Re: "Troll" Haters
From: Herb Schaltegger (herb.schaltegger_at_gmail.com.invalid)
Date: 12/27/04
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Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 07:43:13 -0600
In article <qnfoqc-ng1.ln@adelphia.net>,
p-stickney@Mineshaft.local (Peter Stickney) wrote:
> Herb, Here's a lawyerly question for you. A certain State in the
> Pacific Northwest, in order to "protect the public" mandated that all
> Smoke Detectors would have 10-year life batteries to power them.
> At this point, the only viable battery type for that task is Li-Ion.
> Is the Public Safety improved by requiring the use of Smoke Detectors
> that guarantee that if you've got a fire, the Smoke Detector will burn
> the house down?
> (We won't mention people not replacing 10 year old Smoke Detector
> batteries becasue they forgot that the bloody things were even there)
Hmmm . . . that's an interesting question. If it were a federal
regulation to be codified in the CFR, it would require an open comment
period of several months and probably at least one public hearing,
during which literally ANYONE can lodge comments that have to be
addressed. I don't know how various states create and enact such
regulations - my state tends to do so in exceedingly detailed
statutes, which cuts out the requirement to have public comment but
theoretically allows individuals legislators to take comments from
constituents into account when they vote, propose amendments, etc.
Obviously, the trade-off is to consider how many lives are saved by
fire detectors versus the arguably higher damage potential from
lithium cells. I wonder what percentage of structural fires reach the
ignition temperature of the Li cells and how long it takes to get
there, on average. That right there would probably give you the
objective answer to the trade-offs. If enough fires are detected
early enough due to the use of smoke detectors, thus saving lives and
resulting in extinguishment of the fire prior to Li ignition, it's a
net win I suppose. However, knowing how MY state picks and chooses
which statistical data to use/believe as it suits the bureaucracy, I
doubt the state in question did any serious analysis. It likely was
some lobbyist's great idea.
-- Herb Schaltegger, B.S., J.D. GPG Key ID: BBF6FC1C "Pray: To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy." -- Ambrose Bierce <http://www.angryherb.net>
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