Question 308General Subjects - 1st Asst/Chief

The correct answer is B) Collecting and preserving the physical evidence of the failure. The key priority in a root cause analysis is to collect and preserve the physical evidence of the failure. This is crucial as the physical evidence can provide critical clues and data needed to accurately determine the root cause. Consulting experts, interviewing personnel, and reviewing records are important steps, but they should come after the physical evidence has been secured. Losing or compromising the physical evidence could significantly hinder the investigation and make it difficult to conclusively identify the root cause. The other options, while important, are secondary to preserving the physical evidence.