Trauma and Crime Scene Technician study guide
Trauma and Crime Scene Technician · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Trauma and Crime Scene Technician credential is a professional certification for people who process scenes where injury or death is involved: forensic technicians, evidence specialists, patrol officers moving into investigations, medics and death investigators who want a documented baseline of scene competence. It sits at the intersection of two skill sets that are usually taught separately - clinical trauma awareness and forensic scene processing - so holders are expected to recognize mechanism and injury patterns while simultaneously protecting, documenting and collecting evidence that will survive a courtroom challenge. The Trauma and Crime Scene Technician study guide has 11 sections and about 2,624 words.
01Scene Safety
Scene safety asks whether you can recognize hazards before and during entry, establish control zones, and keep responders and evidence intact. Expect questions on PPE selection, hazard assessment, and when to stop work.
250 words, about 1 min02Biohazard and Occupational Health
Bloodborne pathogen and occupational health questions focus on exposure control, PPE, decontamination, and post-exposure response under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030. The agency must have an exposure control plan, reviewed annually, and make it accessible.
260 words, about 1 min03Crime Scene Management
Scene management tests first-responder preservation, command structure, perimeter control, search organization, and transfer of the scene from patrol to investigators. First responder: protect life, secure the scene, detain witnesses, and avoid unnecessary movement; start a scene log at the perimeter.
230 words, about 1 min04Documentation and Chain of Custody
This domain covers contemporaneous notes, scene and photo logs, evidence packaging records, and chain-of-custody entries that make evidence admissible and defensible. Record facts as they happen: date, time, location, personnel, observations, and actions; correct errors with a single line, initials, and date, not erasure.
244 words, about 1 min05Evidence Recognition, Collection and Preservation
Questions test Locard's exchange principle, recognition of physical evidence, and selection of collection and packaging methods that preserve class and individual characteristics. Evidence must be relevant, legally obtained, and documented before collection.
231 words, about 1 min06Photography, Videography and Scene Mapping
Photography, videography, and mapping questions test systematic coverage, scale placement, exposure, and creation of a measurable record. Capture overall, medium, and close-up views; include a scale in close-ups and place it in the same plane as the evidence.
241 words, about 1 min07Fingerprints, Impression and Trace Evidence
This domain covers latent print detection and development, impression evidence, trace evidence collection, and ACE-V documentation. Print types: latent (invisible), patent (visible, such as blood), and plastic (impressed in soft material).
228 words, about 1 min08Biological and DNA Evidence Handling
Biological evidence questions test contamination avoidance, appropriate swabbing and drying, packaging, storage, and the difference between presumptive and confirmatory testing. DNA sources include blood, semen, saliva, hair root, bone, teeth, and touch DNA; epithelial cells transfer readily.
234 words, about 1 min09Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Fundamentals
Bloodstain pattern analysis fundamentals test recognition of passive, transfer, and spatter patterns and the basic geometry used to estimate angles and origins. Passive patterns include drops, flows, pools, and saturation.
230 words, about 1 min10Trauma Assessment and Medicolegal Death Investigation Basics
Questions cover death investigation jurisdiction, postmortem changes, injury documentation, and the technician's limited role before the medical examiner or coroner assumes control. The medical examiner or coroner has jurisdiction over sudden, violent, unexplained, or unattended deaths; do not move the body without authorization.
237 words, about 1 min11Legal, Ethical and Courtroom Testimony Considerations
Legal and ethical questions test search authority, chain-of-custody integrity, expert testimony standards, and the technician's duty to be accurate and impartial. The Fourth Amendment governs searches; a warrant, consent, exigency, plain view, or another recognized exception may apply.
239 words, about 1 min