Field Investigation Drug Officer (FIDO) Program

Many drug investigations fail to be prosecuted or are dismissed due to a lack of timely sample analysis. In an effort to combat this problem, the National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC), in partnership with the NLECTC system, and the Forensic Resource Network, has implemented Field Investigation Drug Officer (FIDO) programs at three pilot sites: Utah Bureau of Forensic Services, Oregon State Police, and Philadelphia Police Department.

The aim of the FIDO program is to streamline the adjudication process by allowing certified law enforcement officers the capability of providing a preliminary identification of the most commonly encountered drugs of abuse. To this end, NFSTC conducted a thorough review of four commercially available field test kits and has created guidance documents for the establishment of FIDO programs. NFSTC will work with the pilot sites to assess how the implementation of the program impacted the laboratories' efficiency, how the agencies ma! y have changed the way that drug cases are address, whether the agencies plan to continue the FIDO program, and how the program affects how FIDO officers process drug cases.

For more information about the field test kit review study and the FIDO program, please contact NFSTC at info@nfstc.org