Second international Seminar on

Human Behavior in Fire

Emergencies: October 29 - November 1, 1978

Proceedings of Seminar

B.M. Levin and R.L. Paulsen, Editors

Issued June 1 980 —oc- 100

U56

80-2070

1980

Sponsored by:

Center for Fire Research

National Engineering Laboratory

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, DC 20234

HATIOAAL BUREAU Cv STANDARDS

ILiFiARY

NBSIR 80-2070 AUG 1 2 1980

IUH- SECOND INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON

HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN FIRE

B.M. Levin and R.L. Paulsen, Editors

Issued June 1 980

Sponsored by:

Center for Fire Research

National Engineering Laboratory

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, DC 20234

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Philip M. Klutznick, Secretary

Luther H. Hodges. Jr., Deputy Secretary

Jordan J. Baruch, Assistant Secretary for Productivity, Technology, and Innovation

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Ernest Ambler, Director

EMERGENCIES: OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 1, 1978

PROCEEDINGS OF SEMINAR
I1)II1IIII111I
The conduct of the Seminar and the production

of this report were part of a Fire/Life Safety

Program jointly sponsored by the National Bureau

of Standards' Center for Fire Research and

the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

The program was a five year activity initiated

in 1975, consisting of projects in the areas of:

decision analysis, fire and smoke detection,

smoke movement and control, automatic extinguishment, and behavior of institutional and other

populations in fire situations.

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Foreword

The safety of building occupants in fire emergencies depends on both the

fire protection features of the building and the actions of the occupants.

In designing buildings and in developing fire safety requirements for

buildings, there has been available for use a large body of technical

information regarding the characteristics and effectiveness of the

various fire protection features, and research is underway to provide

more needed information. However, there has been little technical

information regarding human behavior in fire that can be used in designing

buildings, in developing fire safety requirements for buildings, or for

training occupants to properly respond to fire emergencies.

Fortunately, over the last few years, a number of research projects have

been started to provide the needed information. In the Spring of 1977,

Dr. David Canter invited a group of scientists to discuss their work and

their interests in the field at the First International Seminar on

Behaviour in Fire. This Seminar was specially designed to give the

investigators in the field an opportunity to meet each other, to discuss

methodological problems, and to be brought up to date on each other's

research activities. The technical program consisted mainly of descriptions of programs and informal discussions. Most of the technical

progress reported at that meeting will be published in a book edited by

Dr. Canter entitled "Human Behaviour and Fires".

The Second International Seminar on Behaviour in Fire was held at the

National Bureau of Standards. The Seminar had a larger attendance

partly reflecting the growth of technical activities in the field. The

technical program consisted mainly of formal presentations of technical

papers and panel discussions. The schedule and the arrangements were

again designed to give the participants ample opportunity to meet with

each other and have informal discussions.

These Proceedings contain the papers presented at the Seminar. In

some cases, the full paper has been published elsewhere and only the

abstract is printed here.

The field of human behavior in fire is still a new and small technical

discipline. It is making a limited but increasing impact in the broader

field of fire protection. There is no professional society or journal

that properly services this field of inquiry. This series of International

Seminars on Behaviour in Fires and Proceedings helps fill this void. We

are pleased to have been able to organize and host the Seminar and to

have edited these Proceedings.

iii
i1VVI«II1111II1II
Table of Contents

Page

Abstract 1

A. N. Beard - A SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY FOR APPROACHING FIRE SAFETY

AND ITS RELATION TO FAULT-TREE ANALYSIS 3

G.N. Berlin - A MODELING PROCEDURE FOR ANALYZING THE EFFECT OF

DESIGN ON EMERGENCY ESCAPE POTENTIAL 13

*J.L. Bryan and P.J. DiNenno - HUMAN BEHAVIOR ASPECTS OF THE

ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL FIRE 43

J. A. Burgun - THE RIGHT TO RISK - NORMALIZATION 45

D. Canter - FIRES AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR: EMERGING ISSUES 49

C. Chandessais - PANIC—FLIGHT—EVACUATION 65

B. L. Collins and B.C. Pierman - EVALUATION OF SAFETY SYMBOLS 91

M. Finucane and E.W. Marchant - HOSPITAL FIRE SAFETY,

NON-ATTENDANCE AND PATIENT MOBILITY 115

*R.L. Francis and P.B. Saunders - NETWORK MODELS OF BUILDING

EVACUATION 145

G.M. Haber - HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN FIRE DEPENDING ON TYPES OF OCCUPANCY:

HEALTH CARE, PENAL AND LEISURETIME OCCUPANCIES 147

S.G. Helzer - USING BEHAVIORAL DATA IN FIRE SAFETY ANALYSIS 159

S. Horiuchi - AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON EXIT CHOICE BEHAVIOR OF

OCCUPANT IN AN EVACUATION UNDER BUILDING FIRE 173

M. Kobayashi and S. Horiuchi - ANALYSIS OF OCCUPANT BEHAVIOR IN AN

OFFICE BUILDING UNDER FIRE 187

*V.J. Pezoldt and H.P. Van Cott - AROUSAL FROM SLEEP BY EMERGENCY

ALARMS : IMPLICATIONS FROM THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE 202

E. L. Ouarantelli, Panel Chairman - FIVE PAPERS FROM A PANEL SESSION

ON PANIC ’ 203

C.M. Black - PANIC: SOME ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSIGHTS 204

J.L. Bryan - PANIC OR NON-ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE FIRE INCIDENT,

AN EMPIRICAL CONCEPT 206

*Only an abstract of this paper- is presented here.

v
A.R. Mawson - IS THE CONCEPT OF PANIC USEFUL FOR SCIENTIFIC

PURPOSES? 208

J.D. Sime - THE CONCEPT OF ’PANIC IN FIRES': A BRIEF APPRAISAL. . 211

D. Wenger - SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE NATURE OF PANIC BEHAVIOR:

A NORMATIVE ORIENTATION / 214

*A.M. Ramey-Smith and J.V. Fechter - GROUP HOMES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY

DISABLED: CASE HISTORIES OF DEMOGRAPHICS, HOUSEHOLD ACTIVITIES,

AND ROOM USE 219

*J. Scanlon - HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN A FATAL APARTMENT FIRE 220

P.G. Seeger and R. John - EVACUATION TESTS IN HIGH-RISE OFFICE

BUILDINGS AND IN LARGE 2-STORY BUILDINGS 221

*A. Silcock, N. Savage, and D. Robinson - FIRES IN DWELLINGS 248

F.I. Stahl - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS CONCERNING THE VALIDITY OF "BFIRES”

A COMPARISON OF SIMULATED WITH ACTUAL FIRE EVENTS 249

*J.A. Swartz - THE IMPORTANCE OF ROLE ASSUMPTION IN THE BEHAVIOR

OF PEOPLE IN FIRES 259

A.F. Van Bogaert - FIRE PREVENTION IN SCHOOLS AND BOARDING SCHOOLS

FOR HANDICAPPED 2 61

*Only an abstract of this paper is presented here.
Abstract

The safety of building occupants in fire emergencies

depends on both the fire protection features of the

building and the actions of the occupants. Until

recently fire protection experts have relied mainly on experience and intuition regarding the capabilities and

actions of building occupants in the development of

fire protection systems and training programs. Research

projects underway can assist the fire protection experts

by providing them with needed information to supplement

their experience and intuition. This report contains

summaries of some of the recent research in this field

as reported at an international seminar on the subject.

It also contains the invited papers presented at the

seminar on the topic of panic.

1
iIiiiiiaiaiiiiiii
2
iivi«iiiiiii
A SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY FOR APPROACHING FIRE SAFETY

AND ITS RELATION TO FAULT-TREE ANALYSIS.

A.N. Beard

Department of Fire Safety Engineering

University of Edinburgh.

Fire may be regarded as an aspect of the working of an entire

system. That is, fire represents a failure of a system. In order

to fully understand the situation, it is necessary to be aware of the

dynamism and 'wholeness' within things. The very way in which we think needs to show this consciousness. Before one can carry out a study from this point of view, an appropriate methodology or guiding

structure is required. The methodology should not be 'static' and

mechanical but should be 'active' and continuing. A study of this

kind is never really 'finished'. A possible methodology is tentatively

suggested. Within such a framework many different techniques and tools

may be employed. Each of these tools will have specific and limited

alms. One such technique is fault-tree analysis. Up to now, fault

tree analysis has been applied to 'hard' engineering systems where the

parts and the relationships between the parts may be well defined and

quantified. There are numerous problems involved in using fault-tree

analysis in fire safety considerations and these problems need to be overcome in a general way. Factors involved cover material properties,

geometry and people's behaviour. In the short term a relatively simple,

although crude, way in which fault-tree analysis may be used is described.

Key words: System; systemic; dynamic; failure; fire safety;

methodology; fault-tree; sensitivity; imprecision; estimate type.

1 . Introduction

It is desirable to have an approach to fire safety which considers all the factors

involved as parts of an integrated whole and does not regard things in a fragmentary way.

The elements which contribute to fire safety (or the lack of it) do not vary independently

of each other; they interact to produce the behaviour of an entire system. In order to understand the full nature of the risk in a particular situation, it is necessary to attempt

to consider all the relevant factors and the relationships between them. Only with a systemic approach can a deep and comprehensive understanding come about.

The word 'system' has been used in many different ways and it is suitable here to adopt the

broad definition that a system is any entity, conceptual or physical, which consists of

interdependent parts. A closed system is such that no interaction takes place with elements

outside the system. Ultimately there is only one closed system, i.e. the Universe. Smaller

systems will be open to a greater or lesser extent.

2 . Methodology

When carrying out a systemic study, it is necessary to have an idea of the objectives

of the study and an appropriate methodology. Which methodology is suitable depends upon

the study objectives and the nature of the systems involved.

It is useful to consider systems as either 'hard' or 'soft'. A 'hard' system is one in

which the parts and relationships can be well defined and quantified (such as an engineering

system). A 'soft' system is one in which the parts and relationships are not easily defined

3
and quantified. All systems in which human beings play a large part are essentially

'soft'. Also, it may not be possible to give exact expression to the objectives of a study of a soft system, at least at the beginning.

When considering the problem of fire safety in hospitals, the objective might be rather

tentatively stated as: "How to increase fire safety in hospitals". However, the exact

statement of the 'problem' would almost certainly change as the study progressed.

A possible appropriate methodology for the systemic study of fire safety might be:

A /v A A A A

<1)

( 2 )

(3)

(4)

(5)

( 6 )

(7)

( 8 )

Formulation of 'the problem'.

Description of the problem. Parts

involved and relationships between the

parts. Systems involved. ’Objectives’

of the study.

Development of models with respect to the

systems involved. ’Objectives’ associated

with the systems. Structures; processes;

flows; constraints; forces. Models may

be verbal, mathematical, physical. Broad

qualitative models and quantitative (e.g.

fault tree) models may be employed.

Examination of specific past failure

situations. Each failure should itself

be examined from a systemic point of view.

'Near miss' situations. Statistics and

other information.

Select areas for further research or investigation

.

Consideration of 'the problem' in the

light of the earlier stages of the study.

Generation of ideas on how to tackle the

'problem ’

.

Evaluation of possible courses of action

and consequences

.

Carrying out action.

Appraisal. Assess the position and keep

cycling round; things are never 'closed'.

(This methodology is considered more fully in an article entitled "Towards a Rational

Approach to Fire Safety", which is due to appear in the Journal "Fire Prevention Science and

Technology", No 22, during the second half of 1979.)

Although this methodology is written as a series of steps, it should not be regarded as a "sausage machine" which, when completed, produces a "correct answer". The need will

probably arise to return to earlier steps and cycle round. It may be necessary to return

to the stage "formulation of the problem" more than once. For example, it might increase

fire safety to reduce the number of electrical appliances in a hospital, but then the

absence of a particular electrical instrument might have a very damaging effect with respect

to some other aspect of the system. The methodology should be regarded as dynamic and not

4
static

The 'problem' may become very complex and there cannot be a single 'solution'.

However, the methodology does provide a guiding structure fojr tackling the situation.

Within the structure, techniques may be used which may be 'sausage machines' to a greater or lesser degree. One of the techniques which might be used at the second stage is fault tree

analysis

3 . Fault Tree Analysis

This is a method by which failures that can contribute to an undesired event are organised logically. The resulting arrangement is a tree-like structure with information

flow from the branch tips, the single most undesired event being at the convergence of the

branches. The logical connections are expressed through AND gates and OR gates. The AND

gate is such that an output event occurs if, and only if, all the input events occur.' For

the OR gate, the output event occurs if one or more of the inputs occur. Such trees have

been used, for example, in the nuclear power industry, as a way of considering the protection

system in a reactor. The basic roots in the nuclear power tree are events such as the

failure of a power supply and probability or frequency values are associated with these. For

example, a particular event may be represented by the probability of a failure occurring per

month. Figure 1 shows a small segment of a fault tree for the automatic protection system

of a nuclear power station. If the pressure within the core becomes dangerously high, then

one or more sensors should detect this and transmit signals through the elements of the

protection system to cause the control rods to drop. The reactor should then go into a safe

state. The ’undesired event' which could take place is that the control rods would not drop

when they should do. This is represented on the tree as 'no trip'.

Figure 1. A Small Segment of a Fault Tree for the Protection

System of a Nuclear Power Station.

When one attempts to apply such a method in the case of fire, however, it is found that it

is by no means straightforward. One of the essential differences between a system such as

a power station protection system and a fire situation is that the latter represents a system which has a time development. The parts of a fire development tree cannot be

connected in a simple logical way, as was possible in the nuclear case, because the logical

connections depend upon time in a very complex way and this considerably complicates the

modelling. In addition, there are a very large number of elements to be taken account of,

involving material properties, geometry and people's behaviour. Further, it will very often

be the case that the basic knowledge, in terms of the dynamics and data associated with these

elements, will not be known.

The problem needs to be tackled in a general theoretical manner before a fault-tree type of

approach can be applied in other than a very crude way. Nevertheless, it might be

instructive to ask what could possibly be gained at the present time from a study of a particular fire from a fault-tree point of view. To this end a consideration of the fire

5
which occurred in Coldharbour Hospital in July 1972 has been carried out. A brief sketch

of the events connected with the fire is necessary. For further details the reader is

advised to refer to the "Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Fire at Coldharbour

Hospital". (Cmnd. 5170, HMSO)

.

4 . The Coldharbour Fire

The fire took place in Winfrith Ward on the night of 4/5 July 1972. .The hospital had

been built in 1940/41 and Winfrith Villa had been originally designed as 'barrack room'

accommodation. Just before the fire, the ward had been upgraded to make it 'more homely'.

Large spaces had been split up by partitioning. The fire brigade had recommended that the

partitions conform to Class 'O' with respect to surface spread of flame properties, but, in

the event, the partitions installed were found to conform only to Class 2 and Class 4. Thirty-four patients, most of whom were mentally handicapped, were housed in the villa.

There were two doors to the open air from the ward, one on the north side and one on the east

side. Both of these doors were locked. A corridor from the ward on the south side led to the bathroom, WC , and, further away and through a set of fire doors, the kitchen. The nurses’

desk was in the ward, just opposite the exit to the corridor. There was one nurse on duty

in the ward throughout the night

.

