Fire Protection Expert Witnesses

What is a fire protection expert witness?

Fire protection and fire safety expert witness candidates are typically licensed professional engineers with areas of expertise in mechanical engineering, fire safety, fire protection engineering, and/or are a Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator (CFEI). An expert in fire protection systems should also be familiar with applicable building code mandates, and OSHA regulations. The chosen expert may be associated with an industry  organization, such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), or the Automatic Fire Alarm Association (AFA).

What types of cases require a fire protection expert witness?

Frequently, matters requiring fire protection expert witness services involve intellectual property, such as patent infringement litigation or trade secret disputes. A fire protection system expert witness might also provide testimony in fire origin and cause investigations, or a product liability case involving fire protection system failure analysis.

Fire protection expert witness case examples

When the need for a fire protection expert arises, top legal professionals call on Cahn Litigation Services. The firm has placed professionals for many matters, including:

• fire suppression systems patent litigation,
• New York fire code consulting,
• apartment fire cause,
• fire testing,
• personal injury accident investigation,
• ​emergency management,
• fire sprinkler systems failure causation in a New Jersey factory,
• consumer product  fire safety standards,
• fire service/fire department training,
• commercial building fire investigation,
• an explosion investigation in Florida, and
• fire code compliance in Michigan.

What litigation support work might a fire protection expert witness be expected to perform?

Litigation support services could include accident reconstruction, research and authoring expert reports, providing expert opinions, and testimony in the courtroom. Clients may seek a fire protection system expert for pre-litigation consulting work. In a high-profile case, or litigation involving a significant financial stake, a law firm may request a fire safety professional with prior expert witness testimony experience.

Cahn Litigation Services has the experience required to turn a search for a fire protection expert witness around quickly, providing the right balance of expertise and testimony experience.

Related Disciplines

Fire Protection Expert Witness - Representative Bios

Please Note: All Cahn Litigation expert witness searches are customized to attorneys' precise specifications and preferences. Attorneys are encouraged to discuss search parameters with a Cahn search specialist.

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The below expert witness bios represent a small fraction of those Fire Protection experts known by Cahn Litigation Services. These bios are provided to give lawyers a sense of the Fire Protection landscape.

• Expert Witness #122855

  This expert is considered one of the leading national experts on textile flammability and protective clothing and leads a highly respected fire safety consultancy. This expert frequently provides consulting to clothing manufacturers and end user organizations on proper design, selection, testing, and use of protective clothing and related equipment. This expert has written or coauthored over 120 reports, papers, and articles on various aspects of textile flammability and protective clothing and has been an invited as speaker for over 150 presentations.

  This expert is responsible for promulgation of ASTM standards on test methods for physical, chemical, biological, thermal protection and human factors, comprehensive NFPA standards on fire fighter, chemical, and biological protective clothing; and 10 ISO standards on different areas of personnel protection.

  This expert is considered a leader in textile flammability and has a thorough understanding of textile, rubber, plastic physical properties; flame and heat properties; chemical, biological, and particulate barrier properties; and comfort and ergonomic properties; laboratory auditing.

  This expert has been involved in numerous projects and contracts for development of specific protective textile systems, evaluation of products against industry standards, support of new product introductions into specific market niches, identification of industry technology needs, and determination of safety/health hazards for particular applications. This expert has extensive prior litigation experience including deposition and courtroom testimony.

  
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• Expert Witness #249431

  This expert is a mechanical engineer, a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and a Certified Energy Manager (CEM). Specializing in HVAC, Clean-room and Laboratories, Central Utility Plants, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Controls/Automation, Property Condition Assessment, Commissioning Authority, Reporting and Presentation, this expert has many years of mechanical engineering experience in Building Technology synthesis, design, operation and assessment at a variety of firms including TRC Engineers, Engineered Automation Systems, Inc. and ESCO. This expert is an effective consultant on diverse and challenging projects due to a solid background in mechanical, electrical, controls, life safety and security systems. This expert provides engineering, analysis, project planning, resource management, engineering, quality assurance, and commissioning and client communications. This expert's broad project experience and unique ability to integrate project needs and solutions for multiple and overlapping disciplines and technologies enables this expert to serve as an effective expert and participant on challenging projects.

