+-------------------+------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| **Name:**         | ***Human Behavior in Fire***                   |   |   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| **Course          | This course provides fundamental information   |   |   |
| Description:**    | on human behavior as it relates to fire and    |   |   |
|                   | mass casualties. Understanding human behavior  |   |   |
|                   | is important as it relates to building design, |   |   |
|                   | evacuation and fire department operations. It  |   |   |
|                   | is especially important where populations are  |   |   |
|                   | large or include the disabled or persons       |   |   |
|                   | having limited mobility.                       |   |   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| **Prerequisite:** | FESHE core courses or equivalent               |   |   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| **Outcomes:**     | 1.  Categorize the types of behavior that      |   |   |
|                   |     people exhibit in fire situations as       |   |   |
|                   |     positive or negative as they effect        |   |   |
|                   |     emergency evacuation.                      |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | 2.  Outline three fire scenarios and describe  |   |   |
|                   |     the possible physiological impact each may |   |   |
|                   |     have on building occupants and responding  |   |   |
|                   |     firefighters.                              |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | 3.  Identify four psychological traits of      |   |   |
|                   |     building occupants which may effect their  |   |   |
|                   |     identification of and response to a fire.  |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | 4.  Perform algebraic estimates of occupant    |   |   |
|                   |     evacuation times from buildings.           |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | 5.  Identify the two primary modeling          |   |   |
|                   |     techniques used to estimate evacuation     |   |   |
|                   |     times in large buildings and               |   |   |
|                   |     transportation facilities.                 |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | 6.  Identify at least four occupancies where   |   |   |
|                   |     human behavior and response                |   |   |
|                   |     characteristics are unique to occupancies  |   |   |
|                   |     and where there is a high potential life   |   |   |
|                   |     loss.                                      |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | 7.  Write a summary of the human factors       |   |   |
|                   |     effecting high life loss in a major fire   |   |   |
|                   |     incident.                                  |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | 8.  Identify five occupancies in your          |   |   |
|                   |     town/city/jurisdiction where human factors |   |   |
|                   |     and building design may be factors in      |   |   |
|                   |     emergency evacuation. For one of these     |   |   |
|                   |     occupancies, list fire department          |   |   |
|                   |     procedures which should be implemented to  |   |   |
|                   |     deal with a major incident.                |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | 9.  Develop a fire scenario and provide an     |   |   |
|                   |     estimate of the effective time of          |   |   |
|                   |     operation for the first responding         |   |   |
|                   |     firefighters.                              |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | 10. Understand aspects of human behavior in    |   |   |
|                   |     mass casualties.                           |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | 11. Identify and analyze the causes involved   |   |   |
|                   |     in the line of duty firefighter deaths     |   |   |
|                   |     related to structural and wildland         |   |   |
|                   |     firefighting, training and research and    |   |   |
|                   |     the reduction of emergency risks and       |   |   |
|                   |     accidents                                  |   |   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| **Suggested       | SFPE Seminar: Human Behavior in Fire           |   |   |
| Student Texts:**  |                                                |   |   |
|                   | SFPE Engineering Guide on Human Behavior in    |   |   |
|                   | Fire                                           |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | SFPE Engineering Guide on Estimating Fire      |   |   |
|                   | Department Contributions toward Achieving Fire |   |   |
|                   | Safety Goals (draft)                           |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | SFPE SFPE Fire Protection Engineering          |   |   |
|                   | Magazine, Fall 2005, Issue No. 28              |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | http://ww                                      |   |   |
|                   | w.pentoncustommedia.com/sfpe/articles/Fall2005 |   |   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| **Supporting      | **References**                                 |   |   |
| References**      |                                                |   |   |
|                   | Purser, D. "Toxicity Assessment of Combustion  |   |   |
|                   | Products", Proulx. G. "The Movement of People: |   |   |
|                   | The Evacuation Timing" Nelson, H.E., and       |   |   |
|                   | Mowrer, F.W., "Emergency Movement", *SFPE      |   |   |
|                   | Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering,*      |   |   |
|                   | National Fire Protection Association, Quincy,  |   |   |
|                   | MA, 2002, pp. 2-99 - 2:111                     |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [Society of Fire Protection                    |   |   |
|                   | Engineers]{.underline}:                        |   |   |
|                   | <http://www.pentoncmg.com/sfpe/index.html>     |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | <http://www.peopleandfire.com/>                |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | Bryan, J. L., "Human Behavior and Fire", and   |   |   |
|                   | Fahy, R.F., "Calculation Methods for Egress    |   |   |
|                   | Prediction", *Fire Protection Handbook,*       |   |   |
|                   | National Fire Protection Association, Quincy,  |   |   |
|                   | MA, 2003, pp. 4-3 - 4-55.                      |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | Best, R.L., \"Reconstruction Of A Tragedy: The |   |   |
|                   | Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire\", *Southgate,  |   |   |
|                   | Kentucky, May 28, NFPA, 1977.*                 |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | Review of 28 Egress Models. Kuligowski, E. D.  |   |   |
|                   | NIST SP 1032; January 2005. Workshop on        |   |   |
|                   | Building Occupant Movement During Fire         |   |   |
|                   | Emergencies. Proceedings. Session 4.4. June    |   |   |
|                   | 10-11, 2004, Gaithersburg, MD, Peacock, R. D.; |   |   |
|                   | Kuligowski, E. D., Editor(s)(s), 68-90 pp,     |   |   |
|                   | 2005.                                          |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | <http:/                                        |   |   |
|                   | /fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/fire05/PDF/f05008.pdf> |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | <http://www.pentoncustomm                      |   |   |
|                   | edia.com/sfpe/articles/Fall2005Kuligowski.pdf> |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | **U.S. Fire Administration**                   |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [Publications]{.underline}:                    |   |   |
|                   | [http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/p        |   |   |
|                   | ublications/pubs_main.cfm](http://www.usfa.fem |   |   |
|                   | a.gov/applications/publications/pubs_main.cfm) |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | See Fire Protection, Fire Administration, Fire |   |   |
|                   | Service Operations                             |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [Applied Research]{.underline}:                |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [http://www.usfa.dhs.                          |   |   |
|                   | gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/research.cfm](http://www |   |   |
|                   | .usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/research.cfm) |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [Research Reports]{.underline}:                |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [http://www.usfa.dhs.go                        |   |   |
|                   | v/dhtml/inside-usfa/r_reports.cfm](http://www. |   |   |
|                   | usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/r_reports.cfm) |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [Technical Reports]{.underline}:               |   |   |
|                   | [http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications          |   |   |
|                   | /publications/techreps.cfm](http://www.usfa.fe |   |   |
|                   | ma.gov/applications/publications/techreps.cfm) |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [Topical Fire Research Series]{.underline}:    |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [http://www.u                                  |   |   |
|                   | sfa.dhs.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/tfrs.cfm](http:/ |   |   |
|                   | /www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/tfrs.cfm) |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [Learning Resource Center]{.underline}:        |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [http://www                                    |   |   |
|                   | .usfa.dhs.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/lrc.cfm](http: |   |   |
|                   | //www.usfa.fema.gov/dhtml/inside-usfa/lrc.cfm) |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | **National Institute for Standards and         |   |   |
|                   | Technology**                                   |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | [http://                                       |   |   |
|                   | www.fire.nist.gov](http://www.fire.nist.gov/): |   |   |
|                   | Fire Tests/Data, Software/Models,              |   |   |
|                   | Publications, FIREDOC (under Publications)     |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | <htt                                           |   |   |
|                   | p://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/fire93/art090.html> |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | **Current Events/News**                        |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | <http://www.firehouse.com/>                    |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | <http://www.fireengineering.com/>              |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | <http://www.withthecommand.com/>               |   |   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| **Assessment:**   | Students will be evaluated for mastery of      |   |   |
|                   | learning objectives by methods of evaluation   |   |   |
|                   | to be determined by the instructor             |   |   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| **NFPA Standards  | 1031                                           |   |   |
| Addressed**       |                                                |   |   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------------+---+---+
| **Point(s) of     | Joseph L. Scheffey, P.E., Hughes Associates,   |   |   |
| Contact:**        | Inc.                                           |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | 3610 Commerce drive, Suite 816                 |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | Baltimore, MD 21227-1652                       |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | <Joe@haifire.com>,                             |   |   |
|                   | [www.haifire.com](http://www.haifire.com/)     |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | Judith Kuleta, Bellevue Community College WA   |   |   |
|                   | (425)564-2515                                  |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | <jkuleta@bcc.ctc.edu>                          |   |   |
|                   |                                                |   |   |
|                   | **Revision 11/05**                             |   |   |
+-------------------+------------------------------------------------+---+---+

