(A) (1) The Chief of the Fire Department shall have the authority to designate one or more members of the Fire and/or (with approval of the Chief of Police) Police Department to perform the functions of fire and arson investigators.
(2) Fire investigators shall have the power and duty to investigate the causes of all fires and explosions, examine witnesses and compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books and papers, and to do and perform all other acts necessary to the effective discharge of such duties.
(3) Fire Investigators may administer oaths, make arrests, bear firearms and enter for the purpose of examination any building for which there is probable cause to believe the building is in danger of fire or explosion.
(‘97 Code, § 94.07)
(B) (1) No witness shall refuse to be sworn or refuse to testify or disobey an order of the fire investigators, or fail to produce a book, paper or document concerning a matter or subject under investigation.
(2) No witness shall fail to appear before the fire investigators after being duly and properly summoned by the investigators to appear before them to give testimony in relation to a matter or subject under investigation.
(3) Whoever violates any of the provisions of this chapter and the codes adopted herein shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree for a first offense; for each subsequent offense of the same provision, that person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(4) Each day that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.
(5) Nothing in this section shall be construed as to grant Fire Investigators the right to abridge the civil rights of a witness.
(‘97 Code, § 94.08) (Ord. 12-94, passed 3-21-94; Am. Ord. 9-09, passed 8-3-09) Penalty, see § 10.99