§2235 Investigation Authorities

Summary

The Administrator can send teams of investigators after a major fire. Teams can include safety experts, fire protection engineers, code and standards specialists, researchers, and training experts. They must work with federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial officials and any federal agency that can investigate the fire. The investigators look at the fire’s origin and cause and check wider issues like building codes, who lived or worked there, the building’s structure, how smoke and fire moved, and the costs from injuries and deaths. When the investigation is done, the Administrator must either publish a public report for the same authorities or join another agency’s report, unless doing so would harm a criminal investigation. Public reports must give recommendations about other similar buildings at risk, better tactical response, civilian safety practices, the costs and benefits of adding safety features, and ways to prevent the causes of the fire. The Administrator may also investigate unusual fires with smaller losses if that won’t hurt a criminal probe. This does not reduce other agencies’ powers, does not give the Administrator authority to enforce laws or bring criminal charges, and does not force reports or investigations that would interfere with criminal investigations. Major fire will be defined by rules the Administrator issues.