March 2011

www.atf.gov

Contact: ATF Public Affairs Division

(202) 648-8500

ATF NATIONAL LABORATORY CENTER

Purpose

The ATF National Laboratory Center (NLC), which opened in 2003 is the

centerpiece of the Laboratory Services Division. The NLC is located in suburban Maryland

and is home to the Forensic Science Laboratory – Washington, the Fire Research Laboratory,

the NIBIN Branch and administrative offices.

Authority

ATF laboratories hold the distinction of being pioneers in the creation of a national

program for the accreditation of forensic laboratories and the first federal laboratories to

achieve accreditation from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory

Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB). ATF laboratories have maintained accreditation since

1984.

To maintain accreditation, ATF’s laboratories undergo rigorous on-site inspections

every five years. The evaluations include personnel qualifications and standards for

evaluation; evidence control, security, handling and preservation techniques; maintenance of

instruments, calibration and use of comparison standards; and internal and external

proficiency testing.

ATF actively supports and encourages professional certification of its laboratory

scientists and examiners. While such criteria do not exist for each laboratory discipline,

where available, all senior ATF examiners and scientists have attained certification.

Mission

Forensic Science Laboratory – Washington

The Forensic Science Laboratory – Washington evaluates evidence obtained in

criminal investigations involving alcohol, tobacco, firearms, explosives and suspected arson.

It offers the following services:

Firearm and Toolmark Examination

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Fact Sheet

At The Frontline Against Violent Crime Public Affairs Division – Washington, DC

ATF Fact Sheet - National Laboratory Center Page 1 of 3

http://www.atf.gov/publications/factsheets/factsheet-national-laboratory-center.html 11/02/11
ATF laboratories are among the few forensic laboratories in the world that

provide full service in all areas of firearm and toolmark examination. Analysis

includes examination of firearms; comparison and identification of bullets and

cartridge casings; restoration of obliterated serial numbers; determination of

firing distances; identification of toolmarks related to bombing and arson

incidents; and crime scene reconstruction in shooting incidents. Expertise in

firearm and toolmark examinations allowed ATF to connect the dots in the

2007 Virginia Tech campus shootings. ATF experts also provided crime scene

reconstruction for a series of shootings along Interstate 64 in Virginia in 2008,

and performed numerous serial number restorations on firearms trafficking

cases.

National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN)

ATF’s forensic laboratories play an integral role in NIBIN, a nationwide

program that uses the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS). In

combination with microscopy and digital imaging, the computer system

searches databases for matching toolmarks on fired bullets and cartridge

casings. In the process, it allows trained specialists to associate evidence in

crimes committed with firearms in multiple locations across a geographical

region. Without such a system, it would take years to comb through evidence

from many locations and identify fired ammunition components with a

particular firearm.

Explosives Examinations

ATF’s forensic laboratories perform more explosives examinations than any

laboratory in the world, and have participated in major investigations such as

the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing of

the Murrah Federal Building; the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks; and other major

criminal and industrial explosions. ATF’s forensic chemists are specially

trained in the identification of explosives and components of explosive

devices. Evidence collected at the scene of explosions is examined to identify

the types of explosives and the parts of the explosive devices. Such materials

include blasting caps, leg wires, fuses, timing mechanisms, batteries, radio

controlled components, igniters, containers, wires, tapes and other items.

Forensic chemists work closely with investigators to identify device

components that help to link a suspect to a crime. Physical evidence recovered

during explosives-related investigations may be intact or consist entirely of

debris.

Fire Debris Analysis

For more than three decades, ATF’s forensic laboratories have examined

evidence and supported fire investigations in cases of interest to federal

authorities. ATF’s fire debris chemists examine evidence and recover and

characterize ignitable liquid residues such as gasoline, kerosene or charcoal

lighter fluid. ATF's laboratory expertise was critical in the 2005 arrest of a

serial arsonist who set more than 40 fires in the Washington, D.C., area.

ATF’s chemists continue to provide analytical support in conjunction with

church fires across the United States.

ATF Fact Sheet - National Laboratory Center Page 2 of 3

http://www.atf.gov/publications/factsheets/factsheet-national-laboratory-center.html 11/02/11
Alcohol and Tobacco Diversion

ATF chemists conduct chemical, physical and instrumental analyses of

suspect or illicit alcohol and tobacco products to determine the authenticity of

the products and their packaging.

DNA Analysis

DNA is recovered from biological materials such as blood, saliva, skin cells

and perspiration. Small amounts of an individual’s DNA that are left behind at

crime scenes can be used to associate them with a particular item of evidence.

ATF biologists are researching efforts to enhance the ability to recover DNA

from degraded items that are found at arson and bombing scenes, as well as

from items that contain minimal traces of DNA such as firearm triggers and

grips.

Fingerprint Examination

Fingerprints are a widely recognized form of personal identification. Because

of their unique characteristics and permanence, the identification of latent

prints (those left unintentionally on surfaces) is one of the most valuable

forms of forensic evidence. In the history of fingerprint identification, no two

fingerprints have ever been found to be alike in friction ridge detail (the

fingerprint pattern that is formed in the womb and remains unchanged until

death). ATF laboratories examine documents; component parts of bombs and

incendiary devices; and firearms for the presence of identifiable latent prints.

Questioned Document Examination

Since the mid-1800s, questioned document examination has been accepted

and used in court systems around the world. The most common cases involve

handwriting or signatures on legal documents such as titles, wills and

contractual agreements. Other material includes altered or forged items such

as bank checks and immigration documents. ATF examiners regularly

examine written entries on federal firearms application forms and various

pieces of evidence from explosives cases such as mailing labels and threat

notes.

Fire Research Laboratory

ATF’s Fire Research Laboratory (FRL) is the first facility in the world that is

dedicated to fire scene investigations. The FRL can simulate full-scale fire scenes that allow

its staff to perform forensic fire science and engineering analyses that address fire growth and

dynamics questions. The results allow investigators to better understand fire timelines, assess

witness statements and correlate fire scene damage to fuel loads and ventilation that are

present at the time of a fire.

###

ATF Fact Sheet - National Laboratory Center Page 3 of 3

http://www.atf.gov/publications/factsheets/factsheet-national-laboratory-center.html 11/02/11