Just after 2.20 am, the nurse left the ward with the charge nurse and went to the kitchen to

make a cup of tea. The fire is thought to have started at approximately 2.30 am. A cry

or shout from the dormitory was heard by the nurses at about 2.50 am and the nurse ran straight to the ward to find a serious fire in progress . He turned round and smashed a break glass alarm, after which he returned to the dormitory, taking with him an automatic

hose from a reel. However, he found that he could not get into the dormitory because of

the smoke which had reached the entrance by then.

After a while, the north door was opened from the outside and some of the patients rescued.

However, at about 3.01 am, almost certainly due to the opening of the north door, flashover

took place, which put an end to further entries into the ward by anyone but the fire brigade.

The brigade arrived at 3.10 am and flaming was finished by about 3.19 am. Thirty patients

had died.

To consider one specific sequence of events such as this is of limited value. It is true

that making a change such that one of the vital causal elements could not occur again would

remove the possibility of that exact chain of events recurring, as well as other chains in

which that element played a crucial part. However, to an extent every fire is unique and

such a measure may well lessen the probability of a similar fire occurring again by only a small amount. Looking at the specific course of events, though, may be more useful if an attempt is made to extend the number of possible fire sequences which we are prepared to consider and which might lead to a similar catastrophe. We know that with the system such

as it was in Winfrith, a fire undiscovered by staff between 2.30 am and 2.50 am led to thirty deaths. This may be used as a dynamic basis for attempting to increase the number

of possible fire sequences under consideration. The problem of time dependence in the

general fault-tree theory is here translated crudely into this fundamental piece of information. Bearing in mind that this approach is very approximate, a fault-tree may be

constructed along the lines of Figure 2.

The diagram represents a number of different fire sequences which could possibly result in a disaster similar in magnitude to the one that occurred at Coldharbour. Each box is associated with a probability. The possibility of a fire being initiated by the contact of a lighted match or lighted cigarette with bedlinen has been considered to be of particular

importance. In general, other ways in which the fire could start should be considered

separately as well. An attempt has been made to consider various circumstances in which

the nurse might be unaware of the existence of the fire between approximately 2.30 am and

2.50 am. In principle, the effect of the combustibility properties of the partitions, walls

,

floors, furnishings, etc. has been included. Also, whether or not an automatic detector

system exists has been put into the model.

The final box, Ps , is the probability of a fire starting at about 2.30 am and being

sufficient to kill approximately thirty people within about thirty minutes. Different

situations will be reflected in different probabilities. We shall consider first of all

6
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BETWEEN 2.

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and

2.50

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FOR

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REASON,

e.g.

CALLED

AWAY.
the system as it existed at Coldharbour (System 1) and then go on to consider other

possible systems which would represent a few fire safety measures which could be taken.

'System 1' refers to the entirety of interacting parts which produced fatalities in the

Coldharbour fire. The possible changes to this original system considered here are:-

(a) All bed-linen non-combustible. Making this change to System 1, then call the

result System 2.

(b) Partitionsof Class 'O' rather than Class 2 or Class 4. Making this change to System 1, then call the result System 3.

(c) Nurses' station (with tea-making facility) in ward. Making this change to System 1, then call the result System 4.

(d) Automatic detector system. Making this change to System 1, then call the result

System 5. .

Each of these systems is considered in relation to System 1 . Ps for System i (where i stands for 1 ,2,3,4 or 5) is written as P 3i and the ratio P s i/P s i determined in each case. For example, if PS 2 / psl is 0.5, then if we make the change indicated in System 2, we would

expect the probability of a fire similar to the one which occurred to be reduced by half.

(The ratio Ps i/P s i might be called the 'reduction factor').

The basic relations are:-

r

s ~ 2 *6 c i r e P 2 = P 3 P 4 + P 5 P 8 = P 1 + P 9 + P 10 + Pll

(The events characterised by Pj , P

g

, P 10 , P tl , have been taken to be mutually exclusive,

although this is not a necessary condition) . Further details on the logic of AND and OR

gates may be found in references 1, 2 and 3.

System 1: The system as it existed in Coldharbour hospital just before the fire.

Then P

g = 1 ; P ? = 1 ; P

3 = 1 P 2 = P 3 P 4 + P s , which, in this case, becomes P 2 = Pu + P 5

. P s for system 1 is P sl and likewise for other systems.

PSl= < P , + W

System 2: Same as system 1 but bed-linen non-combustible.

Then P 3 = 0. Also, estimate that P s = g P 4 Then P sl = 1.67 P 4 P 0

; P

g2 = P^ = 0.667 P 4 P 3 . Pg7

psi

0.667

1 .67

0.4

System 3: Same as system 1, but partitions of Class 'O' rather than Class 2 and Class 4. Estimate that P = 0.2. Then P s3 = 0.2 (P4 + P 5 )P 3 and P s 3 _

6 p , ~ °- 2 r sl System 4:

System 5:

Same as system 1, but have a nurses' station (with tea making facility) in the

ward. Then P = 0; also we need to make an estimate of each of the probabilities P

g

, P 0 , and P 13 . Let P x under system 1 be of magnitude p, and estimate

that

P 9 = 0 . 25p

P 10 - O.Q5p

P u = O.Olp

P31 = (P„ + P s )1.31p

ps = ( p4 + P 5 ) 0 . 31p 3 4

0.31

1.31

0.236

Same as for system 1 , but

P 7 = 0.1; PS3 = (P4

with an automatic detector system.

+ P 5

) 0.1 P 8 , and Pg^

= Q>1

Estimate that

Psi

Systems 2 to 5 represent four possible changes which could be made to increase the level of

fire safety. We may now consider possible combinations of these changes. The system

incorporating the changes made in both system i and system j will be written as System i/j,

and the appropriate P

3 as P si j

. A similar notation is used for more than two changes.

8
For example, the system with all four alterations is System 2/3/4/5, and the appropriate P

3 is written ^32345 - The results are summarised in Table 1. All the estimates made in the

consideration of each system are listed.

There are represented here a total of fifteen possible fire safety alterations to the

original system, based on four separate changes. Clearly this is by no means exhaustive;

these are not the only changes which should be considered in attempting to improve the fire

safety level. The point here, however, is to illustrate the use of the method rather than

to propose definite measures in a particular situation.

(NB. In Table 1, 'Ratio Psi/Pai' refers to a] changes to the original system have been made

.Table 1

System Estimates made Ratio p si/psl

2/3 P

S a 5 p

, . p s 23 » 0.08

a 0.2 P

3 1 2/4 P

a 0

K. 25p

P S 2 >• = 0.095

p io a 0 . 05p *si

Pll s O.Olp

2/S p

s a K Pazi N O "0 p 7 a 0.1 p si

3/4 p. a 0.2

ps l

= 0.0473

P 9 a 0 . 25p

P 10 a 0 . 05p

P U

a O.Olp

3/5 P« a 0.2 P 335 » 0.02

P 7 a 0.1 V

S 1

4/5 Py a 0.1 p s,s « 0.0236

P 9 a 0.25p

Psi

I Pio a 0.05p

Pll a O.Olp

2/3/4 P s 3 0.2 p

PsP 9

3a

3 P, 0 . 25p

p si * 0.0189

Pio a 0 . 05p

Pll a O.Olp

1 the systems in which two

This is for the sake of

three or four

simplicity)

System Estimates made Rat io Psi/ psl

2/3/5 P

s =

P 5 =

P, *

0.2

I P- 0.1

Ps ? 35 P

3l

= 0.008

2/4/5 P =

=>; -

3 P„

0 . 25p Psa^s = 0.0095

Pio =

Pll *

P 7 *

0.05p

O.Olp

0.1

P

S1

3/4/5 p« -

P 7 = 0.2

0.1

0 ,25p

0 .05p

O.Olp

p

391.5 P = 0.00 4 7 3

9 - p io*

Pll =

p

Si

2/3/4/S P

S "

p 6 *

3 P. 0.2

P 9 = 0 . 25p

PlO = 0.05p

Pll = O.Olp

P7 = 0.1

PS23u s 0 001891

31

It has been necessary to estimate some of the probabilities involved. Each of the fifteen

possible alternative systems contains one or more estimates. The final system, containing

all four changes (i.e. System 2/3/4/S) involves a total of six such quantities. Wherever

possible, each of the estimates has been guided by information. For some of the probabilities, more well-founded values could be obtained by carrying out appropriate studies.

(As for example in the cases of P

9

• p io » p

iP • Other quantities, such as P 5 in the present

case, are much more difficult to estimate.

There are a number of different types of estimate which may be made in a study of this kind.

9
These may range from 'judgement' (or 'guesswork') which is not consciously based on any

definite information, to values which are very well grounded in data. A classification of

types of estimate and the relationship to the present study is considered in the appendix.

However, as has been said, the present intention is to illustrate the kind of technique

rather than to suggest concrete measures. According to this model, with the values put in,

if all the four changes were made, the probability of a similar major loss of life due to fire at Winfrith Villa would be reduced by a factor of about 0.00189, That is, if P

3 ^ is

the probability of thirty fatalities occurring between 2.30 am and 3.00 am in the original

system (System 1) then the probability of a similar catastrophe happening in a system

incorporating all the changes (System 2/3/ 4/5) is P

S23US = 0.00189 Psl .

This raises the question of how sensitive the final result is to the values of the quantitiesinjected. How dependent the final ratios are upon a particular value is a function of both

the logic of the model (i.e. the parts and the way the parts are connected) as well as the

magnitudesof all the quantities put in. To obtain some idea of the effects of changes,

each of the six estimated probabilities will be considered in turn. The alteration in the

final result brought about by reducing the estimate for each guessed value by 50 per cent

has been determined

.

1. P

j

: This is considered with respect to System 2. Taking P s = 3 P 4 gives Ps 2 /Psi =0 - 4 Taking P 5 = 3 P4 gives PS 2 / ps i = °- 25 - That is, reducing the estimate for P 5 by 50 per cent reduces the ratio P S 2 /P S : by

38 per cent.

2. P

6

: Reducing P g by any percentage reduces the final ratio by the same percentage.

3. P 9

: This is P s/P

si

considered with

by 34 per cent

.

respect to System 4. Reducing P9 by 50 per cent reduces

4 . P l0 = This is

ps-/psi

considered

by 6.8 per

with

cent

respect to System 4. Reducing P 10 by 50 per cent reduces

5

.

P U

: This is considered with respect to System 4 . Reducing Pll by 50 per cent reduces

PSlf / Ps^}' 0-8 5 Per cent.

6. P 7 : As with P

g

, reducing P 7 by any percentage reduces the final result by the same percentage

.

We see that the final result is very sensitive to the estimates of P

? and P

?

. Also, for

the particular magnitudes chosen of all the quantities involved, the final ratios are highly

dependent upon the values of P

g and P

g

, but much less so upon the values of Pjo and Pu . In general, one must be very careful that the estimates put in are based on as solid

foundations as possible. It is important not to attach an unjustified significance to numbers which result from any model. All models have limitations and it is essential to be aware of what those limitations are. One must be conscious of the assumptions, both

explicit and implicit, contained within a model. Any output must be seen in full awareness

of the assumptions made. Further, the imprecision of the input and what this means for the

output needs to be clearly realised. The whole question of imprecision of the input is a vital one for all models involving complex systems.

5 . Conclusion

As stated earlier, the particular model presented here is by no means all embracing.

There are many important factors which have not been mentioned. A .multitude of changes

could be made in order to increase fire safety, from a consideration of a small item of

furniture to a change in overall design or organisation. Also, the probability P s should

be broken down further to consider other specific ways in which a fire could start. For.

the Coldharbour fire in particular, one could mention that the north and east doors were locked and that in fact the "brigade could only force their way into the east door with

difficulty". Co-ordinated and constructive action by the people involved is crucial; for

10
example the Report mentions that "there was no organised effort to open the locked doors".

More generally we have to understand much more about the behaviour of people in a fire

situation

Further, at Coldharbour the fire brigade did not arrive as

# soon as it should have done

because of a failure in the 'alerter system'. This delay in calling out the local brigade

may have had little effect upon the result of the fire but in other circumstances it could

be of crucial importance.

This brings us back full circle to the points made at the beginning of this article. The

total situation is complex and clear cut 'solutions' are rarely, if at all, possible.

Given this, an attempt must be made to consider all relevant factors and how they affect

each other. The problem of fire safety needs to be examined from a systemic point of view

and not in a disjointed or narrow fashion. Within such a study, both qualitative and

quantitative models should help in the conceptualisation. In particular, models of the

fault-tree type may be developed and used in the tackling of problems. To this end it is

desirable to construct a conceptual fault-tree model which is adequate from the point of

view of understanding of the elements involved and the way they interact. Specifically,

the difficulty of the time dependence has been mentioned and all of these problems will

have to be overcome in a general way. In the immediate term, this paper has attempted to

show how a study of a particular fire may help, albeit in a very crude and limited manner,

in the overall understanding of the situation.

Appendix

Types of Estimate

A categorisation of estimates has been made in chapter 2 of the report "Canvey". (see ref 4)

A coding taken from this work may be listed as:

(a) A scientifically based figure to which, if necessary, a standard deviation could be

attached

(b) Based on statistics but some ’judgement' has been used. Could be made more definite

if more time and trouble were taken.

(c) Have attempted to relate an operation under consideration to some other operation which

has previously been analysed in some other context and for which fault tree assessments

have been made

(d; A 'Judgement' has been used but the prospects are poor for ever reducing the uncertainty.

(f) Based on a fault tree.

To this classification might be added type (e) and type (cl):

(e) A 'Judgement' has been used but the prospects are good for reducing the uncertainty.

(cl) Have attempted to relate an operation to some other operation which has been analysed

but for which fault tree assessments have not been carried out.

Further, the comment should be made that when a fault tree is referred to the nature of the

probabilities injected into the tree should be clearly stated. The values put into a tree

may range from guesses, to well-grounded figures.

We may now consider the estimates made in this paper in the light of this typology:

P

5

: Has been arrived at after looking at a report (personal communication) based

on official statistics. (DHSS , London). It would be estimate type (b)

P 7

: Arrived at after consulting ref 5. This could also be considered estimate

type (b) .

11
p

10 p n These would be type (e) . More well-founded probabilities could be obtained

by carrying out appropriate studies.

P g

: This is much more difficult to estimate. P6 should itself be broken down

into a fault tree which would embrace such elements as toxicity properties

,

fire resistive and surface spread of flame characteristics, geometry, as well as others. Work carried out by Rogowski (ref 6) suggests that Class

'O’ partitions might be expected to make a substantial difference to the

probabilities involved. The value 0.2 has been assumed and this would

correspond to type (e)

.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr E W Marchant and Professor D J Rasbash , both of the Department

of Fire Safety Engineering, University of Edinburgh, for their useful comments during the

preparation of this article. This work was carried out with financial support from the

Department of Health and Social Security.

References

(1) Green, A.D, and A.J. Bourne, "Reliability Technology", 1972. •

(2) "Systems Performance - Human Factors and Systems Failures". Unit 7/8, "Engineering

Reliability Techniques". The Open University.

(3) Lindgren, B.W, and G.W. McElrath, "Introduction to Probability and Statistics".

(4) "Canvey - An Investigation of Potential Hazards from Operations in the Canvey IslandThurrock area". Report by Health and Safety Executive, HMSO , 1978.

(5) Fry, J.F. and C. Eveleigh, "The Behaviour of Automatic Fire Detection Systems".

Building Research Establishment Current Paper 32/75, 1975.

(6) Rogowski, B.W.F., "Some Experiments on Fire Development in Hospital Cubicles".

