The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) is proud to announce the accreditation of the Forensic Investigations Group, LLC to ISO/IEC 17020 for Forensic Inspection in the area of Fire Origin and Cause Investigation.

The Forensic Investigations Group, LLC, located in Covington, LA is A2LA’s first commercial, U.S.-based organization to obtain ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation for Fire Origin and Cause Investigation. For a full listing of the activities included in the accreditation of the Forensic Investigations Group, LLC, please review their Scope of Accreditation, certificate 4004.01, on the A2LA.org website.

When asked about the experience, Casandra Jones, business administrator of the Forensic Investigations Group, LLC, commented that "We are very excited to be the first forensic fire investigation agency accredited by A2LA to the ISO/IEC 17020 standard! We were very impressed with the comprehensive examination and audit protocol utilized by A2LA during the on-site evaluation and believe that this adds integrity and respectability to the vetting process. We believe that this accreditation adds value to our organization and is a clear indication to the insurance and legal communities of our adherence to the guiding documents governing forensic fire investigation as well as acceptance of the National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Identifying the Needs of the Forensic Sciences Community, National Research Council "Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward" recommendation for increased accreditation and certification within the forensic science disciplines. We encourage other forensic investigation firms to embrace this advancement in the industry and embrace independent, third party accreditation to the ISO/IEC 17020 standard."

The A2LA ISO/IEC 17020 Forensic Inspection Accreditation Program includes the application of forensic-specific supplemental requirements developed using international guidance and feedback from the forensic community, including the A2LA Forensic Examination Advisory Committee (FEAC). The ISO/IEC 17020 forensic program is available to all areas of forensic science where professional judgement is used in the inspection of locations, items, or systems and also those areas of forensic science that support such activities.

For additional information about the A2LA forensic accreditation program, please see the A2LA forensic program webpage (https://www.A2LA.org/forensic) or contact Karin Athanas at 301 644 3236 or kathanas@A2LA.org.