Job Information

Overall Purpose

Under the direction of the Staff Sergeant Forensic Identification (FIS), the Forensic Technician / Laboratory Manager is responsible for the management of the FIS Laboratory, ensuring safe operations and working environment while providing forensic expertise and material support including:

• Responsible for the development, review, revision, and validation of policies and procedures related to the Forensic Identification Section required to support investigations and criminal proceedings.
• Oversee the Occupational Health and Safety associated to the FIS Laboratory and operations.
• Research and implement new equipment, consumables, technology, and techniques; oversee the asset management life cycle of equipment assigned to FIS.
• Responsible for the development, delivery, and coordination of training of FIS members and other members as required.
• Support FIS members.
  

Major Responsibilities

Responsible for the development, review, revision, and validation of policies and procedures related to the Forensic Identification Section required to support investigations and criminal proceedings.

• Develop and validate new policies, procedures and job aids as requested by the Staff Sergeant Forensics.
• Review, revise and validate existing policies, procedures, and job aids as per established review schedule.
• Collaborate with FIS members and other relevant stakeholders to draft policies, procedures, and job aids.
• Collaborate with the Staff Sergeant Forensic Identification and FIS members to determine the training requirements for the policies and procedures.
• Maintain a list of currently approved policies and procedures.
• Maintain archives of previous versions of policies and procedures including documented discussions and approvals capturing evolution and corporate history of current standards and practices.
• Ensure that the measures and procedures prescribed are carried out in the FIS Laboratory.

Oversee the Occupational Health and Safety associated to the FIS Laboratory and operations.

• Act as the Health and Safety Representative for FIS and afford assistance to the Joint Health and Safety committees.
• Perform risk assessments to develop and recommend the implementation of control measures (Elimination, Substitution, Engineering, Administrative, Work practices and procedures, Personal protective equipment (PPE)).
• Manage the monitoring, testing, maintenance, repair, and commissioning of FIS Laboratory equipment and maintain records.
• Ensure that the equipment, materials, and protective devices are provided, maintained in good condition, and used as prescribed.
• Manage the inventory of reusable PPE (i.e.: laboratory gowns and coats) for cleaning and disinfection purposes.
• Oversee FIS members with any hazard in work and the handling, storage, use, disposal, and transport of any article, device, equipment, or biological, chemical, or physical agent.
• Ensure members are properly trained to work safely with workplace-specific hazards.
• Ensure safety concerns reported by members are responded to appropriately (including completion of the Workplace Injury, Illness, and Incident Report Form).
• Support FIS members with hazardous spill management.
• Advise members of any known potential or actual danger to the health or safety of the members.
• Provide information, instruction, and supervision to FIS members to protect their health or safety.
• Report hazards, incidents, and near-miss (Systems, Facilities, Equipment, Procedure Reviews, etc.) and recommend control measures.
• Manage the inventory, storage, handling and disposal of all consumables, hazardous chemicals, working chemical solutions, biohazardous materials, sharps and maintain records.
• Maintain accurate records of the handling, storage, use, and disposal of biological, chemical, or physical agents.
  

Major Responsibilities (continued)

Ensure workplace compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act related to the FIS Laboratory and operations.

• Monitor at such time or times or at such interval or intervals the levels of biological, chemical, or physical agents in a workplace and keep and post accurate records thereof as prescribed.
• Maintain accurate records of the exposure of a worker to biological, chemical, or physical agents and make them available to the affected worker.
• Ensure compliance with the Ontario Health and Safety Act Regulation 833 Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents standard limiting the exposure of a worker to biological, chemical, or physical agents.

Research and implement new equipment, consumables, technology, and techniques; oversee the asset management life cycle of equipment assigned to FIS.

• Research, select, procure, and implement new equipment, consumables, technology, and techniques in support of the Forensic Identification Section.
• Coordinate with Facilities, Operations & Maintenance and other relevant stakeholders for the monitoring, testing, maintenance, repair, and commissioning of FIS Laboratory systems and maintain records.
• Present management with recommendations for ongoing process improvement to increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency.