International Symposium on "Fire Safety of Combustible Materials", University of

Edinburgh, October 1975.

12
A MODELING PROCEDURE FOR ANALYZING THE EFFECT OF

DESIGN ON EMERGENCY ESCAPE POTENTIAL

Geoffrey N. Berlin

National Fire Protection Association

470 Atlantic Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts 02110

A technique for calculating the number of

directed escape routes is presented. The technique

can be used to describe the changing opportunities

for safe escape due to the spread of flame and

accumulation of combustion products. The layout

of the Beverly Hills Supper Club is used to illustrate the application of this technique which provides

the architect, building engineer, code official

and fire specialist with a tool for objectively and

quickly analyzing the effects of design on escape

potential

Key Words: Egress; evacuation; fire incident.

13
While the design of a building must attempt to facilitate the

activities of its occupants by making it easy for a customer to find

their offices and for the businesses to perform their various functions,

the effect of the design on emergency escape potential should not be

overlooked. Is the best design for normal daily activities in conflict

with a design that enables all occupants to reach locations of safety

easily and quickly?

The NFPA Life Safety Code states that "every building . . . shall be

provided with exits sufficient to permit the prompt escape of occupants in

case of fire or other emergency." The code provides, in a prescriptive

manner, design specifications for providing' the level of fi resafety intended

by the code writers; however, it does not define in a performance sense

'what it means to have a sufficient number of exits or how much time and

physical stamina are required for safe escape.

While the model described in this paper will not address all these

questions, it does attempt to provide the architect and building engineer

with a tool for objectively obtaining a measure of escape potential based

on minimal data. Of primary concern is the ability of the occupants to

escape once a fire has been detected. This paper describes a technique

for describing a measure of escape potential by calculating the number of

directed routes from any room to a location of safety. Here, a route is

defined to be a sequence of connected rooms ending with a designated location

of safety. A tunnel, another fire compartment, or the outdoors can serve as

a location of safety depending on the dwelling type. Floor plans for a

The model was developed as part of a project to study fi resafety in

residential occupancies, being funded by the Department of Housing and

Urban Development (Project H-2316).

14
single- fami 1 y dwelling and the more intricate Beverly Hills Supper Club that

was recently destroyed by fire are used to illustrate the application of

this technique.

The possibility of escape from involved areas of the building is an

important factor in assessing the hazards of fire. Leaving the building is

the surest way of minimizing injuries due to fire and structural failure.

Describing the escape potential is the first step toward assessing other

aspects of exiting and occupant survival.

Related Work

A number of other modeling approaches have been proposed for determining

escape potential. Based on a formulation similar to the Maxwell- Bo Itzman

gas model, Henderson (1971) attempted to simulate human crowd movement.

Stall (1975) has . developed a random movement simulation of people movement

which is being enhanced to bias occupant movement in response to various

warning signals. The NFPA (1977) has described a state- transition simulation for modeling the probabilistic response of fire growth in terms of a

few general criteria for escape.

The approach described in this paper is similar to methods for analyzing

the reliability of networks in general. However, the definition of an escape

route that has been adopted for this study limits the extent that the concepts of reliability can be applied.

Escape Potential

In contrast to the several stochastic models, the calculation of

escape potential is approached here as a deterministic, combinatorial problem on a mixed graph. The graph of nodes and arcs describes the connectivity

of rooms and locations of safety. Nodes are used to represent all physically

15
"defined" rooms, portions of large areas, and the locations of safety.

Arcs are used to indicate the connectivity of these areas and the possible

directions of travel.

Figure 1 shows the escape graph for the accompanying single-family

dwelling. For example, nodes "K" and "H" in Figure 1 represent the

kitchen and hallway, respectively. An undirected arc connects these

two areas since it is possible to travel between these rooms in either

direction. However, a single directed arc is used to represent one or more

exits from the kitchen to the outside since it is unnecessary to model travel

back into the dwelling. The number and type of exits from a room are not

distinguished as long as a connection exists.

During an emergency evacuation, someone may take a path that is the

shortest route to a location of safety or the most round-about route

imaginable. For planning purposes, a reasonable description of the opportunities available to the occupant may be sufficient for an initial assessment of escape potential. Here "reasonable" is used to describe certain

assumptions regarding the level of perception, human behavior, and extent

of crowdedness. For instance, as the level of perception and perhaps the

number of people increases, the number of duplicate arcs comprising escape

routes may decrease so that there are absolutely no retracings and the

variation in node length may decrease from a weighted average of distances

to all possible exits to the length of the shortest path to the nearest

exit. Consideration must also be given to the fact that the routes used

for escape may vary over time as the occupants locate the nearby exits and

establish free-moving flow patterns without even accounting for changes in

the escape graph due to the spread of the fire and combustion products.

While one might consider all the distinct routes to be designated

locations of safety, a slightly more restrictive definition is used here

16
bedroom 1

bedroom 2

Figure 1

Floor Plan and Escape Graph for a Single-Family Dwelling

17
to characterize valid escape routes. It is assumed that the extension of

a route is always directed toward a designated location of safety and that

opposing movement through a room is prohibited. Table 1 indicates the number

of escape routes from the kitchen and hallway in the single- family dwelling.

This definition of an escape route does not allow for "backtracking"

or "circling." Backtracking is the situation in which occupants will enter

a room or start down a hallway before they realize that they should not

continue, and hence, turn around and retrace their steps. Circling describes a situation that is similar to backtracking in that the occupant

passes through the same room more than once; the difference in this case

being that the occupant takes another path in returning to a previous location. Excepting for the room of origin, travel through a room directly

connected to a location of safety is also prohibited. Thus, the location

of safety represents an "escape sink" as illustrated in Figure 2.

Disallowing circling also prevents the movement of occupants in different

directions through one or more rooms. While the prohibition of circling may

imply an assumption that all occupants are familiar with the building which

is rarely true, occupants attempting to escape from a particular area will

likely communicate verbally or observe others leaving the same location so

that they will not normally circle back toward their initial origin.

However, connected rooms on different routes can be used to extend alternative paths as illustrated in Figure 3.

While the existence of an escape route is a basis for analyzing the

necessary conditions for egress, other factors must be considered in an

analysis of life safety. In particular, the model does not address the

difficulty that a person has in traversing a route. This difficulty may

depend on the individual's physical capabilities and perception of risk.

18
TABLE 1

POTENTIAL ESCAPE ROUTES FROM THE

KITCHEN AND HALLWAY

Routes from Kitchen Routes from Hallway

K h. 0 H h. 0

K -» L + 0 H K + 0

K - H - 0 H •+• L -*• 0

H B

i + 0

H B

2 0

Key:

K

3 Kitchen

L

3 Living Room

H

3 Hallway

B-| , 3 Bedroom

B^ 3 Bedroom

0

3 Outside (Location of Safety)

19
Single Valid Directed Escape Route:

B >H ^0

Figure 2

Locations of Safety as an Escape Sink

20
Valid Directed Escape Routes:

H 4 K -» 0

H -» L 0

H -» K L -> 0

H L K 0

Figure 3

Connected Areas for Route Exchange

21
the type and amount of combustion products, the number of persons using

the same route, and the structural characteristics of the escape route

itsel f.

Nevertheless, the number of escape routes does provide an indicator

of an individual's chances of eventually selecting a path to a location of

safety and an objective measure of the differences in building designs.

The techniques for determining these routes focuses attention on the escape

potential from each room as well as from the entire building. By identifying actual or hypothetical fire scenarios in which various rooms become

impassable, it is possible to investigate the susceptibility of routes to

blockage by different types of fires in terms of the length of time that

routes are available for an occupant to escape safely. Of particular

importance will be the time when routes from a room no longer exist.

Algorithm for Determining the Number of Directed Escape Routes

The technique for determining the number of directed escape routes is

an iterative scheme that selectively searches adjacent nodes until all

possible branches have been investigated. In this application where no

distinction is made regarding the travel between or through rooms, only

the existence of an eligible branch is relevant. Starting at a specified

location, the technique begins by identifying adjacent locations. For

each one of these locations, the number of paths through it is the same as

the number through the preceding location. Then, all arcs connected to

these locations are removed from consideration in order to prevent backtracking and circling. Because the number of branches is likely to increase as additional locations are considered, the total number of directed

routes from the starting location would also continue to increase.

22
To describe this algorithm in mathematical notation, it is necessary

to define the following variables and sets.

Let:

k = specified starting location,

s = specified location of safety,

3 number of directed routes from location k,

N = set of nodes,

E 3 set of nodes directly connected to a location of safety,

A. = set of nodes that can be reached directly from node j, and

J

c.j = number of routes through node i.

Then, the algorithm is as follows:

1. Initialization

R

k

= 0

c. = 0 for all i e N, i / k

1 for i = k

J

3 (k>

A. 3 {s} for all j and j / k

J

2. Adjacent Node Identification and Counter

A _ c. 3 c. +> c. for all connected combinations of nodes

J J *

i e J such that i / E.

~3. Hrc Removal

Remove nodes j e J from A^ for all nodes i e N

23
4. Termination Check

A

If

| J| = 0, stop. Otherwise, set J=U, J=#, and C^Max (c.

,

for all i e N and proceed to the next step.

A

5. For each node j e J and then for all i e A

.

(a) + c.

(b) J = JU (i >

(c) R^ = R^ + Cj and set Cj = 0 if j e E

6. Return to Step 2.

This algorithm always terminates since the number of arcs is finite and each

one. is considered no more than once.

Modeling Escape Potential During a Fire

As a fire and the associated combustion products spread throughout

a building, rooms become impassable. Melinek and Booth (1975), and Birky

(1977)- review the hazard characteristics of the combustion products in

fires. When a room becomes impassable, all arcs associated with that room

are removed. Table 2 illustrates the effects of blocking either the kitchen or hallway. As might be expected, the consequences of blacking a

central location such as the hallway is worse than the blockage of a remote

location such as the kitchen.

Usually, the number of potential escape routes decreases as the number

of impassable rooms increases. However, blocking certain rooms can actually

lead to an increase in the number of escape routes because of decreased

interference among routes converging on particular rooms. Blocking certain

exits also can allow for the construction of longer routes which, in turn,

may increase the number of routes that are calculated. However, these

24
TABLE 2

EFFECT OF BLOCKED ROOMS ON THE NUMBER OF

ESCAPE ROUTES IN A TYPICAL SINGLE

FAMILY DWELLING

Number of Directed Escape Routes

All Rooms Kitchen Hallway

Location Passable Blocked Blocked

Kitchen 3

Hallway 5

Living Room 3

Bathroom 1

Bedroom 1 2

Bedroom 2 2

TOTAL 16

NOTE: An "x" indicates a roan

2 2

1 0

2 1

2 1

11 6

is considered to be impassable.

25
additional routes may be much more susceptible to blockage because of their

longer length. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the effects of

different fire scenarios on the escape potential before assessing the overall safety of a building design.

Analysis of Escape Potential

This model is used in several ways to describe the effects of a building

design on escape potential. The various ways of describing the dimensions

of escape potential are motivated by the factors that an occupant might consider in assessing his chances for escape and that the fire service considers

in planning its rescue and suppression actions. An analysis of the Beverly

Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky, was undertaken to demonstrate the

uses of the escape potential model. Figure 4 illustrates the layout of

the Supper Club in which 165 individuals died as a result of a fire on

May 28, 1977 (NFPA, 1977). Figure 5 illustrates the associated escape graph.

Table 3 presents the number of directed escape routes for the pre-fire

situation and three different times during the fire. The "pre-fire" condition

describes the escape routes that were available irrenediately before the fire.

The remaining three situations describe the effects of the spreading fire

and combustion products. In reviewing the results in Table 3, it can be

observed that (1) the range in the number of potential escape routes before

the fire varied from 2 to 40; (2) the kitchen, which is considered to be a

hazardous area, had the largest number of "pre-fire" routes, and (3) the

rate that the number of escape routes diminished varied from one room

to another.

These observations emphasize the fact that pre-fire potential for escape

can be very misleading if a central area such as a hallway or atrium becomes

impassable. Furthermore, this tragic fire points out that the distance from

a fire may be of minor importance in predicting the hazards of a fire.

26
LOCKED DOOR

ROOM DEFINITIONS FOR EXIT ANALYSIS

27
outside

Figure 5

Escape Graph for the Beverly Hills Supper Club

28
Table 3

Number of Directed Escape Routes

During Actual Fire Scenario

Number of Directed Escape Routes

Originating Location Pre-fire 8:45-8:50 8:55-9:00 9:00-!

1. Crystal Room 40 1 X X

2. Crystal Room 39 1 X X

3. Main Staircase 21 X X X

4. Upstairs Hallway 39 1 X X

5. Cabaret Room 24 10 4 X

6. Garden Room 25 11 5 X

7. Corridor Section 21 X X X

8. Corridor Section 21 13 X X

9. Corridor Section 24 10 4 X

10. Viennese Room 39 13 X X

11. Empire Room 24 13 4 2

12. Main Bar 35 X X X

13. Zebra Room 21 X X X

14. Main Dining Room 2 1 X X

15. Kitchen 35 20 6 1

16. Dishwashing Room 31 13 _4 _2

TOTAL

NOTE: An "x" indicates a

441

room that is

107

considered to

27

be impassable.

5

29
From the occupant's perspective, the exits from a room may seem to be

more indicative of his perception of the number of escape routes. However,

this apparent opportunity for movement may be misleading. A room may have

four doors; one on each side leading into different rooms. While it may

seem that there are four escape routes, these routes may eventually include

exiting through a lobby. In a sense, an occupant is "funnelled" into the

lobby that, when blocked, eliminates all escape routes.

A Funnel Number is used to describe the myopic assessment of escape

potential as well as to reflect the holistic aspects of valid escape routes.

*

Definition - A funnel number for a room is the smallest number of other

rooms that, when blocked, will eliminate all directed escape routes

through the building.

To focus attention on the occupant's perspective from a single room and his

opportunities for escape, two distinct "funnel numbers" are calculated:

(1) Local Funnel Number - signifies the funnel number when considering

only those rooms connected to the originating location.

(2) Remote Funnel Number - signifies the funnel number when considering

all rooms.

In both cases, an exit to the location of safety from the originating room

is not considered. The distinction between local and remote funnel numbers

is illustrated in Figure 6. Thus, the remote funnel number describes

the actual number of non-overlapping (or remote) escape routes while the

local funnel number only provides an upper limit.

30
Local Funnel Number: F (A) =2

Remote Funnel Number: F (A) =1 r

Figure 6

Local and Remote Funnel Numbers

31
The two funnel numbers may involve different degrees of effort to calculate . The local funnel number F

g

for room j is as follows:

F (j) *

lAjl - 1 if j e E

l Ajl

otherwise

The remote funnel number Fr can be determined by a trial procedure or

by using a maximal flow algorithm on an expanded escape graph. First,

it is observed that for any node j,

|E

| -1 if j e E

F r (j) <_' mi n F

g (j)£ > where>r^| E | otherwise

The restructuring of the escape graph involves the addition of directed arcs

to represent each room. Also, all arcs associated with a room are divided

into directed arcs so that all incoming arcs are to one of the room nodes

while all outgoing arcs are from the other nodes as illustrated in Figure 7.

Furthermore, all arcs are assigned a flow capacity of one. Table 4 indicates the funnel numbers for the Beverly Hills Supper Club. The situations

where the remote funnel number is less than the local funnel number are

circled.

