What may an investigator do in the investigation?

• A. Interview or ask firefighters for assistance in some aspects of the investigation
• B. Approve building permits
• C. Approve the department budget
• D. Manage the incident command system

Answer: (A)

Interviewing or asking firefighters for assistance is a key part of an investigator’s role. Gathering first-hand accounts, clarifying what happened, and obtaining information from those who were on scene helps reconstruct events and determine cause. The other options fall outside the investigator’s duties: approving building permits is a regulatory function, approving the department budget is an administrative task, and managing the incident command system is the responsibility of incident command during response. Investigators may interact with the command structure to access the scene and coordinate interviews, but they do not manage it.