The Fire Investigation Division provides a trained investigative unit to assist the Fire Chief on the scene of an incident to determine the cause and origin of a fire or explosion.
General Municipal Law 204-D “Duties of the Fire Chief” states "The fire chief of any fire department or company shall, in addition to any other duties assigned to him by law or contract, to the extent reasonably possible, determine or cause to be determined the cause of each fire or explosion which the fire department or company has been called to suppress. He shall contact or cause to be contacted the appropriate investigative authority if he has reason to believe the fire or explosion is of incendiary or suspicious origin."
When called by a fire chief to assist in determining the cause of a fire, the Fire Investigation Division will provide manpower and specialized equipment.
The goal of the Fire Investigation Division is to help prevent loss of life and property by determining the cause and origin of fires or explosions and thus making the fire departments and general public aware of specific fire changes that exist in their area, in hopes that the appropriate education and awareness measures are taken to eliminate these dangers.
Members of the Fire Investigation Division are on call 24 hours a day.
The majority of the members of this Division are volunteers.