In an attempt to describe the durability of the directed escape routes

during a fire, an analysis was undertaken of the impact of blocking rooms.

This analysis involved first blocking one room at a time, then pairs of

connected rooms, and finally, connected room triplets. In identifying only

combinations of connected rooms, it is assumed that the fire and combustion

products are more likely to spread through open doorways than burn through

walls. Table 5 illustrates, the consequences of blocking a single room.

32
m

Figure 7

Partial Expansion of Escape Graph

33
Table 4

Funnel Numbers for the Beverly Hills Supper Club

*

Local /Remote Funnel Numbers

Originating Location Pre-fire 8:45-8:50 8:55-9:00

1 . Crystal Room 2/2 1/1 X

2. Crystal Room 1/1 1/1 X

3. Main Staircase © X X

4. Upstairs Hallway © 1/1 X

5. Cabaret Room 1/1 1/1 1/1

6. Garden Room 2/2 2/2 2/2

7. Corridor Section 3/3 X X

8. Corridor Section © © X

9. Corridor Section 4/4 4/4 3/3

10. Viennese Room 2/2 1/1 X

11. Empire Room 4/4 3/3 2/2

12. Main Bar © X X

13. Zebra Room 2/2 X X

14. Main Dining Room 2/2 1/1 X

15. Kitchen 4/4 3/3 ©

16. Dishwashing Room 4/4 © ©

NOTES: (1) An "x" indicates a room that is considered to be impassable.

(2) Circled numbers indicate a situation in which the remote

number is less than the local funnel number.

*Does not include the direct exit to a location of safety.

34
Table 5

Single Soctn 3lockage Effect:

Number of Directed Escape Routes

31ocked Areas

Originating Location 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

1. Crystal Roan X 40 1 19 34 34 6 8 22 36 22 30 38 40 26 18

2. Crystal Scot 20 X 1 0 33 33 5 7 21 35 21 29 37 39 26 17

3. .Main Staircase 20 21 X 19 18 18 4 5 12 19 12 16 20 21 13 10

4 . Upstairs Hallway 20 39 1 X 33 33 5 7 21 35 21 29 37 39 26 17

5. Cabaret Roan 22 24 16 20 X 23 14 5 1 20 16 16 22 24 14 10

6. Garden Rocm 23 25 17 21 24 X 15 6 2 21 17 17 23 25 14 11

7. Main Corridor 20 21 17 19 18 18 X 5 12 19 12 16 20 21 13 10

8. Mam Corridor 20 21 17 19 18 18 16 X 12 19 12 16 20 21 13 10

9. Main Corridor 22 24 16 20 23 23 14 5 X 20 16 16 22 24 14 10

10. Viennese Roan 37 39 31 35 33 33 16 5 21 X 21 29 37 39 23 17

11. Einpire Roan 22 24 16 20 20 20 14 5 16 20 X 19 22 24 17 10

12. Main Bar 33 35 1.7 31 27 27 19 12 19 27 22 X 26 34 25 IS

13. Zebra Roan 20 21 1 19 18 18 4 5 12 19 12 16 X 21 13 1C

14. Main Dining Roan 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 X 1 2 15. Kitchen 32 35 29 41 29 28 27 15 19 21 17 28 33 34 X 14

16. Dishwashing Roan 28 31 19 25 28 28 16 5 17 25 17 22 28 31 21 X

TOTAL 341 402 201 310 358 356 177 97 209 338 240 300 387 437 259 185

RATIO .77 .91 .46 .70 .81 .81 .40 .22 .47 .77 .54 .68 .88 .99 .58 .42

9

35
Definition. The blockage effect is the ratio of the number of routes

remaining when a room is blocked to the total number of directed

escape routes.

For example, the blockage effect when the kitchen (room 15) is blocked,

B^, is calculated as follows:

r - 159

*15 ' 441

= 0.59

As illustrated in Table 5, the values of the blockage effect range from

22% for the corridor section to 99% for the main dining room. It can be

observed that blocking room 8, 7, 16, 3, or 9 is more critical than blocking

other rooms; and conversely, it is more important to keep these rooms passable. Figure 8 illustrates the average blockage effect over all rooms for

all combinations of one, two and three connected rooms.

The susceptibility of a route to blockage increases as the route

lengthens. Generally, shorter routes not only are less susceptible to

blockage but also decrease the exposure of the occupants to any level of

the combustion products, thus increasing their chances of escape. Table 6

illustrates the range and average values for the directed escape routes

from each room.

A ratio involving the average number of rooms in a directed escape

route is used to describe route length. This ratio, referred to as the

susceptabil ity ratio, is defined for location i as follows:

36
PERCENTAGE OF

REMAINING ESCAPE ROUTES

100

80

60

40

20

NUMBER OF LOCAL ROOMS BLOCKED

Figure 8

Effect of Fire Spread on Escape Potential

*

37
Table 6

Analysis of Route Length

Originating Location

Number of

Directed

Escape Routes

Number of Rooms in a Route*

Susceptibil i ty

Shortest Average Longest Ratio

1 . Crystal Room 40 3 6.7 9 .42

2. Crystal Room 39 3 7.7 10 .48

3. Main Staircase 21 2 5.1 7 .32

4. Upstairs Hallway 39 2 6.7 8 .42

5. Cabaret Room 24 3 5.9 8 .37

6. Garden Room 25 2 5.5 8 .34

7. Corridor Section 21 2 4.5 6 .28

8. Corridor Section 21 2 4.0 6 .25

9. Corridor Section 24 2 4.8 8 .30

10. Viennese Room 39 4 5.3 7 .33

11. Empire Room 24 2 4.8 8 .30

12. Main Bar 35 3 5.4 8 .34

13. Zebra Room 21 2 6.1 8 .38

14. Main Dining Room 2 2 2.0 2 .13

15. Kitchen 35 2 4.8 7 .30

16. Dishwashing Room 31 2 •5.0 8 .31

^Routes representing a direct exit from the originating location to the outside are

not considered.

38
where N. = number of interior directed escape routes indexed by j,

r.. . = length of route j from location i, and

R = number of rooms.

Smaller values of the susceptibility ratio indicate shorter routes. As

illustrated in Table 6, values for the susceptability ratio ranged from

0.13 for the Main Dining Room to 0.48 for one of the Crystal Rooms.

Figure 9 illustrates a comparison of the number and length of the

directed escape routes. The quadrant is arbitrarily divided into four

sections at the mid-points of the positive scale. It might be argued

that the best design would provide a large number of short routes while

the worst design would have a small number of long routes. The numbering

of the sections indicates that a large number of long routes might be a bit

better than a small number of short routes when considering occupant loading

and the use of early warning devices.

Sumnary

The technique is useful for both planning and communication. Requiring

minimal data, it provides the architect with a means of quickly reviewing

the escape potential during the preliminary stage of design. Furthermore,

it provides a mechanism for the architect, code official, and fire service

representati ve to critique the plans for a new building or the renovation of

an existing building. Here, the analysis has not assumed any knowledge that

could differentiate among the likely rooms where ignition might take place

and probable fire spread scenarios. This type of information could be used

to weigh the various results to more accurately summarize the escape potential based on the proposed activity within the particular building.

39
40 —

NUMBER OF

DIRECTED ESCAPE ROUTES “f

30

20 —

10

Best

!

* * **

** * -*—*

trill

i I

II

Worst

IV

10 20 30 40 50 60 70

SUSCEPTIBILITY RATIO

80 90 100

Figure 9

Ccsnparison of Route Length and Number

40
REFERENCES

1. Birky, Merritt, M., "Hazard Characteristics of Combustion Prgducts in

Fires: The State-of-the-Art Review," National Bureau of Standards,

2. Friedman, Raymond, "Qualification of Threat from a Rapidly Growing Fire,

In Terms of Relative Material Properties," Factory Mutual Research

Corporation, Norwood, MA, June, 1977.

3. Henderson, L.F., "The Statistics of Crowd Fluids," Nature , 1971.

4. Melinek, S.J., and Booth, S., "An Analysis of Evacuation of Buildings:

Some Effects of Changes in Performance Standards," Fire Research

Station, Borehamwood, U.K., October, 1975.

5. National Fire Protection Association, "The Beverly Hills Supper Club

Fire, Southgate, Kentucky," May 28, 1977, Boston, MA.

6. National Fire Protection Association, "Interim Technical Report - Fire

Safety Systems Analysis for Residential Occupancies," Boston, MA,

March, 1977.

7. Stanly p., "Simulating Human Behavior in High-Rise Building Fires: An

Illustrative Case and Validation Study," The City University of New

York, NY, July, 1975.

8. Stahl, f., and Archea, J., "An Assessment of the Technical Literature on Emergency Egress from Buildings," National Bureau of Standards,

Washington, DC, October, 1977.

41

* HUMAN BEHAVIOR ASPECTS OF THE

ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL FIRE

J.L. Bryan

P.J. DINenno

University of Maryland

College Park, Maryland 20742

The fire incident at St. Joseph's Hospital on August 10,

1977 was detected by the nursing staff at approximately 8:45 p.m.,

at which time the fire had obtained a post flashover development

in the area of origin, a bathroom on the second floor. The 130

year old, four-story building of ordinary construction had 171

patients. The fire extended from the second floor to the ceiling

of the third floor through a pipe chase and the wall stud spaces.

The fire department was notified automatically with the

activation of the local fire alarm system within the facility at

8:48 p.m. through an auxiliary system arrangement with the

public fire alarm system. The seven nursing staff assigned to

the area of fire origin evacuated a total of thirty-four patients

in a period of 6 to 7 minutes, with twenty-two of these patients

being evacuated in less than 3 minutes. At the time of fire

department arrival on the fire floor, all the patients had been

evacuated from the fire area with the exception of 2 male patients.

The fire department personnel using breathing apparatus removed

both patients. One patient could not be revived, while the other

died approximately one week later.

Total evacuation of the hospital was accomplished by the

staff, fire and police department personnel, with assistance

from some citizens. The 171 patients were evacuated in a time

period from 16 to 19 minutes.

*0nly the abstract of the complete report is printed here. The

complete reference is:

John Bryan and Philip J. DiNenno "An Examination and Analysis

of the Dynamics of the Human Behavior in the Fire Incident

at St. Joseph's Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa. on August 10, 1977."

University of Maryland. National Bureau of Standards Report

No. NBS-GCR-78-140. May 1978.

43
.
THE RIGHT TO RISK - NORMALIZATION

J. Aroand Burgun

Rogers, Burgun, Shahine & Deschier

Architects

521 Fifth Avenue

New York, New York 10017

Risk is part of life and the right to take risks should not be denied any sector of the community. A contemporary trend toward normalization of the lives of the handicapped involves allowing them to take

the kinds of risk we all accept as part of normal life. In the nineteenth, and well into the twentieth century, institutional care, although often enlightened in itself, segregated the handicapped from the

rest of society and often reached after them even after they were re- turned to their homes. But today we are de- institutionalizing our approach to the handicapped, who are being encouraged to participate

in all activities of normal life. For this to happen, the built

environment has to be free of physical barriers, and provision made to provide protection from unacceptable levels of risk, while not inhibiting freedom to move and grow. Architects and environmental designers

are key professionals in the task of making it possible for the handicapped to enter schools, homes, offices, public buildings and even hospitals, just like anyone else. To the code writing bodies falls the

task of understanding the developmental capabilities of disabled people

and interpreting this in building codes that encourage upward mobility

for a too long restricted sector of our community.

Key Words: Acceptable risk; barrier-free; building codes; built en- vironment; de-institutionalization; developmentally disabled; environmental design; handicapped; normalization; overprotection; upward

mobility.

We are all born with some intelligence but little knowledge. Knowledge is gained

through experience, which is often very painful. Experimentation is not new. When man

first decided to walk on two feet instead of crawling, he immediately subjected himself to one of the greatest risks in our society, that of falls. It is well to remember that

Senator John Glenn from Ohio who was one of the first men in history to orbit the earth in

a satellite, suffered a concussion when he slipped and fell in his bathtub. All new

learning experiences, and many if not most, recreational experiences are accompanied by

varying degrees of risk. The right to take such risks should not be denied to any sector

of our society, including the handicapped.

We have endeavored, through education and legislation, to permit the handicapped to live in a "normal" environment, i.e., to be permitted to live in a "normal" house in a "normal" community; to be gainfully employed; to be permitted to go to theaters, parks,

museums, and do all of the things that "normal" people do.

Here is a partial account of some past activities on behalf of the handicapped:

45
In 1958, the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped assisted by the

Veterans Administration and the Department of Labor printed a guide on facilities needed to make buildings accessible to the handicapped. The ANSI Standard 117.1 entitled "Making

Buildings and Facilities Accessible to and Usable by the Physically Handicapped" was promulgated and is adopted by most states for public buildings.

In 1968, Congress passed Public Law 90-480, the Architectural Barriers Act, which provided that all federally funded buildings must be accessible to and usable by the handicapped. Since that time many states and local communities, as well as the federal government, have passed legislation granting the right to handicapped people to use and enjoy the

built environment.

Recently, a new federal law has begun to change the methods of educating handicapped

children in public schools. It emphasized "normalization" which is to integrate the handicapped into the mainstream of the educational process; not in separate classrooms but in the same classrooms as those students who are not disabled. The "Education of All Handicapped

Childrens Act" requires that all disabled students be given individual evaluation and placed

in the least restrictive environment possible.

In the nineteenth, and well into the twentieth century, it appeared that government or charitable institutions were the best and only way to serve the needs of the handicapped.

During this period these institutions housed, cared for and protected those who were re- jected from society such as the lame, the blind, the mentally impaired, the deaf, etc. Many

of these institutions did a remarkable job and should be complimented for their compassionate

work.

This emphasis on institutionalization, however, caused the segregation of the handicapped from the mainstream of society. The primary result of institutional care and special

education has been separation and isolation. The prevalent belief that only the experts were qualified to deal with the handicapped,, inhibited, if not prevented a normal life.

Throughout the country today there is a trend to de-institutionalize even the severely

handicapped and return them to the normal community. The community must, therefore, accept

a moral obligation by accommodating certain of the specialized needs of those who are generally handicapped as well as for those with developmental disabilities. When speaking of

de- institutionalization, we are not advocating the removal of handicapped individuals from

larger institutions by placing them in smaller institutions; rather, it is our sincerest

desire that they be allowed to function in normal community settings in the real world. If

special needs and different requirements for handicapped persons are not as necessary or as substantive as we once believed, then facilities with minor modifications can be used to accommodate all people.

Architects and other environmental designers are among the key professionals with obligations to see that such facilities modifications are achieved. Such an obligation means

designing buildings free of barriers — without barriers in the way, spaces are created and

connected in hardware specifications, in controls and lighting, and access to and from

buildings including measures regarding life safety from fire.

There will probably always be a need for some special programs and institutions designed to rehabilitate the severely disabled. But the primary challenge of society is to assist the "Quiet Revolution" of the handicapped in claiming their rights to the normal use

and enjoyment of the built environment. They need more than ramps and curb cuts, they need

to be understood as complete human beings. They want equal education, equal employment opportunities, equal risk, health care, recreation and transportation. The# wish to be assimilated into the mainstream rather than be isolated- included rather than excluded —"for

their own good." Their challenge demands that we overcome our fears, change our attitudes, remove barriers that inhibit their free use of facilities and especially that we treat them

as normal human beings. “We must also learn not to overprotect them. We must encourage them

to dp things for themselves, even if it takes them a long time and involves the taking of

risks

.

