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In a civil action for damages arising from a warehouse fire caused by negligent maintenance, plaintiff P offers the testimony of A, a 48-year-old building caretaker who personally observed the defendant's foreman directing workers to bypass a flame arrester and to store flammable solvents near a heat source, which started the fire. The defense objects that A is not competent to testify because he suffers from a chronic anxiety disorder with intermittent memory lapses. The court must decide (a) whether A is a competent witness and why, (b) if competent, how the defense may attack A's credibility, and (c) if A's testimony is the only direct evidence against D, what additional proofs or considerations are needed to sustain a verdict.