Originally posted August 8:

Here is the original Public Input submitted by the OSAC Subcommittee on Fire and Explosion Investigation:

Statement of Problem and Substantiation for Public Input

Proposal: Delete Chapter 20- Classification of fire cause

Substantiation: The Classification of Fire Cause chapter attempts to assist the fire investigator with regard to the assignment of responsibility and with regard to reporting/compilation of statistics. These are quite disparate activities that are not well served by a single system. Further, modern reporting and compilation of fire statistics does not use a simple four category classification system as is advocated by NFPA 921. For instance the NFIRS system uses a 16 category cause classification system. The four class system simply provides inadequate discrimination of causes to be useful to the fire prevention community. Given the inadequacy of the 921 categories and the inconsistency of 921 with modern fire reporting and classification systems, there is no point in providing the simplified method reported in chapter 20. Further, 921 has divorced itself from NFIRS explicitly. It would be contradictory and confusing to address NFIRS in Chapter 20 after having divorced 921 from NFIRS. In this regard it is wise to put cause classification for statistics outside the scope of 921. With regard to the assignment of responsibility for the starting of a fire, the salient question is that of intent. Chapter 20 as currently configured provides no guidance to the fire investigator toward the determination of intent. The incendiary chapter of 921 includes extensive discussions of indicators as well as motives and motive classifications, but provides no information or methodology for the determination of intent. Since nowhere in NFPA 921 is there methodology or guidance on the determination of intent, investigators are left to their own devices in the determination of intent. The incendiary fire cause classification is simply a means to memorialize their subjective opinions in a manner that creates credibility that is not inherently deserved. This does not serve the community.