Very often, society's zeal to "help" those who need "help" to help themselves, has denied the handicapped basic learning experiences by creating overprotective environments or relationships

.

46
The existence of overprotective relationships between parents and handicapped children,

between grandparents and handicapped children, between adults and their handicapped friends

have long been recognized by professionals in the field of rehabilitation. The present decade brought the recognition that established private and governmental agencies organized to help the handicapped, and many professionals employed to direct the programs of the agencies

were also very often overprotective and paternalistic. It is only very recently that there

has been any recognition that the environments which were being created by these agencies

and professionals to provide opportunities for handicapped persons were themselves inhibiting positive developmental processes.

All programs for persons with developmental disabilities and other handicaps should be

based on the developmental concept; that is, programs should provide opportunities for the

participant to learn increasingly complex skills which will lead to more control over himself

and his environment.

If all elements of risk are denied persons with developmental disabilities and other

handicapping conditions, essential developmental opportunities are therefore also denied.

Indeed, not being able to subject oneself to risk prevents an essential learning process. It is an accepted adage that one learns from one's mistakes. In addition, risks

taking chances, enhances one's decision-making ability, and therefore lessen dependency.

Further, to discourage risk limits activity and experiences, and therefore measurably inhibits growth, humanization and freedom.

Therefore, codes and standards which are promulgated nationally, statewide, or in

local communities in regard to facilities promoting opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities and other handicapping conditions should seek to enhance the developmental and experimental processes.

This should not be construed to mean that there is not a need for a barrier-free en- vironment or for special adaptive equipment or necessary codes and standards to provide

basic safety and protection. But such codes and standards should reflect modern concepts

in regard to providing opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities and other

handicapping conditions.

Our society, perhaps, has to take what it may consider risks so that some of its members may be provided with necessary opportunities. 3y taking such risks, society, including members who need special opportunities, will grow.

Overprotection not only prevents one from taking learning-educational risks, but in

many instances can lead to the denial of basic rights and freedoms. A handicapped person

can be denied access to a building, an aircraft or other means of transportation for "his own good" as it would be difficult to evacuate him.

Put in simple terms, it would be possible to assure any person, handicapped or not,

that they will not perish in an automobile accident. However, in order to eliminate the

risk, that individual would not be permitted to set foot into an automobile or any vehicle;

indeed he would not be permitted within 100 meters of any highway. People, including the

handicapped, should have the right to choose between normal risk taking and self denial.

Another facet of overprotection is the outreach of the institution into the normalities

of life. In ocher words, when Che handicapped person leaves the institution, then the institution (or part of it) follows him into the community. The institution will apply the same sanctions and demands of the "residence facility" occupied by the handicapped as it did of

the rehabilitation center, hospital, nursing home, etc., from which he was discharged. This

is not only extremely costly, and inhibits normalization, but the ambience of the institution in all its aspects is still present.

Communication is not entirely written and spoken. Body language is an example of a different and often more effective method. The demands or sanctions of an environment are

part of still another method of communication. The decoding of the message given by our surroundings is not greatly dependent upon high intelligence. Almost anyone feels the

difference between the lobby of the Regency Hyatt House Hotel and that of Sing-Sing Prison.

A different behavior pattern for occupants is at once understood. Living design literally

47
shouts messages of expectation to the occupant.

Multi-bedded rooms say you are not an individual, you exist only as part of a group.

Carpetless floors say we expect you to soil them and you are unworthy of being trained not

to. Concrete walls, wired glass windows in steel frames, obvious fire protection systems,

say you are not capable of normal judgement in case of a fire emergency. Baths, showers, and

toilets with little or no privacy say you have no right to dignity. The message of the design will come through to the occupant loud and clear. What is more, the public by the same insidious osmosis will gear their own behavior and expectations to the language of the en- vironment. They too will treat the occupants of a halfway house, a day care center, or other

institution as somewhat less than human.

I do not advocate that we invite the disabled to integrate into the community without

making any changes to accommodate them. It is obvious that barriers must be eliminated in

order that the handicapped may have the free use and enjoyment of the built environment. It

is equally obvious that they should not have to endure more or increased risks than a normal

person and that some special provisions will have to be made for them. It was to this end

that as Chairman of the Committee on Safety to Life, I appointed a sub-committee to prepare

special provisions for the handicapped to be placed in all occupancies sections of the 1980

Life Safety Code, NFPA-101. It is also why I am pleased to serve on the Advisory Board of

the Task Force on Life Safety and the Handicapped.

We must first decide what measures are absolutely essential, cost effective and not

overly restrictive. Code writing bodies will have to be educated to understand that developmentally disabled persons are capable of living a normal life and that it is the goal

of all sectors of the community to promote this philosophy. The prevailing attitudes of

society that, because a person is handicapped he is not able to take care of himself and

must therefore be identified and labeled as requiring institutional care, must be changed.

Very costly facilities, devices, alterations, etc., will simply not be achieved because

of the economic impact on the community, including the handicapped. Therefore, they will

be forced to stay on in the institutional environment unless some compromise is reached.

The goal should be to promulgate the family group living concept of normalized existence for the handicapped so that they can live in a residential environment. It will re- quire a massive educational program amongst the code writing bodies, the building officials

that interpret the codes at the local level, the licensing bodies that issue licenses and

planning and zoning officials that are overly protective of other existing residential communities. A plan must be developed to successfully mount this obstacle to reach the intended goal.

We must all make a concerted effort to test whether or not any proposed or existing

requirement, rule, standard, law, regulation, etc., is truly productive, cost effective,

and that its final result will help the handicapped and not harm them. I was told an anec- dote at the President's Committee on Mental Retardation that I believe bears retelling:

"A young lady using long leg braces and crutches, was climbing the stairs out

of a subway in New York City. In order to climb the stairs, she placed both

crutches under one arm, put one hand on a banister and hopped up backwards,

one step at a time. She reached an intermittent landing and stopped to rest,

still of course, facing down the stairs. A young, compassionate, well built

man, wanting to help, without saying a word, placed a strong arm around the

young lady's waist, and carried her down the stairs."

Codes and standards concerning facilities providing opportunities for persons with

developmental disabilities and other handicaps should help society to make certain that it

is building the kind of environment which enhances upward movement for disabled individuals

and does not, inadvertently or otherwise, take them down.

48
FIRES AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR:

EMERGING ISSUES

David Canter

Department of Psychology

University of Surrey

Guildford, Surrey, U.K.

A range of questions and issues within the study

of behaviour and fires, which have not been fully

explored are briefly presented. These draw upon

a five stage model of human behaviour and fires and

it is argued that a great deal has yet to be learnt

in relation to each of these stages. Links to

general concerns in social psychology from these

issues are made.

The various questions and approaches to answering them are illustrated from a number of studies

carried out by the Fire Research Unit at the

University of Surrey, under the author's direction.

These include statistical analyses of the effects

of the firemen's strike, a study of emergency "999"

calls and a content analysis of media reporting of

fires

In conclusion it is argued that behavioural

studies of fires hold the potential for a radical

impact on fire prevention and fire safety.

Key Words: Fire fighter; fire prevention;

human behavior; media reporting.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am. grateful to the Fire Research Station of the Building Research

Establishment for their continuing support of our research and to my

colleagues John Breaux and Jonathan Sime. This is a revision of a paper

originally presented to the Washington, 1978, Conference on Behaviour

and Fires.

49
INTRODUCTION - A GENERAL MODEL

The purpose of this paper is to map out the emerging directions of fireoriented behaviour research and to try and give some indications of those

questions and issues which have not been fully addressed over recent years.

This is an attempt to take stock and see what is being tackled and what is

being ignored. The overview will be illustrated by reference to a number

of small scale studies which have been conducted at the University of

Surrey, but which have not been previously published. A brief attempt will

also be made to relate fire research to other areas of social science

research. Many of the problems of fires and behaviour do have counterparts in other areas of social science.

In order to put this map together it is necessary to present a summary

structure of the issues of concern. Such a structure can be derived from

the set of papers which I have edited, Fires and Human Behaviour* , being

published by Wiley in 1980.

It has the following components:

a) Preparation before a fire happens

b) Recognition of a fire once it occurs

c) Actions in the fire

d) Escape from the fire

e) The after effects of the fire experience

* This book also covers most of the material to which reference would be

made for this paper. No formal references are therefore given.

50
These five broad headings seem to emerge in most discussion of behaviour

in fires. Nonetheless, it should be recognised that this simple five stage

model is very different from conventional decision making models, put

forward by Engineers and Operational Research Consultants. It is also

distinct from risk oriented mcdels, or those that attempt to build the

whole decision making process about fires around costs and benefits. Each

of these decision mcdels which attempt to set up processes to facilitate

the selection of particular hardware systems, or even educational

strategies, may be thought of as cross-sectional to the five-fold list above.

The costs and benefits of particular actions could be identified in relation

to each of the five areas indicated.

It is important to establish this link to other approaches to modelling and

structuring of decision making about fires, both in order to clarify the way

in which a behavioural orientation towards fires is different and in order

to illustrate the way in which the behavioural approach is likely to bring

together a wide range of other (engineering related) issues. It certainly

serves to illustrate the way in which any particular engineering procedure,

say focusing on means of escape, or on modes of prevention, may only achieve

a sub-optimal solution if it dees not take into account the whole process of

human reactions to fires which tie different aspects together.

a) PREPARATION

One of the most direct examples of the relevance of considering how prepared

people are for fires can be drawn rather directly from what might be considered as a field experiment, carried out during the winter of 1977/78. This

was the firemen's strike. All full-time British firemen went on strike from

the 14th November 1977 until the 15th January 1978. 3ecause the Fire Research

Unit at the University of Surrey was in operation during this period and had

*

51
access to the incidence figures for the Surrey Region, it was possible

to get figures for fires during the period of the strike and to get

figures for the period immediately before the strike. It was also possible

to get parallel figures for the previous year.

Table One presents the broad frequency figures for the number of fire

incidents that were reported to the authorities. In that table are also

indicated a breakdown of the incidents in relation to malicious fires,

domestic fires, and false alarms with good intent. Figures are also

available for the number of outside fires.

A number of comparisons can be made from these figures. Either the frequency

of fires immediately before the strike can be compared with the same time

period from the previous year or the incidence of fires which occurred

during the strike can be compared with a similar period in the previous

year. One further comparison, which is more difficult to validate, but

which is nonetheless interesting, is to look at the number of fires’ in the

period during the strike with those of the period immediately before it.

All these comparisons show quite clearly that during the period of the

strike there were fewer fires than might have been anticipated. There is

even a tendency in the figures to suggest that more fires occurred immediately

before the strike than might have been expected. It almost looks as if

there is an attempt by people to get their fires over with, whilst there

is still a full fire brigade!

52
TABLE ONE

Frequency of fire

Firemen's strike

incidents in Surrey in relation to the

of 14th November 1977 to 15th January 1978

12 Sept. 15th Nov.

to to

14 Ncv

15th Jan.

TOTAL NUMBER 76/77 317 911

OF INCIDENTS 77/78 1114 651 *

% Change 36 -29

MALICIOUS 76/77 83

1 58

; CALL 77/78 104 63 *

• % Change 25 17

DOMESTIC 76/77 55 96 i FIRES 77/73 92 70 *

% Change 67 -27

FALSE ALARMS 76/77 138 114

WITH GOOD INTENT 77/78 122 96 *

% Change -12 -25

OUTSIDE 76/77 60 45

FIRES 77/78 85 32 *

% Change 42 -29

» * Frequency for period of strike

53
It is important to realize that during the period of the strike an

alternative fire service was provided by the British Army, using

equipment which was generally agreed to be outdated. The Police acted

as the operations room and called in the military fire brigade to deal

with fires of which they received notification. There was, as a consequence,

a rather different calling system, record system, and certainly a different

attendance time for getting to fires. This does make comparisons of figures

for the different periods problematic/ but nontheless it is very difficult

to argue with the point that there were actually fewer fires occurring

during the period of the firemen's strike, although of course, the amount

of damage which resulted from any particular fire was typically much greater.

The reasons for the fewer reported fires were no doubt due to many

circumstances , not least, the likely reluctance of people to call the brigade

during the strike and the consequent possibility of a great increase in

the number of attempts to cope with fires by residents themselves.

That people were more reluctant to call the fire services around the time of

the strike is perhaps best shown by the fact that the figures for false

alarms with good intent was down for both the period before the strike and

during the strike. The malicious false alarm frequency increased

for both these periods. This suggests that one could argue that this

reluctance to call the brigades does not account for the very radical

difference in the number of incidents. The fact that the proportional change

during the strike for domestic fires, false alarms with good intent, and

outside fires were all qf the same scale does suggest that people were

either more careful, or more prepared to deal with a fire once it had

occurred. There is still, however, one curious consistency in the figures

that has been alluded to above, but which requires serious consideration.

54
This is the fact that the relative change in the number of incidents

increased for all categories of fires, prior to the firemen's strike,

when compared with the change during the firemen's strike.

These figures, then, suggest that there is seme sort of social control

over fire incidence. This raises the question of whether or not there is

a sense in which many fires are only partially accidental. When it is

recognised that most Western, developed societies put considerable resources

into making people aware of fires and reducing the likelihood, then it

seems possible that it is almost necessary to make a positive act against

these controls before a fire will occur. It is also well-known that there

are a greau number of fires which are malicious, although th^re is no

direct evidence of arson for them. This therefore raises a very important

question as to whether or not, in relation to the whole issue of preparation,

there are consistent patterns of behaviour which, possibly below the level

of awareness of participants, do lead to the occurrence of many fires. To dismiss

these as negligence or malice is net really to explore the problem directly.

It is only necessary to relate this question to that of vandalism in general

in order to be aware that there are many similarities between the two

social problems. Many aspects of vandalism have been recognised as being

meaningless, almost random events, relating to a particular lifestyle. Indeed,

the argument that the person who creates the facilities which inspire

vandalism may be considered as much a vandal as the person who destroys

that facility, may well have many parallels to the issues underlying what

we might call ''pseudo-arson” .

An important point here, is that dramatic changes in the incidence of fires,

or at least in the frequency in which the fire services are called upon, can

be related to the general preparedness of the population. A 29% reduction

55
in total fire incidents, as shown in Table One, is a substantial figure

indeed, and certainly not one to be dismissed as less significant than

that which can be achieved with new forms of fire alarm or engineering

systems

.

DEMOGRAPHIC ASPECTS OF PREPARATION

There are many figures available which show that the people who get killed

in fires tend to be the very old or the very young. There is also accumt ulating evidence that they fall into certain socio-economic groups . Data

explored jointly by the Fire Research Station and the Fire Research Unit

at the University of Surrey recently, shows that there are quite strong

relationships between the frequency of fires occurring and the general

standard of living of the areas in which those fires occurred. In other

words, there is growing evidence that the pattern of risk of potential

fire is not at all evenly distributed throughout the community. Fire

research activities, at present, however, are not oriented towards this

uneven distribution. The move towards studies of nurses' homes or of

major institutions relates more to the fears of policy makers of public

outcry if there were to be a major disaster in those areas, than to the

overall frequency of incidents. It is also a matter of the gurrent processes

of control. It is much easier for policy makers to legislate for the

control of centrally organised institutions. In order to influence and

change patterns of behaviour across a broad set of domestic situations

quite different processes of legislation and control are necessary. These

processes would rely much more heavily upon education than .they would

upon codes of practice and legislation, because they would need to reach

each of the individuals or families concerned directly, rather than

giving instructions to the superior authority responsible for the institution.

