Fire/Arson Investigations : Fire/Arson Investigations
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Re: Compiling of Unreliable Indicators
Posted by: dcarpenter (IP Logged)
Date: October 30, 2020 02:58PM
" 'Totality of the Evidence' has always been the fallback position of people relying on bad science."
I have been involved in many fire incidents that use this phase to help diffuse having to provide specific details on what evidence was used in the application of the Scientific Method for origin determination or fire cause. I have not previously seen it used to obscure the use of a number of unreliable indicators to support a determination of the origin of the fire. The use of this specific methodology was new to me.
If this specific (unreliable) methodology is more wide spread in its use to try and defend an unreliable determination, it would suggest that it is not organic in its inception and use by individual fire investigators. It seems to be more systematic in nature and might suggest that this was put fourth in previous or current training as a means to help fire investigators over the reliability hurdle.
Douglas J. Carpenter, MScFPE, CFEI, PE, FSFPE
Vice President & Principal Engineer
Combustion Science & Engineering, Inc.
8940 Old Annapolis Road, Suite L
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 884-3266
(410) 884-3267 (fax)
www.csefire.com
I have been involved in many fire incidents that use this phase to help diffuse having to provide specific details on what evidence was used in the application of the Scientific Method for origin determination or fire cause. I have not previously seen it used to obscure the use of a number of unreliable indicators to support a determination of the origin of the fire. The use of this specific methodology was new to me.
If this specific (unreliable) methodology is more wide spread in its use to try and defend an unreliable determination, it would suggest that it is not organic in its inception and use by individual fire investigators. It seems to be more systematic in nature and might suggest that this was put fourth in previous or current training as a means to help fire investigators over the reliability hurdle.
Douglas J. Carpenter, MScFPE, CFEI, PE, FSFPE
Vice President & Principal Engineer
Combustion Science & Engineering, Inc.
8940 Old Annapolis Road, Suite L
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 884-3266
(410) 884-3267 (fax)
www.csefire.com
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