Mr. Schlesinger has been a Certified Fire Investigator with Fire Cause Analysis since 2011. He retired as a Public Safety Lieutenant and Fire Marshal with the City of Sunnyvale, California in 2010. As a member of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, he worked in the fire, law enforcement, and special operations divisions of the department, which is a fully integrated public safety department (Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services). Mr. Schlesinger later worked as the Deputy Chief of Police and District Emergency Manager for the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Police Department. Prior to working for the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, he was a police officer with the City of San Carlos Police Department. Mr. Schlesinger spent ten years assigned to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Crime Scene Investigations Unit, including six years as the coordinator for a unit consisting of ten crime scene investigators.

Mr. Schlesinger has conducted over 1,085 fire and explosion investigations and has testified as an expert in fire investigations in both civil and criminal court systems. Mr. Schlesinger also testified in the State of California criminal court system in his law enforcement capacity. Mr. Schlesinger is a past president of the Santa Clara County Fire Investigations Task Force and the Santa Clara County Fire Marshals’ Organization.

Mr. Schlesinger’s current assignment includes conducting origin and cause investigations for fire and explosions, training new investigators, and evidence handling and coordination. Mr. Schlesinger is authorized and licensed to conduct fire/explosion investigations in the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada.

Mr. Schlesinger possesses a Master of Science (MS) degree in Emergency Services Administration, Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) degree, and an Associate of Science (AS) degree in Administration of Justice. He is a Certified Fire Investigator through the International Association of Arson Investigators and the California Conference of Arson Investigators, Master Certified Fire Investigator through the California Conference of Arson Investigators, California State Certified Fire Investigator (Level II) through the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and a Certified Evidence Collection Technician through the International Association of Arson Investigators.