**Course Outline**

***Human Behavior***

**I. General Overview of Human Response to Fire**

> A. Occupant Response Characteristics
>
> 1\. Familiarity with structure
>
> 2\. Pre-evacuation behavior
>
> B. Human Response to Cues
>
> 1\. Alarms, signs
>
> 2\. Preplanning/staff training
>
> C. Decision Making
>
> 1\. Panic as a rare occurrence
>
> D. Egress behavior and decision making

**II. Impact of Environment on People**

> A. Thermal
>
> B. Toxicity
>
> C. Visibility
>
> D. Psychological
>
> 1\. Perception of smoke and fire

**III. Assessment of Occupant Movement in Buildings**

> A. Evacuation Assessment Fundamentals
>
> 1\. Horizontal Flow
>
> 2\. Vertical Flow
>
> B. Modeling of Evacuation
>
> 1\. Hydraulic
>
> 2\. Behavioral
>
> C. Special Occupancies
>
> 1\. High Rise
>
> 2\. Health Care
>
> a\. Hospital
>
> b\. Board/care
>
> 3\. Public Assembly
>
> a\. Stadia
>
> b\. Arenas
>
> 4\. Residential
>
> 5\. Transportation terminals
>
> 6\. Hazmat occupancies
>
> D. Use of Elevators

**IV. Fire Department Operations**

> A. Evacuation and Rescue
>
> 1\. Provide information to evacuees
>
> 2\. Occupant egress vs. fire department ingress
>
> B. Firefighting
>
> 1\. Heat Stress
>
> 2\. Exposure to smoke, toxins and hazardous gases
>
> C. Mass Casualties