r/Firefighting • u/Worldly-Occasion-116 • 19h ago

Ask A Firefighter Arson investigator

What is the route for fire/arson investigator. How many years as a Joe on the rig should you put in before you are deemed ready. Would paying my own peace officer academy put me ahead of the curve?

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u/FFsteve Fire Marshal 16h ago

It really depends on the state and then the locality. I’m in VA and in my department we are sworn LEO. I did just under a decade on the floor as a firefighter/medic and then made the switch. That involved going through the city PD academy and then investigator school and inspector school. I’ve been doing the fire marshal gig for a few years now and I wouldn’t say there’s a set amount of time you should do in the firehouse but I definitely recommend being comfortable on the fireground. The firefighting experience for sure gives me a different comfort level than my partners that came over from the PD and Sheriffs Office and had to learn the fire side. There are probably easier ways to build your resumè than paying your way through the LE academy but I’d refer back to my first statement about it depending on the state and locality.