Every federal polygraph examiner attends the Department of Defense National Center for Credibility Assessment (NCCA), located at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. NCCA is the federal center for credibility assessment education, oversight, research and development. NCCA supports 28 Department of Defense (DOD) and federal agencies in addition to war-fighter elements by:
• Providing initial education and training to qualify federal personnel for certification in credibility assessment technologies.
• Training the war-fighter on credibility assessment screening devices.
• Managing the continuing education certification program for all federal agencies.
• Managing the quality assurance program that develops, implements and provides oversight of standards for the federal credibility assessment programs.
• Researching, investigating, developing, validating and fielding credibility assessment tools that increase and enhance operational capabilities.
• Providing strategic support to intelligence and law enforcement operations and investigations in the form of advice, analysis and assistance.
With very rare exceptions, only federal examiners can attend NCCA. Lasting three months, polygraph training at NCCA is the longest and most rigorous polygraph training in the world.
Although every federal examiner goes to the same polygraph school, not every federal examiner is the same.
Intelligence Agency Examiners (CIA, NSA, NRO, among others)
Dedicate themselves primarily to administering screening (applicant) polygraph examinations. To a much lesser extent, their examiners conduct security only examinations (terrorism/espionage). Many of these polygraph examiners hold an entry level position. They are much younger and do not have the interviewing experience their counterparts in law enforcement agencies have. Intelligence Agency Examiners are not law enforcement officers.
Primarily Law Enforcement Federal Agencies (Secret Service, DEA, IRS, CBP, among others)
Dedicate themselves primarily to administering screening (applicant) polygraph examinations. Their polygraph program is not as big as it is in other federal agencies. To a much lesser extent, their examiners conduct criminal examinations in support of their agencies’ mission. Examiners may or may not be law enforcement officers.
FBI Polygraph Examiners – The FBI is both, an Intel and Law Enforcement Agency. It is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency.
The FBI has the largest polygraph program in the federal government. Every FBI polygraph examiner is a seasoned Special Agent. The average FBI Special Agent Polygraph Examiner has 10 years of investigative experience before becoming an examiner. To be nominated and sent to NCCA the nominee must have a proven record of being an accomplished interviewer/interrogator.
FBI Polygraph Examiners conduct screening (applicant) and security examinations, but also travel the world conducting complex criminal, terrorism and counterintelligence polygraph examinations. An FBI Polygraph Examiner uses the polygraph equipment as a tool but relies in his/her interviewing experience to find the truth.
The FBI Polygraph Examiner is the most competent, experienced examiner the U.S. government has. At ORTSEC, you hire only retired FBI Polygraph Examiners. Don’t settle for less.
