Incident Documentation: Using the Investigations Section

Incident Documentation: Using the Investigations Section

Purpose

Document arson investigations and suspicious fire incidents using the NFIRS Arson Module (NFIRS-11) within your fire incident reports. This section allows authorized users to capture detailed investigation information when the cause of ignition is intentional, under investigation, or undetermined after investigation.

Background Information


The Investigations Section enables completion of the NFIRS Arson Module (NFIRS-11), which accompanies the overall incident report when investigation details are required. According to the NFIRS 5.0 Complete Reference Guide: "The optional Arson Module may be used whenever the Cause of Ignition (NFIRS-2 E1) is coded as 'intentional,' or as 'under investigation' without a distinction as to whether or not a crime has occurred, or a determination of criminal intent. You also can use the Arson Module in cases where the cause is 'Undetermined after investigation.' In addition, use the Arson Module to document juvenile-set fires, whether determined to be intentional or not."

Common Use Cases:
  1. Documenting suspected arson incidents
  2. Recording juvenile-set fires
  3. Tracking investigations referred to other agencies
  4. Capturing details for fires under investigation
  5. Maintaining compliance with NFIRS arson reporting requirements

Required Permissions


To access and complete the Investigations section, you must have:
  1. Fire Incident module access
  2. NFIRS Report creation and editing permissions
  3. Investigations section access (verify with your administrator if this section is not visible)

Video


Step-by-Step Guide



1. From the Fire Incident List, either begin a new report or edit an existing incomplete fire report.


Start by beginning or editing a Fire Report



2. Navigate to Cause Determination.

Go to the Information section of the report and select the Cause Determination sub-section.


Navigate to the Information section of the Report and select on Cause Determination sub-section.



3. There are two ways to search the Cause of Ignition, the list view or using the dropdown.

Info
Selection of the following choices trigger the Investigations section:
1 - Intentional
2 - Unintentional
5 - Cause under investigation
U - Cause undetermined after investigation


There are two ways to search the Cause of Ignition, the list view or using the dropdown.



Option A: List View
Click on the most applicable choice from the displayed list.

If using the List view select the most applicable choice.



Option B: Search Dropdown
Click in the search box to open the dropdown menu, then select the most applicable choice.


When selecting in the Search box will bring up the dropdown, then select the most applicable choice.



4. If selecting one of the four that trigger the Investigations, you are now able to select on the Investigations section.


If selecting one of the four that trigger the Investigations you are now able to select on the Investigations section.



5. Fill out the Investigations section with all relevant information about the incident.


Now you are able to complete the Investigations as needed.



6. Complete Agency Referral Information (If Applicable)

Info
If you toggle Referred to another agency to ON, additional required fields will appear. Complete all required fields (indicated by the ***** symbol) along with any additional relevant information.


If you toggle Referred to another agency then there are required fields that need to be completed along with any additional information.

Best Practices

Do:
  1. Complete the Investigations section as soon as investigation details are available
  2. Ensure all required fields are completed before saving or submitting the report
  3. Document juvenile-set fires using the Investigations section, even if unintentional
  4. Verify the accuracy of agency referral information before submitting
  5. Review NFIRS guidelines for proper cause of ignition coding

Don't:
  1. Skip the Investigations section when the cause of ignition requires it
  2. Leave required fields incomplete when referring to another agency
  3. Change the cause of ignition after completing investigation details without reviewing the Investigations section
  4. Assume all fire incidents require the Investigations section—only specific causes trigger this requirement

Troubleshooting & FAQs

​Q: The Investigations section isn't appearing in my report.
A: Verify that you've selected one of the four triggering causes of ignition:
  1. Intentional (1)
  2. Unintentional (2)
  3. Cause under investigation (5)
  4. Cause undetermined after investigation (U).
The section only appears when one of these causes is selected.
​
Q: I selected "Referred to another agency" but I'm not sure which fields are required.
A: Required fields are marked with an asterisk (***** ). You must complete all fields with this symbol before the report can be saved or submitted.
​
Q: Can I complete the Investigations section after I've already saved the report?
A: Yes. You can edit any incomplete fire report and add or modify investigation details as long as the report hasn't been finalized.
​
Q: What if I selected the wrong cause of ignition and already completed the Investigations section?
A: You can change the cause of ignition but be aware that changing it to a non-triggering cause may hide the Investigations section. Review your investigation data before making this change.
​
Q: Does selecting "Unintentional" always require the Investigations section to be completed?
A: While "Unintentional" is a triggering cause, completion of the Investigations section is optional unless your department has specific policies requiring it for all triggered incidents.

    • Related Articles

    • NERIS Documentation - Investigations

      Purpose The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the Investigations section when completing a fire report. Video Directions For the Investigations section to populate within a fire report certain criteria needs to be met. 1. From the Response ...

    • Fire Investigations Release Notes - October 2025

      Video New Features CAD Integration for Fire Investigation Module What - The Fire Investigation (FI) module now supports automatic creation and population of investigation records from CAD data using the existing NFIRS notification structure. When a ...

    • Fire Investigations Release Notes - September 2025

      Video Coming Soon New Features 1. Add Incident Date & Time to Investigations What - A new Incident Date & Time field has been added to the Investigations form as part of the Fire Incident Data section, complementing existing Arrival and Departure ...

    • Fire Investigation Release Notes : August 2025

      Video Coming Soon New Features 1. Field Management - Custom Questions within the Investigation Form What - The Investigation form now displays custom questions that were previously configured through Field Management, appearing in their designated ...

    • Print or Email a Fire Incident (NFIRS) Report

      Purpose Statement The Print or Email Fire Incident Reports feature enables users to generate professional PDF versions of fire incident documentation for printing, downloading, or distributing via email. This functionality streamlines the process of ...