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Re: Cause of the Fire - Rethinking
Posted by:
Gerald Hurst (IP Logged)
Date: July 14, 2006 09:19AM
If you are one of the many who just don't quite "get" the 921 classification system, you are probably one of the smart ones.
Any system which requires as much hand-waving to explain as this one does should be replaced with a system which is self-explanatory. The only reason I can think of for one-word classification terms is convenience in filling out forms.
In my opinion, the best way to classify a fire is to use as many clear English words as are required to make it obvious to the reader what the level of confidence is in the conclusion -- and the basis of that confidence.
The object of most fire investigations is to arrive at the origin and cause for potential legal battles. "More likely than not" (>50%) may be OK for a jury to use as a basis for deciding between the copy machine and the printer, but it is woefully inadequate for classifying a fire as incendiary.