In a digital forensics scenario, the first individuals to arrive at a scene are typically not specialized forensic investigators. These first responders—often system administrators, IT support, or local managers—are categorized as non-forensics staff. Their primary responsibilities are to secure the area to prevent evidence tampering, document the state of the systems and surroundings, and report the incident to the dedicated incident response or forensics team. Their actions are crucial for preserving the integrity of potential digital evidence before trained specialists take over the investigation.

B. Lawyers: Lawyers provide legal counsel regarding the investigation's scope, authority, and compliance, but they do not perform on-scene, hands-on first responder tasks.
C. System administrators: While often acting as first responders, this option is too specific. The role can be filled by various personnel, making "non-forensics staff" a more encompassing and accurate term.
D. Local managers or other non-forensic staff: This is also a subset of the correct answer. The responsibility falls to a broad category of personnel, not just managers, making option A the best fit. ---

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2006). Special Publication 800-86: Guide to Integrating Forensic Techniques into Incident Response. Section 3.1, "First Responders," page 13. This section details the role of first responders, identifying them as "IT staff, system administrators, and security staff" and outlining their duties in preserving evidence before forensic specialists arrive.

2. Kent, K., Chevalier, S., Grance, T., & Dang, H. (2006). NIST Special Publication 800-86: Guide to Integrating Forensic Techniques into Incident Response. Computer Security Division, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology. Section 3.1.1, "Actions," pages 13-14. This part specifies the tasks for first responders, including scene documentation and evidence identification, which are performed by non-specialists.

3. Carrier, B., & Spafford, E. H. (2003). Getting Physical with the Digital Investigation Process. International Journal of Digital Evidence, 2(2). Section "The Physical Crime Scene Investigation Phase". This academic paper discusses the initial phase of an investigation, emphasizing that securing the scene is a critical first step often performed by on-site personnel who are not forensic experts. Available via the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library.