is a certification issued by the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) that certifies theoretical and practical knowledge of arson cases. Both qualifications require passing strict eligibility screenings and evaluation exams to obtain.

Since last year, the police have encouraged forensic investigators to acquire these qualifications and have promoted education and examinations. As a result, 101 people obtained the CFEI certification, and 4 people obtained the CFI certification. Kim Young-ha, head of the Korean branch of the International Association of Arson Investigators, stated, "Regarding the Certified Fire Investigator, only 13 people in Korea hold this qualification due to its stringent standards and high difficulty level, making it known as a challenging exam to pass. The fact that the police added 4 more certified investigators this year is truly a significant achievement."

Lee Junho, a sergeant at the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency who passed the recent Certified Fire Investigator exam, said, "There were many difficulties preparing for the exam because there are few past questions available domestically and the study materials are in English," adding, "If investigators with internationally certified qualifications are utilized in large-scale fires or international dispute cases in the future, it will enhance the external credibility of police investigation results."

Nam Gu-jun, head of the National Investigation Headquarters, expressed, "I am grateful and proud that despite busy work schedules, investigators have made strenuous efforts to achieve the highest level of expertise in their respective fields," emphasizing, "Through each investigator's efforts to develop expertise, the police's responsible investigation system will become even more solid."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.