  
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• Expert Witness #249401

  This expert holds a PhD and serves as Principal of a successful consulting engineering firm. This expert founded the firm to provide comprehensive HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and forensic engineering services. This expert has served as senior plant engineer at a private research university and brings to the table many years of diverse engineering and contracting experience. This expert has extensive knowledge of building codes, mechanical systems, electrical systems, renewable energy systems and geothermal systems, building envelope and roofing systems, as well as site utilities. This expert has been involved in the design, energy analysis and commissioning for many LEED Certified Buildings. This expert is also a forensic engineering consultant.

  
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• Expert Witness #214975

  This expert is the founder and CEO of a highly successful consultancy specializing in plastics. This expert has spent many years in the Plastics Industry as a leading authority on plastic and composite part failure. This expert worked for a plastics product manufacturer as a leading Principal Scientist. This expert is a world-renowned scientist and author as evidenced by many awards. This expert is a member of ASM International (a society of Material Scientists), the American Chemical Society Polymer Chemistry and Polymeric Materials Divisions, the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, the National Association of Subrogation Professionals, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, the Failure Analysis Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers, the Institute of Packaging Professionals, and the Society of Automotive Engineers. This expert has provided expert services in over 150 litigations involving plastics and composites. This expert is one of the top plastic failure experts in the world having analyzed hundreds of plastic and composite parts including, pipes, food packages, bottles, tanks, latches, toys, medical devices, exercise equipment, automotive parts, pulleys, chairs, and stools. This expert has authored >100 scientific papers, >60 US Patents, a book, and several encyclopedia articles on chemicals and plastics.

  CONSULTANT AND EXPERT WITNESS ON CHEMICALS AND PLASTICS

  • Forensic analysis/testing of plastic and composite parts
  • Manufacturing processes for plastic bottles including extrusion blow-molding, injection blow-molding, and stretch
  • Blow-molding
  • Root cause analysis of CPVC fire suppression system failures
  • Exercise equipment failure
  • Plastic piping products including ABS, PVC, CPVC, PEX, PP, PVDC, and HDPE
  • Additives for plastics including antioxidants and UV stabilizers
  • Design of plastic parts to meet the requirements of the application
  • Fracture mechanics of plastic materials and composites
  • Chemical resistance/degradation of plastics and elastomers
  • Discoloration and loss of clarity of plastics
  • Plastic part and package design and stress analysis
  • Polymer blends and compounding
  • Polyolefin based resins and applications
  • Additives for improved adhesion in polymer blends and composites
  • Chemicals and Plastics R&D
  • Monomer stabilization and polymerization
  • Molding and extrusion of plastics including foams and films
  • UV, thermal, and environmental degradation of chemicals and plastics
  • Plastic flammability and plastic flame retardant formulations
  • Migration of chemicals and additives from plastics
  • Chemicals and plastics for medical use
  • Composite and nanocomposite materials including carbon fiber composites
  • Permeability (vapors and odors) of plastics
  • Plastics used in medical applications
  • Abrasion resistance of plastics and elastomers
  • Material Selection (choosing the right plastic for the application)
  
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• Expert Witness #270388

  This fabric flammability expert holds a Ph.D. in Polymer and Fiber Science and an M.Sc. in Textiles, Polymers, and Fiber Engineering, and is a Professor Emeritus and former department chair in fire protection engineering at a well-regarded university.

  This expert has specialized experience as a textiles and clothing fire and flammability expert, including serving as lead expert in a number of clothing fire cases in California courts. This expert also has experience in a clothing fire case involving ignition by a portable heater.

  This expert is an experienced expert witness and litigation consultant.

