Division of State Fire Marshal

Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations

 Arson Investigator Opportunities

To carry out its mission, the Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations needs men and women who can fill a variety of demanding positions. To qualify for training as a Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations Detective, you must be a citizen of the United States, notwithstanding any law of the state to the contrary, at least 19 years of age, and possess good moral character as determined by a thorough background examination, and have uncorrected vision not worse than 20/200 (Snellen) and corrected 20/20 in one eye and not worse than 20/40 in the other eye.  All candidates must pass a color vision test.  Applicants also must meet normal estimated auditory acuity as documented on FDLE Form 75A.

Candidates must possess (or be able to obtain prior to appointment) a valid Florida driver's license, and be in excellent physical condition with no defects that would interfere in firearm use, fire scene examination and reconstruction, field investigations, or defensive tactics.

An Applicant will be waived for preferred candidates if such Applicant has:

• Less than three (3) years sworn law enforcement experience

• Been convicted of a felony

• Been convicted of certain misdemeanors involving moral turpitude

• Defaulted on a U.S. Government secured student loan

• Consumed any illegal substances or illegally consumed any prescribed medications in the past three (3) years

• Failed to register for Selective Service, if applicable

An Applicant may be waived for preferred candidates if such Applicant has:

• No active State of Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Law Enforcement Certification

• Illegally used, sold, or transferred any controlled substance in violation of Chapter 893, F.S.

• Omitted, misrepresented, or falsely stated any information, in writing or orally, to the Bureau during the application process

• Been suspended or terminated from employment due to an act of aggression or violence

• Been terminated, or resigned in lieu of termination, due to job performance deficiencies

• Received more than 5 moving violation citations during driving history

• Poor credit history

The Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations expects to hire approximately ten (10) Detectives in this fiscal year.  Click here for current or anticipated Arson Detective opportunities.

The first step in becoming a Detective with the Bureau is the completion of the State of Florida employment application and the Supplemental Employment Application, which can be accessed from this website or obtained at any Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations field office. If you meet entry-level criteria and are competitive with other candidates applying for the position, you will be considered for further processing, including applicant testing.   Testing consists of the Physical Abilities Test recommended by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission and a written test consisting of questions relating to search and seizure, investigative techniques, evidence, chapters 633 and 806, Florida Statutes, Kirk’s Fire Investigations textbook, O’Hara’s Fundamentals of Criminal Investigations, and the NFPA 921 Guide.  You may enhance your opportunities for entry into the competitive process if you possess a special skill needed by the Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations, a college degree, current law enforcement certification from CJSTC, prior law enforcement or arson investigations experience, and/or advanced computer work experience.  Interested out-of-state or federal applicants should contact the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for instructions on how to have their law enforcement training evaluated in order to meet the equivalency of training required by the State of Florida. Fluency in Spanish is also an attribute that may put an applicant into the preferred category.  

 Completed applications should be mailed to:
Applicant Coordinator
Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations
      200 East Gaines Street
     Tallahassee, Fl. 32399-0341

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE PROCESSED