Manage FIS’s consumable, equipment, and data.

• Manage and track FIS related consumable and equipment inventory, including the Scenes of Crime Officers.
• Provide recommendations to the Staff Sergeant regarding equipment needs, as required, to ensure equipment compatibility and to improve performance.
• Monitor and maintain records of expenditures related to consumables and equipment, including their related maintenance, repair, and replacement.
• Manage FIS related data using OPS approved Digital Evidence Management System and data retention.
  

Major Responsibilities (continued)

Responsible for the development, delivery, and coordination of training of FIS members and other members as required.

• Determine the training requirement for the FIS related policies and procedures.
• Develop, deliver, and coordinate training for FIS members on FIS related procedures.
• Manage the FIS’s Training Program and Mentoring Program.
• Maintain training logs, materials and provide records to the Professional Development Center.
• Assist the Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO) training program.
• Identify gaps in service relating to forensics and generate appropriate training strategy and programs to mitigate risks and challenges.
• Monitor wider forensic industry for trends, science and technology developments, changes to generally accepted practices, and relevant court cases impacting forensic investigations.
• Participate in relevant professional forensic associations activities, working groups and committees as required (i.e.: Ontario Forensic Investigator Association, International Association for Identification, Canadian Friction Ridge Working Group, Canadian Society of Forensic Science, etc.).
• Network with academic institutions to promote education and encourage research in the field of forensics.
• Attend training and educational opportunities to maintain proficiency.

Support FIS operations.

• Support FIS members with search, collection and examination of evidence as required.
• Provide opinion evidence in court as required.
• Support FIS members with RMS data entry associated with evidence transfers with CFS, other external agencies and OPS’s Evidence Control Unit to increase the accuracy of the continuity of possession (i.e., Chain of Custody or traceability of evidence).
• Prepare scaled plan drawing using 3D Laser Scanner and Computer Aided Design (CAD) technologies.
• Support the Biometrics Specialists (e.g., AFIS Technician, DNA Coordinator, etc.).
• Support the FRAR and SOCO Coordinators.
• Support FIS specialities (i.e.: BPA, CBRNE, Footwear & Tires, Firearms & Shooting Reconstruction, etc.)
• Participate in the preparation of the Forensic Identification Section budget.
• Support the Staff Sergeant Forensic Identification as required.
  

Statement of Required Qualifications

Education

• Minimum four (4) year University Science degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Forensic Science, or other equivalent science related field.
• Experience and formal training combined may substitute for stipulated education requirements.

Experience

• Minimum five (5) years relevant and progressive experience including:
• A minimum of two (2) years providing laboratory services and supervising the work of other scientific professionals.
• Recent experience within the past three (3) years as a chemist, biochemist, forensic scientist or equivalent in a laboratory.
• Developing policies and procedures.
• Developing and delivering training material.

Language

• English – fluency in oral, reading, and writing.

Certifications and Licences

• Possess a valid Ontario or Quebec Provincial Driver’s License.

In service Training

The incumbent is expected to maintain proficiency through continuing education in forensics through the completion of internal and external training as required including:

• First Aid / CPR
• Working At Heights Training

The incumbent will be required to successfully complete the following forensic courses and training:

• Forensic Identification Officer Course.
• Forensic Identification Recertification Examination every three (3) years.
• Facilitating and Assessing Police Learning Course.
• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS).
• Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC).
• Successful completion of RCMP AFIS training for fingerprints within one (2) year.
• Successful completion of RCMP AFIS training for palm prints within three (4) years.

The incumbent may be provided additional forensic related courses such as but not limited to the following:

• Advanced Expert Witness Course for Forensic Identification Members.
• Advanced Friction Ridge Analysis.
• Advanced Forensic Collection and Recovery of Human Remains.
• Basic Bloodstain Pattern Recognition Course.
• Chemical Treatment and Fluorescent Techniques.
• Death Investigation.
• DNA Data Bank, Warrant and Consent Sample Collection.
• Forensic Collection and Recovery of Human Remains.
• Forensic Shooting Scene Examination.
• Photoshop for Forensics.
• Senior Forensic Identification Course.