  
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• Expert Witness #278296

  This fire/explosion causation expert has over 40 years of experience in fire/explosion investigation, reconstruction, and Fire Protection Engineering, and holds credentials as a Registered Professional Engineer, Certified Fire Investigator (IAAI), Certified Fire/Explosion Investigator (NAFI), and Registered Gas Distribution Professional.

  This expert has experience with lithium battery fires and numerous other hazardous materials, including propane, natural gas, ammonium perchlorate, ammonium nitrate, fireworks-related materials, explosives, and magnesium, and has testified on several occasions.

  
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• Expert Witness #279533

  This fuel expert is a Professional Engineer (PE) with B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and expertise in bulk material handling. This expert has deep experience in the supply, handling, storing, blending, and processing of a wide range of bulk materials, including work involving ports and terminals, power, transportation, mining, steel, and process industries. A prior leadership role included chairing a technical committee focused on fuels handling, transportation, and storage.

  A majority of this expert's projects have involved power-generating utilities, ports, and transfer terminals. Fuel is the single largest operating cost for a power plant, and the total cost contribution depends on fuel characteristics, including Btu content, unit dispatch, unit cycling, and heat rate. Fuel cost can exceed sixty percent of the operating cost for a plant. A fossil-fueled power plant converts the chemical energy of fuel to thermal energy to produce steam in a boiler and then mechanical energy rotating the steam turbine. In a combustion turbine and diesel generator, chemical energy is directly converted into mechanical energy. Fuel quality is a critical parameter for combustion and emissions.

  This expert's work has concentrated on solid fuels, which are much more variable and difficult to handle, process, and combust than liquid fuels, although the primary concerns are similar. Crude oil is refined to improve its properties by removing sulfur, tar, and other components. Refineries vary and may be constructed to service regional or country-specific regulations. A refinery produces a number of products that must be separately stored and transferred. The bottom of the barrel, so to speak, becomes petroleum coke, a solid fuel. Project work has included petroleum coke and refinery-related issues. Refined oil is typically transferred by ships, pipelines, barges, and rail, while ports and transfer terminals store fuel along its transport route. Contaminants such as water, bacteria, and assorted particles can be introduced at these locations. The details of tank storage construction, spillage prevention and protection, handling protocols and data logging, and valve transfer options at each transfer location can be important.

  This expert was responsible for a fuel oil handling facilities inspection program at over 10 plant locations receiving oil by vessel or barge. The investigation included modernization or repair of marine structures, fire protection, electrical systems, oil spill prevention, and communication systems, along with review of technical data for a leak detection system. Work has also included evaluating system requirements to convert a power plant from conventional fuel oil to an emulsified bitumen-and-water alternative fuel product. The spillage and dispersion properties of that type of alternative fuel are a more significant concern than conventional fuel oil because it cannot be contained by typical oil spill methods.

  This expert is an experienced expert witness and litigation consultant.

  
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• Expert Witness #297786

  This fire investigation expert holds a PhD and has extensive experience assessing warehouse fire hazards, ignition sources, and fire protection controls across a wide range of industries and facility types, including those involving consumer goods, hazardous materials, and specialized industrial processes.

  This expert's doctoral research focused on the initiation and propagation of fuel-air explosions and fires, supporting forensic investigations into fire origin and cause, fire spread mechanisms, and hazard assessments in enclosed facilities such as warehouses, plants, and storage areas.

  This expert is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Fire Protection Engineering, with deep expertise in protecting people, property, and operations from fire and explosion hazards. This expert also holds the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) credential, demonstrating advanced knowledge of OSHA regulations and NFPA standards for fire prevention, explosion protection, and code compliance.

  
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• Expert Witness #303986

  This hazard analysis expert holds a PhD and has a background that includes explosion hazard analysis, combustible dust and flammable vapor explosion assessment, process hazard evaluation, root cause analysis, and fire/explosion incident investigation involving chemical and process facilities.

  This expert has also worked extensively on hazard identification, ignition source evaluation, explosion prevention and protection, and assessment of contributing technical factors related to process incidents.

  
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