Internal Affairs Investigator

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) is a premier all-hazards fire and rescue department providing basic and advanced life support (BLS and ALS) emergency medical services (EMS), fire suppression, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, water rescue, life safety education, fire prevention, and arson investigation services. The FRD has an Internal Affairs Investigator vacancy within the Professional Standards Office. The Internal Affairs Investigator is a civilian position and is scheduled to work 40 hours per week, typically 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. The position requires "on call" availability during evening, weekend, and holiday hours, as well as overtime and after-hours response. Duties and responsibilities include:

• Maintains the integrity of the Fire and Rescue Department by conducting thorough, fair, and impartial investigations into internal or external complaints the department receives alleging administrative or criminal misconduct by career, civilian, volunteer, or contractor personnel.
• Maintains accurate and complete documentation on investigations conducted.
• Oversees employee drug testing.
• Coordinates, reviews investigations, and conducts follow-up investigations for OHREP complaints.
• Provides training, technical support, and guidance to supervisory personnel engaged in departmental investigations.
• Conducts background investigations on applicants for FRD employees, volunteers, and contractors.
• Represents FRD before Civil Service Commission and other boards.

• Conducts thorough, fair, and impartial investigations into complaints of administrative or criminal misconduct by career or volunteer Fire personnel;
• Reports to the Fire Chief or his designee on the status of cases under investigation;
• Prepares accurate and timely investigative reports;
• Advises citizens or departmental personnel as to the final disposition of internal affairs cases;
• Ensures that accurate documentation of internal investigations is maintained;
• Transports employees for drug testing, supervises the drug tests, obtains the results, and reports them to the employees' supervisor;
• Provides technical support and guidance to supervisory personnel engaged in other departmental investigations;
• Conducts background investigations on applicants for volunteer or career Firefighter and emergency medical technician positions;
• When requested by the Recruitment Section, coordinates and reviews applicants' polygraph examinations;
• Maintains a liaison with the County Attorney's Office;
• Assists in answering subpoenas for departmental documents or personnel;
• Assists in the preparation of cases to defend the Fire and Rescue Department or its personnel against lawsuits;
• Assists the prosecutor when criminal charges are filed against departmental personnel;
• Presents the Department's case before the Civil Service Commission or other boards, ensuring that all evidence is presented and that due process is afforded;
• Develops and provides information and training programs designed to inform supervisory personnel on matters relevant to internal affairs;
• Maintains required certifications.

• Knowledge of the Department's rules, regulations, general orders, and standard operating procedures, as well as the County's personnel regulations and other relevant County and state laws;
• Knowledge of investigator practices and techniques;
• Knowledge of local, state and federal statutes;
• Knowledge of the judicial system;
• Ability to conduct effective interviews and interrogations, elicit pertinent information, and draw sound conclusions;
• Ability to extract information from computerized criminal information records (such as the Virginia Crime Information Network and the National Crime Information Center);
• Ability to effectively testify before hearing boards and in court;
• Ability to prepare accurate, timely reports concerning criminal and administrative investigations;
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with a variety of people.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams).
• Certification as a Law Enforcement Officer by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Certification as a Special Conservator of the Peace in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• More than ten years of experience conducting investigations to include:
  • Experience planning and conducting interviews, while succinctly articulating relevant information into an investigative report.
  • Ability to write grammatically correct and comprehensive reports, organize in-depth case files, and present investigative findings to small and large groups.
  • Knowledge and full-time experience in developing appropriate investigative strategies for conducting thorough, objective investigations of complaints, while maintaining confidentiality.
  • Ability and experience developing and maintaining effective working relationships with other staff, public officials, the general public, and representatives of other agencies.
  • Ability and experience communicating clearly and presenting results in both written and oral formats.

• Driver's License (Required)
• Law Enforcement Officer by the Commonwealth of Virginia-Required within one year of appointment.