The Fire and Explosive Investigation Unit follows a three-tier approach. The first tier is each fire occurring in the county is investigated to determine the origin and cause by the fire officer or the battalion chief who is the incident commander. The second tier is a certified shift investigator is contacted to assist in the investigation. The third and final tier is a Certified Fire/Explosive Investigator with the IAAI (International Association of Arson Investigators) is contacted. Each of these approaches will help mitigate each fire or explosion scene in a through and systematic manner. All investigations are conducted in accordance with accepted national practices and follow the guidelines as set forth in NFPA 921. 

The Fire and Explosive Investigation Unit is charged with teaching Company officers, line personnel and chief officers the latest’s trends in investigative practices and ensures that all personnel are aware of fire scenes, the dangers on fire scenes and the risk of spoliation of fire scenes through unnecessary property destruction.

The Fire and Explosive Investigations Unit works in coordination with Local, State, and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies in the process of conducting criminal investigations into fire and explosive incidents.  

Through a thorough systematic investigation the fire investigator can provide information to homeowners in the event of an accidental fire. We assist the homeowner with the proper channels to seek in the event that litigation is necessary in product liability cases. The fire investigator also aides the prosecution of arson cases by providing the District Attorney’s office with an expert in the field of fire investigation. This helps the District Attorney's office present their case to the judge and jury.

The Fire and Explosive Investigations Unit became a reality in 2003, when then Fire Chief M. Kitchens saw an avenue to provide the department a way to investigate fires of suspicious nature. Chief Investigator Darst had a vision to try and bring a theory of a team approach to the department to ensure that personnel receive training. Investigator Darst took the investigative model from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms National Response Team and applied it to the local level by developing a team of investigators that are able to respond to the scene. This enables fire crews to focus on fire extinguishment efforts and the investigators to focus on the origin and cause of the fire. Through a team approach each team member sees how the fire can be investigated and each person on the team knows the job of another team member.