scholarly journals Computer Fire Modeling and the Law: Application to Forensic Fire Engineering Investigations

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Icove ◽  
Thomas May
Keyword(s):  
Validation Studies ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Fire Modeling ◽  
Professional Standards ◽  
Verification And Validation ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Fire Engineering ◽  
Multiple Hypotheses ◽  
Fire Models ◽  
Legal Case

Computer fire modeling can be a two-edged tool in forensic fire engineering investigations. Professional standards of care recommend that fire modeling’s primary use is in examining multiple hypotheses for a fire as opposed to determining its origin. This paper covers the current acceptable benefits of computer fire models, historical and pending legal case law, and methods to use modeling results within expert reports and testimony. Particular issues reviewed are the use of animations versus simulations, evidentiary guidelines, and authentication using verification and validation studies.

scholarly journals Hopeless Cases: In Defence of Compensating Litigants at the Advocate's Expense

1999 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan Webb
Keyword(s):  
Public Policies ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Professional Standards ◽  
Dividing Line

The dividing line between novel litigation and cases which are an abuse of process and a waste of time can be a difficult one to draw.  Some would argue that the tension between these two public policies is reason enough not to award costs against an advocate bringing or defending "hopeless" causes.  The author, however, is of the view that the jurisdiction to award such costs is justified in the interests of protecting clients and maintaining professional standards.  An analysis of the case law reveals that the power is used sparingly and, if there is any doubt, the court will favour the advocate.

Fire modeling and information system technology

2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia L. Andrews ◽  
LLoyd P. Queen
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Modeling ◽  
System Technology ◽  
Gis And Remote Sensing ◽  
Fire Models ◽  
Spread Model ◽  
Information System Technology ◽  
In Fire

This paper was presented at the conference ‘Integrating spatial technologies and ecological principles for a new age in fire management’, Boise, Idaho, USA, June 1999 Fire modeling and information system technology play an important supporting role in fuel and fire management. Modeling is used to examine alternative fuel treatment options, project potential ecosystem changes, and assess risk to life and property. Models are also used to develop fire prescriptions, conduct prescribed fire operations, and predict fire behavior. Fire models and information systems have greatly influenced fuel assessment methods. As an example, we examine the evolution of technology used to put Rothermel’s fire spread model into application. A review of fire and fuel modeling terminology is given, and the relationship between fire models and fuel models is explained. We review current fire modeling work and the influence that it will have on fuel characterization. Finally, we discuss opportunities and challenges involved in the use of advanced computers, the Internet, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and remote sensing in fire and fuel management.

Legal and professional standards of care

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Watson ◽  
Caroline Lucas ◽  
Andrew Hoy ◽  
Jo Wells
Keyword(s):  
Mental Capacity ◽  
Professional Standards ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Mental Capacity Act 2005 ◽  
Mental Capacity Act

This chapter on legal and professional standards of care covers the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), and clinical negligence.

scholarly journals Retelling Copyright: The Contributions of the Restatement of Copyright Law

2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanne C. Fromer ◽  
Jessica Silbey
Keyword(s):  
Historical Context ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Copyright Law ◽  
Professional Standards ◽  
Law Reform ◽  
Court Decisions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Dramatic Criticism ◽  
Federal Case ◽  
The Subject

The provisions at issue in the draft Restatement of Copyright Law on which ALI membership will vote at ALI’s upcoming annual meeting are central to copyright doctrine and have been the subject of numerous court decisions over the past several decades of technological and industry change: originality, fixation, categories of copyrightable subject matter, the idea-expression distinction, and authorship and ownership.  This abundance of legal activity on copyright law demonstrates the value to the profession of this project retelling copyright.  In contrast to the dramatic criticism of this Restatement project alleging political capture or illegitimate law reform, the draft’s provisions are routine and straightforward.  They will surprise no one and are almost boring in their adherence to and synthesis of the copyright statute and judicial interpretations of it. Far from being radical or ill-advised, the Restatement of Copyright Law is a reasonable and welcome addition to the work of the ALI. Part I of this Article situates the current Restatement of Copyright Law in the historical context of other ALI projects, drawing parallels in their purposes, processes, and political tensions. Part II describes the controversy over a “retelling” of copyright law as misguided insofar as it fails to account for the practice of interpretation as part of the practice of law that is constrained by professional standards.  Part III describes the analysis and exposition of the provisions of the draft portions of the Restatement of Copyright Law presented to the ALI membership for discussion and vote this year as unremarkable but also beneficial, achieving the ALI’s goals of clarification and simplification of the sprawling federal case law interpreting and applying the 1976 Copyright Act.

An Inverse Fire Modeling Methodology for the Determination of Fire Size, Fire Location, and Soot Deposition in a Compartment

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristopher J. Overholt ◽  
Ofodike A. Ezekoye
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Fire Modeling ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Intermediate Step ◽  
Fire Size ◽  
Fire Models ◽  
Input Parameters ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Fire Location

Fire models are routinely used in life safety design projects and are being used more often in fire and arson investigations as well as reconstructions of firefighter line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) and injuries. In all of these applications, the fire heat release rate (HRR), location of a fire in a compartment, gas-phase soot concentration, and solid-phase soot accumulation are important parameters that govern the evolution of thermal conditions within the fire compartment. These input parameters can be a large source of uncertainty in fire models, especially in scenarios in which experimental data or detailed information on fire behavior are not available, such as fire investigations and LODD reconstructions. Various methods have been reported in literature to determine the size and location of a fire in a compartment using ceiling-mounted detectors [1–4]. A previous study by the authors developed an inverse fire modeling technique to determine the time-varying HRR of fire in a compartment using measured thermocouple data [5]. The work presented in this paper extends the inverse HRR methodology by developing a technique to determine the location of a fire using wall-mounted heat flux sensors or a surrogate such as degradation characteristics of enclosure boundaries that can be collected during post-fire assessments. Additionally, the presence of soot modifies the radiative transfer field in the hot gas layer (gas phase) as well as radiative heat transfer to surfaces (condensed phase). As a detailed history of compartment conditions becomes less available, there is a need for an inversion methodology to accurately recover governing input parameters such as fire size, fire location, and fire burning properties while maintaining an adequate level of accuracy. As an intermediate step using measured fire test data, we can begin to construct an approach to use rich data to invert for fire intensity, fire location, and fire properties such as the amount of soot produced by the fire.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document