The following mandatory training and education is provided to all employees of the OPS:

• Occupational Health & Safety.
• Respectful Workplace.
• Violence in the Workplace.
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI).
• Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE)
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
  

Job Knowledge

Working knowledge of the Ottawa Police Service’s Mission, Vision, and Values.

Working knowledge of relevant legislations as required, such as:

• Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Criminal Code of Canada.
• Identification of Criminals Act.
• DNA Identification Act.
• Canada Evidence Act.
• Canadian and other relevant case laws related to the admissibility of expert witness testimony and opinion evidence.

Working knowledge of external partners, databases, and systems:

• Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
• Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC).
• Centre of Forensic Sciences (CFS).
• Intellibook’s biometrics database for fingerprints and mugshots.
• National DNA Data Bank (NDDB).
• Ottawa Police Service’s Record Management System (RMS).
• Real Time Identification (RTID).
• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS).

Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, Power Automate, SharePoint, Power App, Access) and other applications such as but not limited to: Photoshop, ACDsee, CAD.

Advanced knowledge of Forensic principles, best practices and standards including

• Forensic identification methods and techniques.
• Scientific principles and processes.
• National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) and its Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Sciences.
• Requirement of accreditations for laboratories (i.e.: ISO/IEC 17025 Standard, Ontario Forensic Laboratory Act, Standards Council of Canada, etc.).
  

OPS Competencies

Hours of Work

Effort and Working Conditions

• Work in a laboratory and interact with hazardous chemical, biological materials, sharps, and other hazards.
• Self-supervise, supervise others, work with others, have attention to details, multi-task and meet deadline pressures.
• Work involves dealing with unpleasant, disturbing, and sensitive materials, including crime scene photos and videos.
• Lift and carry forensic equipment to and from locations (crime scenes, laboratory, office) and while performing forensic examinations and searches.
• Walk, stand, or sit for extended periods of time during forensic examinations and searches.
• Bend, twist, use arm and hands to grip, pinch and lift while searching and collecting evidence in the laboratory and in the field.
• Working environment varies from a normal indoor office, laboratory, and field work, including adverse climate and/or physically challenging conditions, and from precarious positions and heights.
• Work extended hours beyond the normal hours of work, may involve working afternoon / weekend.
• Work in environments exposed to external stimuli, emotional and confrontational situations.
• Requirement for a great degree of mental effort to summarize and memorize large amount of information, including scientific related material, while managing sectional and legislated priorities.
• Assess information and evaluate situations to resolve problems, make and communicate decisions.
• Review large amounts of data, use technologies, and redact technical reports.
• Participate in found human remains or death investigations and related autopsies in collaboration with investigators, coroners, and forensic pathologists.
• Handle and be exposed to human remains or dead bodies in various conditions (i.e.: decomposed, dismembered, burnt, etc.).
• Travel throughout Canada and the United States for training purposes.
• Work may requires driving to and attending scenes of criminal incidents to document, collect, preserve, and analyze evidence which could be disturbing in nature, including autopsies, etc.
• Must be able to operate an OPS vehicle safely, maintaining a valid Ontario or Quebec Driver’s License.
• May be required to testify and present expert evidence in Court and be subject to cross examination.
• Extended periods of sustained mental and visual concentration, manual dexterity and exceptional attention to detail are required for analysis, evaluation, and comparison of fingerprints, and when entering, classifying, and encoding suitable latent fingerprints onto AFIS with a high degree of accuracy.
• Work requires the ability to prioritize and schedule high volumes of work and multi-task to meet deadlines while paying attention to detail and maintaining accuracy and adapting to unforeseen demands and changing priorities.
• The incumbent will be issued and required to wear body armour in instances of attending crime scenes.
  

Desired Qualifications

• Oral, reading, writing fluency in French or other languages.
• Previous management experience.
• Valid Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) certification.
• Valid Health and Safety Representative or Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) certification.
• Working knowledge of OPS policies and procedures relevant to job responsibilities.
• Previous acceptances by the Canadian Criminal courts to give expert evidence.
• Lean Six Sigma training or experience highly desired.