56
It is probably because of these difficulties that demographic questions

have tended to be ignored by researchers. The further political anxiety

that the areas in which fire incidents are greater are also areas of

other under-privelege, and thus may fuel the outrage of minority groups

is probably also at the back of many politician's minds.

TEE REPRESENTATION OF FIRES AND FIRS 3ESAVICUR

One of the important ways in which people learn about fires and thus are

influenced in relation to their preparation for them is by means of what

might be called social representation, i.e. the way in which fires are

represented to the population at large, notably through newspaper and media

reporting. In one study, carried out at Surrey, content analyses were

carried out of newspaper stories of fires. It is clear from this that fires

are represented as either disasters or great heroic rescue ventures.

This research shewed that half a dozen words typically feature in many

newspaper headlines about fires. "Eero rescues child' in fire drama" is a

very standard set of words that would make up most headlines. The way in

which newspapers and media in general turn fires into a heroic event or

disaster with a beginning, middle and end, including heroes or tragic victims

is possibly one reason why so many people are interested in fires. Such a

structure certainly influences Government decision makers in the way in which

they think of fires and of research support for studies of behaviour in

fires. It is also part of the point referred to above, that decision makers

are mere concerned with avoiding major disasters than stopping whole series

of minor disasters, because the major disaster captures newspaper headlines

and is a much more explicitly sensitive issue.

A further aspect of the newspaper reporting is that of "panic" . The media

use the term panic as a description of what occurs in fires on many occasions.

57
Thus they both draw upon a stereotype of the social representation of

what happens in fires and at the same time add further evidence to this

belief. Other reports produced by our team at Surrey have explored this

issue more directly, but the source of belief in panic within the media

does require careful consideration.

OTHER MODES OF COMMUNICATION

Given the power of media reporting of fires, it is important to find other

ways of representing what goes on in fires in order to enable people to

become aware of what is involved. Unravelling this sequence of events in

particular case studies is clearly of value for this . At Surrey this was

taken further and a "Firebox" was built, which represented the details of

a hotel fire in such a way that people could make choices as to which

decisions they would take. The "game" provides information on what the

likely outcome of such decisions are. It is remarkable how wide ranging

the interest has been in this simple "game". Since building it, a more

elaborate version has now been developed, using a small desk- top computer

and this has found its way into various exhibitions. Such interactive games,

built around actual events , do go a long way towards changing people '

s

awareness. We even have anecdotal evidence that they may change people's

behaviour in actual fire events.

RECOGNITION

Before behavioural scientists started looking at fires, the way of thinking

about them was closely related to the view of those people who are concerned

with a fire once it has started, notably fire fighting agencies. This gave

rise to the classic, machine-oriented view of a fire event. The metaphor

might be put forward that we had only information of fires as if the cameras

recording them had started rolling once the fire had been ignited. What has

5S
emerged from a number of studies is that the early stages of awareness

and recognition are very important —the situation when residents think

there may be a fire of seme danger in existence.

This relates to the issue of fire alarms. At Surrey this has become a

particular focus for research. The existing studies do indicate that there

may be many other ways in which alarm systems can be used than at present.

Perhaps more attention needs to be .directed to the pay-offs which people

find it necessary to establish in the early stages of a fire. This has been

discussed before, but the argument is that the misrake of making the

wrong assumption that a fire exists carries social consequences. Clearly

the mistake of assuming that a fire does net exist when it does also carries

consequences. In the early stages of a fire where the cues are typically

ambiguous, the individual has to decide whether the pay-off matrix is in

one direction or another. There have been many social psychological studies

of the way in which these balances are achieved, but it is clear from the

fire situation that people will try to establish the exact nature of the

cost and benefits to themselves by attempting to get further information.

At the present time fire-alarms really do not provide unambiguous information

and research is now in motion to explore how that can be changed.

A related point, here, is the one of the role which a person has in the

situation in which a fire occurs. The pattern of activities which a person

undertakes when a fire occurs does seem to relate very directly to what his

role is in that situation and the rales which he believes are appropriate.

Thus in the early stages of a fire there is a sense in which an individual

is trying to define what his role is. He needs to get information not only

on the course of the fire but also on the behaviour of others in order to

establish this. It seems quite likely that the current social and psychological

59
studies of the definition of situations are particularly relevant to

elaborating what cues people draw on in order to decide on the most

appropriate behaviour for themselves. This is information which is most

readily obtained from detailed case studies and is one of the reasons why

we can never have too many detailed examples of exactly what has happened

in any given fire event. Furthermore, it is not a far step from thinking

about the particular role which an individual may have to realising that

the role structure of different organisations will lead to different

potentialities in any given fire. This is recognised to some extent in

the fire grading of buildings, but perhaps the organizational issues ought

to be much more clearly identified in the future. This is particularly

true if we are to relate fire alarm systems to the organizational structure

which the buildings house.

ACTION

Once a fire has been recognised, one of the early stages of importance is

the calling of the fire services. The use of special, call systems such as

the British 999 system has not been looked at by many researchers. However,

in one study at Surrey it was possible to examine closely the patterns of

conversations between operators and people calling in. The first point that

emerged was that there was a great variation in the time it can take to get

the address through to the operator. Given how crucial time is, and the

great resources which are put into the fire brigades to decrease their

attendance time, then any saving at this crucial stage would be of importance.

Indeed the evidence collected in the small study at Surrey, suggested that

there could be occasions in which whether the brigade gets there in time to

save someone or not, could be a function of the efficiency of the call system.

There is the further issue of whether or not malicious calls can be recognised

60
in these early stages, on which this study threw some light. Beyond this

is the question of what happened in those situations in which no telephone

is available. This comes back to the demographic questions that was raised

earlier, but again the fire services sometimes seem to rely on the wide

availability of telephones. Yet they are not totally available in most

countries

One of the issues that emerged in looking at alarm calls was the way in

which children making telephone calls led to many difficulties. This opens

up the question of children in fires. If the greater docility and difficulty

of responding and understanding the complex situation which a fire is, is

put together with the other difficulties of role definition and use of the

resources available, then it becomes clear that children do present a very

special group. The fact that they are often in institutional settings,

serves further to open up the question as to whether or not we should be

looking particularly at children in fires and their special requirements.

EQUIPMENT

Research at Surrey has consistently demonstrated how rare it is for people

to use fire extinguishers that are available, and the difficulty they

have had even with the extinguishers which they tried to use. It is possible

that these statistics are a bit misleading in that the minor fires to

which brigades are not called may well be precisely those fires in which

extinguishers are used effectively. Nonetheless the provision of

extinguishers and other forms of fire-fighting hardware presupposes that

people can and do use this equipment. It is likely that the manufacturers

of this equipment will keep relatively quiet on any weaknesses that might

be revealed in the use of the equipment. Here again is an area which has

been ignored by researchers. All the indications point to the fact that

the existing first-aid fire fighting equipment is frequently either

61
inappropriate or ineffective. It is necessary to get much more detailed

information before people can act on these general indications.

ESCAPE

The particular point to be emphasised here is that the modelling of

sequences of activities in complex and varied situations is exceptionally

difficult. Social scientists have not really been able to develop a rich

set of procedures for handling these sorts of problems. From work by the

Fire Research Unit it has been possible to demonstrate that, using multidimensional scalogram procedures, unique patterns of behaviour can be

readily identified. These unique patterns do seem to relate to unusual

roles within the fire situation, most notably that of the arsonist. But

they also serve to show that consistencies in the sequences can be identified

and that a classification scheme may be derived which could be related to

the outcome and intensity of the fire. It is absolutely essential to

identify what the most appropriate sequences are which do occur in fires,

in order to provide the appropriate guide lines for fire training. The

fact that there are so many differences and confusions in the training

guidance given serves to illustrate how complex the problems are. Here

again is an area where social science research of behaviour in fires would

also contribute much to our understanding of sequences and patterns of

behaviour generally.

THE AFTER-EFFECTS OF FIRE

Few researchers seem to have looked at post-fire trauma, the after-effects

of fire. In current attempts by the Fire Research Unit to develop a national

survey of what happens in fires, using a postal questionnaire, it has

become clear that a large proportion of people move from the address of

62
the fire. Current figures suggest that as many as two-thirds of people

who have been involved in major fires found the necessity to move on.

Whether this is for directly functional reasons in that their house is

inhabitable, or whether it is for more psychological reasons, of wishing

to get away from the tragic scene, is difficult to determine. Whatever the

reason there are clearly a large number of people displaced by fires, far

larger than might have been guessed by figures for less of buildings. The

general implications of even the social consequences of post-fire trauma

and the loads that are put upon any social or welfare services have not

been explored. This is another area where future research which looked at

both the psychological and the social consequences of being involved in

fire, may throw important light upon the roles which fires play in the

community as a whole.

CONCLUDING .QUESTIONS

3y way of summarising this informed overview of issues which have not been

fully studied yet, four questions can be asked for future research.

1) Are fires ever completely accidental?

There are implications in answering this question in terms of a yes, a no,

a qualified yes, or a qualified no.

2) What are the actual type and number of fires which occur?

This may seem like a surprising question given the plethora of national

statistics. Nonetheless there are many doubts both about the accuracy of

these figures and the proportion of fires which occur which are actually

reported. Estimates vary that between 10% and 20% of all fires are actually

reported. When this is put against the demographic questions as to where

fires occur, then it is clear that we do need much fuller sets of information.

This is information simply about the occurrence of fires., where and when.

63
3) How dangerous are the current warning systems?

There are many criticisms of alarm systems and there has been little

examination of "natural alarm systems" e.g. telephones, people shouting

and the like. Does the reliance upon bells and other forms of hardware

really act as a hindrance rather than a help? This is part of the very

general question as to what dangers and hindrances to ordinary usage are

provided by current fire protection practices. There well may be more

people injured by smoke doors or badly designed fire escapes, than are

ever saved by existing ones in the case of fires. This is certainly a

cost benefit relationship which needs further exploration.

4) What are the appropriate escape actions in fires and how can

they be planned for?

It is quite clear that each fire situation has its own qualities. It is

also clear that there are patterns of behaviour which naturally occur,

some of which may be successful and some not. What are appropriate

sequences?

If these four questions can begin to be answered and the other issues

referred to in this paper can be resolved, or at least a stab made at

resolving them, then it is likely that the social orientation towards

behaviour in fires could have a more dramatic effect on fire precaution

and fire practice than social research has had on any other area of

human endeavour. The goals, then, indicated in this paper are not simply

to dot the "I"s and cross the "T" s of engineering practice, but to

provide a full and firm basis for a radically new approach to fire prevention

and fire precaution.

64
PANIC - FLIGHT - EVACUATION

Charles Chandessais

Centre d-Etudes Psychosociologiques

des Sinistres et de leur Prevention

75006 Paris, France

This paper presents the results of numerous studies on the

phenomenon of panic. It defines, analyzes and relates the components

of panic; considers the concept of individual predisposition for the

inadaptive behaviors of panic; and presents observations on evacuations.

Key Words: Evacuation; factor analysis; fire drills; firefighters;

human behavior; panic.

INTRODUCTION

As I speak English with some difficulties, I chink that Che best way to communicate our research to you is through the presentation of slides. Diagrams are indeed an international

language.

The first topic was "panic and fire." But since flight is often seen as the main

component of panic, we have had to observe evacuations either as exercises or afcer a real

warning.

It can be also supposed chat there is an individual background for inadaptive behaviors

observed in panic.

Fire, panic, attitudes and evacuation are the four points I will show you in 17

figures*

Figure 1 - Evolution of Fires in the Region of Paris

The military batallion of firemen of Paris was created by Napoleon in 1811, the

regiment in 1867 and the brigade in 1967. The number of inhabitants protected by the corps

has increased a lot but the number of fires has increased very much faster: for 1 million

inhabitants, this number was 22 times the number in 1811. We don't know exactly why. It seems chat the change of bacallion to regiment and to brigade had no effect on the increase

in fires.

We can see on the diagram when the area under consideration was not Paris itself but

Paris and surroundings there is a break of the general regression curve given by the

equation:

x 124.46 • 015t

e

The equation for the curve best fitting the data prior to the break is

x 126.40 .016t

e

which is not significantly different.

The equation for the curve best fitting the data after the break is

X 7.65

.033t

e

In this case the exponential growth rate coefficient increases by a factor of two. This

can perhaps be explained by the fact that many factories were built during this period in

the area surrounding Paris.

*The figures are labelled in French. However, English subtitles are provided.

65

France is not a country which is regularly threatened by natural hazards like

earthquakes, volcanos or floods; fire is indeed the most frequent disaster. For this reason, our studies are mostly focused on fires.

Figure 2 - Panic in the Press

For the purpose of organizing observations on "panic" in the field it was necessary to understand what this word means.

Firemen warn about panic when one person tries to jump out of a window because of a fire.

The point of view of the top administration for security is given in a red book:

"Regulations for protection against risks of fire and panic in institutions admitting

public." This regulation seems to be oriented toward collective flight; but this interpretation can be seen as a very subjective one.

More objective is our analysis of newspapers: In 4700 articles about disasters, only

328 are concerned with panic (7%). Of the 328, 67% quote characteristics; 73% use the word;

41% use both the word and quote characteristics.

These characteristics are grouped as:

Feelings (Terror, fear, anxiety...)

Vocal reactions (screaming, crying, calling for help, weeping...)

Physical reactions (fleeing, jumping in the void, trembling...)

Outcomes (rush, trampling, suffocation...)

In an inquiry of a sample of Parisian residents, the same characteristics were found

with some differences in percentages (see Figure 2).

Figure 3 - Hypothetical Structure of Panic

Another source of suggestions for structuring the observations on the field are the

books and papers of specialists of behavioral science. I'm indebted to Professor Quarantelli

for his deep analysis and personal remarks.

We derived from the model of panic in the book by Martha Wolfenstein, "Disaster", the

basis for our diagram. Wolf enstein' s 6 components are shown on the diagram by rectangles.

But these 6 components must be discussed and don't seem to be sufficient. We added:

(1) Mine other components, as inputs or outputs;

(2) Connections between the components of the set.

Thus was built a provisional model of the system.

As we shall see egocentrism and agressivitv are very infrequent.

Terror can take place on a two dimensional space: (1) rational uncertainty vs. intense

emotion on one hand, (2) objective fear vs. anxiety without an object on the other. Fear is

indeed a source of confusion and is believed to be contagious.

Confusion is the mental disorder characterized by: (1) slowness of perceptions and

identification; (2) impossibility of attention, thinking and judgement; (3) uncertainty in

regard to space and time; (4) slowness and incompleteness of responses; and (5) inability to recall information. 3ecause of confusion, decision-making is difficult and decisions are seldom implemented. Confusion is produced not only by terror itself but also by belief in

the urgency of a response when we are far from solving the problem.

Finally contagion must be discussed with the next diagram.

67 .
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Figure 3. Hypothetical Structure of Panic

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Figure 4 - Panic in the Lima Stadium (May 25, 1964)

Contagion may be discussed either with reference to flight or terror.

We must first eliminate the contagion of flight by rubbing or pushing in a dense crowd.

This is frequent and not specific of panic.

This diagram is drawn according to a photograph of the panic in the stadium of Lima in

which nearly 300 persons died.

