Dion L. Saint, IAAI-CFI, FIT, CFEI, CVFI

Background

Mr. Dion Saint is a Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) and a Fire Investigator Technician (FIT) through the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI), and a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI) and a Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator (CVFI) through the National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI). He also completed the Fire Investigator I and II courses at the Florida State Fire College located in Ocala, Florida. Mr. Saint has completed multiple federal training programs administered through the United States Department of Justice, United States Homeland Security, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He is a licensed private investigator in Texas and Florida. Mr. Saint has an active Department of Defense Secret Clearance.

His investigative career spans over 20 years, with investigative training and experience within public and private investigations. Fourteen of those years included honorable service in local, state, and federal law enforcement. Mr. Saint honorably retired as a Law Enforcement Detective with the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of State Fire Marshal, Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations in Panama City, Florida. He investigated and determined the origin and cause of more than 500 fires and explosions in industrial facilities, commercial and residential structures, vehicles, agricultural equipment, heavy equipment, wildland, and fire-related injuries and fatalities incidents.

Mr. Saint has completed numerous educational seminars and continuing education courses in the field of fire investigation through the IAAI, NAFI, Florida Advisory Council on Arson Prevention (FACAP), and the National Fire Arson Investigation Training Institute. Mr. Saint has coordinated and instructed continuing educational training programs involving the investigation of fires to public safety officials and attorneys within the 14th Judicial Circuit of Florida.  His teachings included the juvenile fire setter program aimed at delinquent youth, case studies to prosecutors, and evidence preservation for fire service and law enforcement personnel.

Currently, Mr. Saint investigates and analyzes the origin and cause of fire and explosion events within vehicle, residential, commercial, and industrial sites. He has provided testimony as a fact witness and provided his expert opinion in official legal proceedings.  Mr. Saint’s courtroom testimony experience includes civil, municipal, county, state circuit, military court martial, and federal court.

He is an active member of NAFI and IAAI Florida and Texas chapters. Mr. Saint is a past member of FACAP.