Specialists are required to complete six weeks of classroom training which is broken into three segments;  At-Scene Crash Investigation, Advanced Crash Investigation and Crash Reconstruction.

Once the three phases have been successfully completed, students are then required to perform four crash reconstructions under the guidance of a certified Specialist. Upon completion of these four field cases, the student is required to complete and pass a certification exam. This exam is mandated for certification by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and is administered by the State Police Traffic Division.

Upon successful completion of this entire process, the student’s name and testing results are reviewed by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy Board of Trustees. Once the Academy Board deems the student to have met the requirements, he or she is then deemed a Crash Reconstruction Specialist.

Additional requirements are imposed on Specialists following certification. A minimum of four crash investigations must be completed each calendar year, in-service training and an annual re-certification exam is administered each December.

In addition to basic crash investigation, Specialists have also received training in commercial vehicle crash investigation, motorcycle involved crash investigation and cases involving pedestrians and bicycles.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has recently purchased a “total station” forensic mapping device and equipment. This equipment uses a laser to measure a crash site and record necessary evidence points. This data can be used to create a scale diagram of the crash site and to obtain information needed in complex cases for speed calculation.