On the diagram we can infer the direction of movement from the direction of faces:

full face, back-view, side or three quarter face left or right. Each person is not shown

but only zones where persons move in the same direction. The diagram shows: (1) the vicinity

of persons moving left and right; (2) persons not moving toward exits and looking at the

photographer; persons like these are in close vicinity to back-viewed persons moving toward

exits

We can infer that if flight is contagious it is very local.

Figure 5 - Contagion and Imitation

The question of contagion is a very complex one. We must turn ourselves toward the

last source of hypothesis: the simulation of panic by computer and by experimentation on animals, namely mice.

Simulation, comparing rationality and distance to exits with contagion ( shows that

variance of rate of size of evacuated populatio'n against initial size is accounted for 14%

by contagion alone and 21% in combination . with distance and 13% in combination with

rationality. So contagion appears insufficient to explain the danger of flight.

Experiments with mice show no contagion of terror or flight but a need for shelter or

for close contact with others.

One question regarding contagion is this: is it the effect of crowd behavior as a whole;

or the sum of the effects of individuals one on each other with, eventually, positive

feed-back?

The first alternative gives rise to many models from Lebon and Tarde to the more elaborate one of French mathematician Kreveras. The second alternative is depicted in the

diagram.

The perceived flight of somebody can be understood, by another, either as a model of

response in a doubtful situation or as a sign of danger to do likewise.

Another point of view is that there is an "identification" of one subject with a terrorized one. This can be studied as a psychoanalytical mechanism. It seems that a previous analogy is needed for identification to emerge.

We have indeed, at least three non-exclusive hypotheses. Because we did not proceed to in-depth interviews we cannot provide additional enlightenment on this topic: for us, the

question of the structure and mechanism of contagion remains open.

Figure 6 - On-site Observations

A more systematic set of data was obtained under very favorable conditions. The general

commanding the Firemen Brigade allowed our assistant to stay at the station and to get a place in the first vehicle to leave after the warning signal. The average time elapsed

between signal and arrival on the site was 5 minutes. That was the best opportunity to observe panic if there was any.

The six components of Martha Wolfenstein were used and they are labelled M to S. Five

other components were added for a better picture of the event: they are labelled A to E.

70

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CONTAMINATION £T

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Figure 5. Contagion and Imitation

The most frequently observed component is suddenness of alarm and the least frequent

agressivity . The frequency of M-terror , P-f light , E-increasing the danger is the same as

in newspapers. Q-Confusion is more often quoted in newspapers. Only at one event were all

six of Wolfenstein' s components observed.

Connection between two components was measured by correlation. This coefficient is not

an index of causal connection, as supposed with earlier hypotheses, but it indicates only

coexistence. The correlations among all components were explained through factorial analysis.

Two factors were extracted:

I - explaining fully confusion

II - explaining the major part of contagion .

Each component is plotted on a two-dimensional map, with two axes corresponding to the

two factors.

Except for three of them, the components are plotted nearly on a straight line, that is,

they are explained by a linear combination of the two factors. "Social components" are outside this straight line. They are aggressiveness , selfishness and low cultural level . If we draw a line between two points each time there is a correlation greater than or equal

to .50, between the corresponding components, then we split the previous diagram into three

clusters: (a) N-contagion, P-flight, B-unfavorable environment; (3) B-unfavorable material

environment, C-feeling of being entrapped; (y) Q-confusion, E-increasing danger, M-terror.

This shows that contagion is more associated with flight than with terror.

INQUIRIES IN THE FIELD

We have had an opportunity to obtain observations in the field to obtain data and

information regarding these hypotheses.

We can split our observations into two parts: (1) special case studies: they are labelled "clinical cases" even if data were collected or analyzed with formal procedures;

(2) standardized inquiries.

Clinical Cases

For each clinical case I will give you a short specification of the event and the main

outcome of the study.

1. We were invited by the National Security Administration, to study an individual case:

the death of Mrs. Dyna Gray and of her four children, burned when leaving her home in a motor-car because of a forest fire. Had she "panicked"? The witness of her husband

and all her neighbors allows us to say "No". Here the personality of Mrs. Gray was the

determining factor of this judgment.

2. A very little fire, but with heavy smoke, occurred in a building with 18 floors. A - woman tried to jump from the 8th floor. The panicked woman said "Fire! Fire! A broken

leg is better!" The next morning we inquired in the whole building. The inquiry shows:

(a) This woman had a low level of culture : the myth of fire was determining her

behavior.

(b) Another woman mastered her stress because she felt an important duty not to manifest her own fear before her defective son; but at the cost of subsequent

psychosomatic diseases.

(c) The lack of knowledge of the effective presence of firemen on the site increased

anxiety.

(d) Associating with neighbors reduces anxiety. This is the same as with mice, and,

if I have understood correctly, in a recent report Mr. Mawson has the same conclusions.

74
3. After a fire in a hotel in Meederland, where more than ten persons died, a physician

told us that he had been able to escape because he customarily explores all possible

exits in a new residence.

4. In two stores, warnings of fire (false alarms) and a bomb alert was followed by

resistance against evacuation . The same resistance to evacuation was found in a third

store that had only the false alarms. This resistance extended, in some cases, to the

top manager.

5. A fire developed during a performance at the Music Hall "Folies Bergeres". Since the

public was well informed , evacuation was performed with great calm. But afterward,

there were requests for reimbursement of ticket charges.

6. A fire on the roof of the Athene'e Royal, a school of Bruxelles, led to the evacuation

of 600 children from 6 to 16 years old with the very greatest calm, because*of a well

transmitted warning and good supervision of the children.

7. The fire with che most impact that we have had to study is the fire at a dance in the

little town of Saint Laurent du Pont: 144 boys and girls died, poisoned by smoke and

burned. Only 20 could escape, and 12 of these were interviewed as intensively as possible in consideration of che remaining stress. From these interviews, it appears

chat the fire was terrible, but there was no panic in the sense that there was no agressivicy and no selfishness, with che boys always allowing the girls to flee first.

The rush toward exits was normal given the speed of the fire. The smoke was very toxic

and caused rapid death.

Figure 7 - Revision of Structural Hypothesis

How, we draw these links on the diagram of Figure 6 showing the hypothetical structure

of panic according to the views of Martha Wolfenstein. Most of the anticipated links disappear. If we bring together clusters a and 3, the graph is now disconnected and split in

three parts (1) a and 3, (2) y, (3) the "social components" without correlations. Panic

appears, with this analysis, to overlap three distinct phenomena: flight (and contagion),

terror (and confusion), and social. These three may be combined.

Figure 3 - Observed Structure of Panic

Since this graph is topological and not metric, the former, like other graphs, may be

reorganized without loss of its characteristics. This diagram shows the connections of the

map of factors but with a shape which lets emerge some interesting properties. The first

are the three clusters; a second property is this: if we take as the threshold of acceptance

.40 correlation instead of .50, and draw the corresponding dotted lines, it appears that the

diagram becomes more connected and has a main direction from A-suddenness of alarm to E-aggravation of danger; the components of Martha Wolfenstein lie in an intermediate place

between the two; and the three "social components" remain outside without any connection

with each other, other than the proximity on the factorial map.

As a conclusion we can say that panic, as often said, has many aspects. An illustration

of this can be given extracting all the sub-graphs from this full graph. Having 11

elements, there are 2 » 2046 parts of the set, each one giving a type of panic! But that

is only a figure!

It is important to notice that the model is structural and static and not at all dynamic

and causal.

Figure 9 - Proneness to Disasters

It is a natural hypothesis that there are some predispositions for panic within the

individual and the environment. This is easier to investigate than behavior during a disaster since the latter happens at random, while a study of the former can be scheduled as one wishes.

75
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REVISION D&5 HYPOTHESES D E STRUCTURE

Figure 7. Revision of Structural Hypotheses

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A first inquiry was performed in Paris with a random sample of 354 persons. The

outlook of either rational or impulsive behavior was matched with an index of "fragility”.

This index was built in part with some items given in a questionnaire on anxiety by Eysenck,

with questions about dreams of disasters and uneasiness in situations like being underground

in a crowd, etc.

The correlation between fragility and extreme prospects is .46, but there is an important

set of "mixed" people displaying rationality and impulsivity together. They were not taken

into consideration for the correlation's computation. For this reason the number .46 is only

indicative that there exists some connection between fragility and predisposition to panic

as given by self-rating.

From this inquiry, questions were chosen for constructing a standardized questionnaire.

It was used four times and each time two samples of opposite "vulnerability" were matched:

1 - Less than 6 floor building vs. 30 floor building

2 - Middle class district vs. special district of cabinet-makers.

3 - Hotels with less than 100 rooms vs. hotel with 1000 rooms.

4 - The same institution was used twice, the "Maison des Sciences de l'Homme" (MSH) at

two years interval. In this case, the second sample shows two different populations,

one having been interviewed the first time and the other not. The responses of the

latter were similar to the original responses of the repeat group. It was grouped

with the first sample. This result shows that an inquiry had an educative effect.

The "vulnerability" used for the choice 6f samples was a mere assumption of the research

team. It is a very complex notion taking into account materials and shapes of buildings,

activities of people, safety devices, ways of exiting. It is very hard to have an objective

measure of it and it is beyond the capabilities of psychologists focused on behavior.

Vulnerability is only one of the conditioning variables to be taken into account. For this reason it was subjectively appreciated and we shall see that it was not as good as we thought.

For purpose of clarity and shortness of presentation, the 20 questions were grouped

into 7 topics: (1) Sensitizing, (2) Existence of specific regulations, (3) Knowledge in

matters of security, (4) Emotional stability, (5) Feeling of information's utility,

(6) Forcasting of adaptive, or (7) Inadaptive behavior.

The vulnerability assumed by the research team is not always felt by the subjects,

based on the answers to the question: "Have you thought that a disaster can happen here?"

So we must consider as an intervening variable the "perceived vulnerability" instead of

"assumed vulnerability".

As assumed, the feeling is greater where there is hypothetic and perceived vulnerability

together. In hotels and "Maison des Sciences de l'Homme" the feeling is greater with perceived

vulnerability. It seems that in these cases the feeling is greater when people are more

informed by the display of security devices or by a previous inquiry, as in MSH.

The diagram shows the influence of vulnerability on other sets of responses. But we

need to go further, for instance to understand if the response "to go out fast" means "impulsive flight" or "obeying the evacuation order without loitering." Before doing this we must look at the real effect of vulnerability.

Figure 10 - Attitudes toward Disasters

If we consider the forecast of self-inadaptive behavior, we see that differences in

percentages are statistically significant, often at .01 level, only when "perceived

vulnerability" is concerned (comparison provided by the five boxes across the center of the

chart) but not when "assumed vulnerability" alone is concerned.

79
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Figure 11 - Factor Analysis of Individual Attitudes

Correlations are computed between all pairs of charactferistics in the legend.

Correlations are computed between percentages, at the level of samples, and not between

individual responses. Three factors were computed by factor analysis, namely:

I - regulations

II - action behavior

III - inhibition as opposed to impulsive behavior

Six clusters arise on the diagram:

- submission to safety team

- operational sphere

- affective sphere

- social

- technical knowledge

- knowledge of regulations

- impulsive behavior

Figure 12 - Resume' of Factors of Attitudes

This diagram shows the relative positions of the seven clusters, represented by their

centers of gravity. One, submission, is on one axis, five upon the horizontal plane, and

the seventh (the impulsive behavior) is below this plane.

Figure 13 - Evacuation - Crowding at Exits

One of the dangers of panic is crowding near exits, as it seems from the official

regulations I have calked about. Even without panic, this phenomenon can occur as it is

shown in a simulation of an evacuation of a store. The map and the density of people were

given by the General Commanding Firemen of Paris. The 400 pieces were moved by hand one after the other following the judgement of the two operators, that is, as rationally as possible.

A "phase" of the simulation is completed when each piece takes one step forward. The

phase is labelled "t". The simulation is over when all pieces went out through the three

exits. It lasted 32 phases.

The diagram exhibits the configuration of people near the three exits at three phases:

(1) at the beginning of the operations, (2) at phase 16, (3) at the last phase. The

maximum of crowding appears exactly at the middle of the duration of the simulation.

Figure 14 - Net Time of Evacuation In Terms of Number of Occupants

We had an opportunity to observe 22 evacuations either as exercises or after a bomb

alert, with very different buildings and people.

The direct observation of behavior showed nothing. 3ut two points required attention:

the duration of evacuation and the opinion of participants after evacuation.

For duration we must consider:

1. The net duration , that is, the time elapsed between the first person and the last going

out of the building; it depends obviously on the number of persons to be evacuated and

on Che size of exits.

2. The latency time , lag between the evacuation signal and the first individual appearing

at an exit.

The latency time is much more difficult to analyze. It includes inertia in first

moving and travelling through the building. The evacuation signal is not always heard by

observers and the time of beginning is not known.

81
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Another factor regarding the beginning point should be taken into account: the instant

of the first indication of possible danger is perceived; then there can be a lag between

this indication and the decision of evacuation; this was the case in four bomb alerts.

The diagram shows that net duration, t , can be approximated by the regression equation:

n

I'Mx t = 2,907 N

n This estimation is better than a linear one and is quite different from the well known

"Japanese” formula. N is the number of persons evacuated; it varies between N = 50 for a home for the aged to N = 4000 for occupants of a store.

The representative points are very dispersed around the regression line. This can be

partly explained by people's responses to questionnaires as we shall explain later. Organization of the exercise, regulation of the establishment, perception of alarm signal and

knowledge about security are the main variables on which the performance of the evacuation

depends

Figure 15 - Reaction Time and Net Time of Evacuation

On the diagram are plotted the latency time and the net duration. These two are correlated at .54. We do not yet have explanations for this.

In the upper right quarter are the worst evacuations; the worst of all is a big

administration building containing 1000 persons. The best lies in the lower left quarter.

All the real bomb alerts are characterized by long latency time: the alarm is, in this case, given by a phone call from outside and is not to be confused with the signal of evacuation.

It is always shown that the lag was caused by the hesitation of top managers to give the

order of evacuation.

Figure 16 - Questionnaire after the Evacuation Exercise *

For a more in-depth evaluation of the previous evacuations, an 18 item questionnaire

was filled out by participants after each evacuation. The items can be divided into five

groups concerned with:

1. Regulations - knowledge about them, perceived importance, and how well they are displayed.

2. The conditions of the exercise - suddenness, amount of light, etc.

3. Expected effects of evacuation exercises.

4. Evacuations performance - forecasting of exercise and perception of signal.

5 . Number of firemen or size of security team.

As it can be seen, there is a great dispersion of responses either between samples for

each question or the mean responses (connecting line) in the same group;

Between samples dispersion is explained by modality of warning, display and knowledge

of regulations, and anticipation of exercises.

Figure 17 - Factor Analysis of the Questionnaire

Correlations were again computed and a factor analysis was performed. Three factors were found:

^ — Reality as appearing in regulations vs. hoped modalities of exercises;

II - Performing of exercises;

III - Exercises organizing.

*For reasons of duration of speech, this part was not given during the lecture. It is

given here as an important part of evacuation studies.

-86- •
Figure 15. Reaction Time and Net Time

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Three clusters appear namely, performance (execution), modalities and expected effects;

the latter being between the two formers, shows that it is likely conditioned by them.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we can say that panic is a manifold phenomenon consisting of two main

independent components: one involving the suddenness of alarm, and the other one involving

confusion and aggravation of danger. Perhaps a weaker observed component can be added, a psychosociological one. P.aroxysmal characteristics of behavior and collective behavior were

not taken into account since they were not observed but they should be.

If, as it appears, people deny danger; information, education and training must be

provided and, given the differences between populations, such actions should be based on accurate data collected in the field using well-established procedures and followed by

careful analysis.

Objective analysis of evacuation exercises should provide fruitful information for

developing specific local regulations.

I thank you for your attention.

90 -
EVALUATION OF SAFETY SYMBOLS

B. L. Collins and B. C. Pierman

Building Safety and Security Croup

Environmental Design Research Division

National 3ureau of Standards

Washington, D.C. 20234

The increasing use of symbols to convey fire safety information non- verbally is described. In addition the trend toward international standardization of symbols is discussed for transportation and other systems.

The need for further research on symbols is discussed in terms of the

advantages and disadvantages of symbol use. Advantages include rapid

and accurate communication without the barriers of verbal language. Disadvantages include the too rapid proliferation of different symbols and

inappropriate or misleading application. Furthermore, the failure to evaluate the understandability of each symbol is cited as a major problem.

A case study which documents some of the advantages and disadvantages of

a set of proposed fire-safety symbols is presented. Finally, areas for

further research on symbol evaluation are discussed.

Keywords: Communication; evaluation methods; fire safety; hazard warnings;

pictograms; safety information; standardization; symbols.

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Information to guide, protect, or inform building users has traditionally been provided

by written signs in buildings in the United States. Recently in Europe, however, there has

been a tremendous growth in the use of symbols, or pictograms, to convey such information.

This effort began with the development of standardized traffic symbols in Europe in the

early 1900's. Now there are international standards for symbols for worker safety, hazardous

materials transport, and health-care facilities, while still other standards are under con- sideration for fire safety alerting.

The desire to communicate information among all people everywhere through the use of

symbols was most forcibly voiced by Margaret Mead and subsequently by Henry Dreyfuss [1]*.

Mead [21 felt that the development of a coherent set of pictograms would be the basis of an international language. She believed that this language could solve the problems of

misunderstanding and semantic confusion which exist internationally.

The current efforts aimed at the development of symbols and standards for symbol use. are less ambitious, but they are still intended to reduce confusion and speed communication.

At this point, there is an increasing use of symbols within the United States for transportation systems, hazard warnings, worker safety, and fire safety, as well as for public

1 Figures in brackets indicate the literature references at the end of this paper.

91
information. For example, the Department of Transportation (DoT) has successfully sponsored

the implementation of standardized symbols for motorists, and has proposed other symbols for

public information in transportation facilities. Increased concern for worker safety, con- sumer protection, and other key issues has sparked awareness in the U.S. of the concept of

symbols as a viable means of communicating essential information.

Further evidence of the increasing interest in symbol use can be seen from the various

national and international groups that are developing standards for symbols. At the national

level, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has recently chartered the 2 535

Committee on Safety Colors, Signs and Symbols, while the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has sponsored a subcommittee on Visual Alerting Signs and Symbols. Both of these

committees are working toward the development of voluntary standards for worker safety and

fire safety symbols. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has also sponsored the

development of a set of standard automotive symbols. In the international realm, the United

Nations (UN) has developed signs and symbols for labelling hazardous materials for transport.

Finally the International Standards Organization (ISO) has three committees dealing with

standards for symbols. These include the Technical Committee (TC) 21 on Equipment for Fire

Protection and Fire Fighting; TC 80 on Safety Colors and Signs; and TC 145 on Graphic Symbols. Again, each of these committees is concerned with the development of standard symbols.

1.2 Advantages of Symbols

Symbols can provide emergency, directional, and instructional information concerning

buildings, products, and transportation systems to a wide variety of people. As noted

earlier, a major impetus for the use of symbols has been the need to communicate essential

information without the use of words [3, 4], For example, symbols have been widely used in

Europe because international travel is commonplace and language barriers are widespread. In the United States, moreover, the percentage of the population whose native tongue is not

English, but Spanish, French, Vietnamese, ‘ etc. is increasing. For these people, as well as for illiterate or verbally handicapped persons, symbols can communicate information without

the use of written words.

Symbols can also be an extraordinary medium for communicating a visual message rapidly

and accurately [5, 6]. Symbols are recognized more rapidly and accurately, in some cases,

than the same message in words [7, 8, 9]. For example, Janda and Volk [10] found that the

reaction time for highway information was shorter for a symbol on any shape sign than for

any combination of words and symbols, or for words alone. Thus the use of a directional arrow was found to be more effective than the words "turn here" or "road curves here." In fact the arrows were recognized more rapidly than the conventional and more familiar "STOP"

sign. In addition. Walker, Nicolay, and Stearns [7] found that symbolic road signs were recognized significantly more accurately than word signs alone. They also determined that

their subjects could remember the meaning of a previously unfamiliar set of symbols with

100% accuracy after an interval of 24 hours. Smith and Weir [6] suggested that symbols for

road traffic signs are superior to verbal messages in terms of more rapid response time and

recognition distance. Symbols can be also used to minimize confusion among alternative

choices, moreover [11]. Smillie [12] found response times to be faster for symbols when

stress was introduced as a variable. Accuracy, however, decreased for both printed words

and symbols. Finally at least one researcher. King, [8] has suggested that symbols could

be more effective than words under interference conditions. King [8] also determined that

symbols were recognized more accurately than word signs under short display conditions (1/18

sec) while King and Tierney [13] found that symbols were more effective than words in conveying a desired meaning. These data. indicate that symbols can convey information both

accurately and rapidly. Under many conditions they can be more effective than words in

communicating a small amount of information. These experiments did not even assess the most

likely advantage of symbols over words; namely, that symbols can successfully communicate a particular message to people who do not all speak the same language.

1.3 Problems Connected with the Use of Symbols

Despite the potential effectiveness of symbols, there are some difficulties connected

with their development and use. These problems relate primarily to the application of symbols, rather than to the intrinsic ability of symbols in general to convey information. One

of the most critical areas concerns the lack of standardization. Each person, agency.

92
industry, etc. who feels the need for a symbol develops one, often without consultation

with any other group. There is little, if any, coordination on the kinds of information

which should be symbolized, or agreement on which particular sets of symbols should be used.

While there have been attempts to compile listings of symbols [1, 14] these are not complete,

as new symbols have been generated subsequently in response to specific needs. In addition,

while various international organizations such as the International Standards Organization

(ISO), the Common Market (EEC), and the United Nations (UN), have attempted to standardize

sets of safety symbols, most of these standards are not yet in force in the U.S.

For example, the Department of Transportation (DoT) commissioned the development of a set of 34 public information symbols to be used in transportation facilities such as airline,

bus, and train terminals. While these symbols are intended to be used in such facilities,

there is no guarantee that they will be used in other places where public information is

provided; nor is the set complete, as it excludes fire and hazard alerting. The unfortunate

possibility exists that building owners and the like will continue to use their own sets of

symbols, since the DoT work is strictly oriented toward voluntary application. Thus the

lack of standardization of symbols within the U.S. means that several different symbols may

be used to convey a particular meaning.

A related problem connected with the application of symbols is the tendency for a symbol which has been used successfully in one application to be used in a quite different set

of circumstances. For example, the "no entry" symbol (see Figure 1), originally intended

for vehicular traffic, is now being considered for pedestrian traffic. Granted, there is a large measure of information transfer in that many pedestrians are also licensed drivers;

nevertheless, the symbol may not be entirely appropriate, or understandable for pedestrian

users. Furthermore, the "no entry" symbol may. be intended only for vehicular traffic in some instances, and for all traffic in other situations.

Still another problem has arisen in which a particular situation is represented by

several unique symbols. Thus, there are at least five proposed symbols for "exit" (see

Figure 2), each with a very different representation of this idea. Needless to say, the

potential for serious confusion is high.

Finally and most importantly, because symbols are typically developed and implemented

in response to an individual and specific need, their effectiveness in communicating information to a larger audience is rarely evaluated. Although the creator of the symbol may

understand its message perfectly, this message may not be communicated to anyone else. A

prime example is a fire-safety symbol proposed by ISO TC 21 which means "no exit” (see

Figure 3). In some instances, in fact, a symbol (and this is one) may communicate a meaning

that is opposite from that which is intended. Apparently, this symbol can convey the meaning

Figure 1. No Entry Symbol

93
Figure 2. Examples of Proposed Exit

Signs and Symbols

94

Figure 2 - Continued

Figure 3. No Exit Symbol Proposed by ISO

of "safe refuge" tp some people. Failure to evaluate the effectiveness of a particular

symbol is perhaps the most serious issue io the application of symbols and the development

of national and international standards.

In the preceeding paragraphs, issues related to the effectiveness of symbols for communicating specific information have been raised. In addition, various problems relating to the application of symbols were discussed. These include a lack of agreement upon which

situations need to be symbolized; the proliferation of symbols and symbol-producing groups;

the development of confusing and contradictory symbols; and, most importantly, the failure

to evaluate each symbol's ability to communicate a particular message to a given audience.

These problems can seriously hamper the transmission of essential safety information.

96
Yet these problems can be resolved through evaluation and testing, and through the development

of (voluntary) standards for symbol use. The issues raised.here primarily concern the application of symbols and should not detract from the documented effectiveness of a carefully

developed and researched symbol to convey urgent information accurately and rapidly. (See

Section 1.2).

2. Case Study

In the second portion of this report, we will present a case study which illustrates

many of the issues associated with symbol use. The symbols in question are a set of fire

safety symbols now being considered as a draft international standard by the ISO TC 21

subcommittee on Fire Safety Symbols.

Input from the United States as one of the 84 members of ISO was required for the

preparation of an ISO TC 21 standard on Fire Safety Symbols. Yet a preliminary inspection

of these symbols suggested that a number of them might not be readily understood by people

in the U.S. Furthermore, this sec of symbols had never been evaluated or tested for its

effectiveness in communicating the specific information intended. Consequently, there were

no data that indicated whether these symbols did convey the desired safety information

accurately.

2.1 Procedure

Under sponsorship of the NFP'A subcommittee on visual signs and symbols, 22 fire safety

symbols were evaluated for their accuracy and ability to convey fire safety alerting information. In this effort, 143 subjects, in a total of ten groups, were questioned about their

understanding of these symbols. Although subjects were volunteers from a college community,

a retirement home and several fire stations, no attempc was made to ensure chat the subject

selection process was at all random or representative.

The symbols were presented one by one, as placards (.3m x .3m or 1* x 1') at a distance of no greater chan 9.1 m or 30' from the subjeecs. See Appendix A for a picture of

each symbol. Subjects were asked to write down a short definition of each symbol immediately

after it was presented. They were allowed the option of "I don't know" as a response. The

entire experiment including instructions lasted for about 45 minutes.

The responses were assessed by three judges who matched the answers against a predetermined meaning given by ISO for each symbol. The symbols were raced as "correct", "incorrect",

or "no response". Agreement between two of the three judges was required for each final

racing. The frequency of each type of rated response was recorded for each symbol. The

percentage of subjects responding in each of the three ways was calculated for each symbol.

In addition, where subjects responded incorrectly, the number and kind of alternate meanings

were also tallied. Pictures of selected symbols which caused definite understandability

problems are presented in Figure 4.

2.2 Results and Discussion

Table I presents the percentage of subjects (N»143) who responded correctly to six of

the proposed ISO Fire Safety Symbols. These symbols were selected for this table to show

the extremes of response. Thus, the symbol for telephone and the conventional EXIT sign were recognized by almosc all of the subjects. (In fact, the only people who missed these

signs were several persons from a retirement home who may not have understood the instructions, although many of the retired people performed well.) On the other hand, almost no one understood the blind alley symbol. Similarly, the ISO exit symbol, the "break glass"

symbol, and the "do not block" symbol were recognized by only 20-25% of the 143 subjects.

Pictures of all the symbols tested are provided in Appendix A, along with the percentage of

correct recognition.

The results indicate that there are are serious drawbacks to the immediate use of some

of the proposed ISO Fire Safety symbols in the U.S. At least several of the symbols were

not understood by a large majority of subjects (under these testing conditions). These

include the "exit," "no exit," "fire ladder," "break glass" and "do not block" symbols.

97
ISO EXIT

BREAK GLASS TO OBTAIN ACCESS

Figure 4. Symbols Responded Co Incorrectly

P

P

98
3LIND ALLEY—>J0 EXIT

DO ^CT 3LDCK—KEEP PASSACEWAY CLEAR

Figure 4 - Continued

99
Figure 4 - Continued

FIRE LADDER

100
Table 1. Percentage of Subjects who Responded Correctly to Six

of the Proposed ISO Fire Safety Symbols. See Appendix A

for Pictures of the Six Symbols.

In addition, not only were several symbols incorrectly identified, in some cases they were given a meaning opposite to that Which was intended. Thus, the "no exit" sign was interpreted as exit or safe area by almost 70% of the 69 subjects who identified this symbol

incorrectly. It should be noted that about 140 of the 143 subjects either misidentif ied or

did not respond to this particular symbol. Yet it should also be noted that 95% of the

subjects were able to identify the "telephone" and "no smoking" symbols correctly, as well

as the word “EXIT." This recognition rate is well above the 75% recognition rate set by

Heard [15] as required for adoption of automotive symbols.

The results reported here are very preliminary, and are given only to provide an indication of the range of effectiveness which may be expected when symbols are used the sole means of conveying information. Thus, several of the symbols were accurately understood by

the majority of the subjects. Other symbols were either not known, or, more seriously,

101
were identified with a meaning opposite to that intended. While a fairly large number of

people from a variety of backgrounds were tested, this was by no means a random or representative sample of subjects. Consequently, these results do not apply for all people in

the U. S., and are not intended to provide a definitive answer to the fire safety symbols

problem. They do indicate, however, the urgent need to evaluate the understandability of

each symbol before it is used for a hazard warning. If a symbol does poorly during the eval

uation, then redrafting should seriously be considered. If the symbol cannot be redrafted,

then an intensive educational effort must be implemented.

3. General Discussion

An instance in which a symbol is given a meaning opposite to that intended illustrates

the most serious problem with the use of symbols. Yet, this type of situation can arise

when symbols are neither developed nor evaluated consistently. The potential for serious

harm in a case such as the "no exit" symbol which was interpreted as "safe haven" is very

great. Consequently, before symbols are adopted, particularly ones which relate to emer- gency situations, their effectiveness in communicating the desired safety information to the

intended audience must be evaluated. Ideally, the evaluation process should occur during

the initial drafting stages, and again before implementation to eliminate serious misidentif ications.

An evaluation program for proposed safety symbols should provide evidence of each symbol's effectiveness for conveying information to a particular audience. If the symbol is

not deemed effective, then one of two courses of action can be implemented. The first is to institute an intensive education program to teach people the meaning of the symbol, after

which its effectiveness should be reevaluated*. The second is to use information gained

during the evaluation program (such as misidentif ication) to modify and improve the symbol.

Again, the modified symbol must be evaluated before it is implemented. It is especially

critical to evaluate new symbols and sets of symbols before they are used to convey safety

information.

4. Research Program at NBS

As a result of the need to implement more effective symbols, NBS has begun a research

program in which safety symbol use will be evaluated. Five major questions will be addressed

in this program. These include: (1) which situations, or groups of situations, require

symbols, (2) how do users evaluate specific symbols, (3) what are the methods and criteria

for evaluating symbol effectiveness for these situations, (4) what are the characteristics

of an effective symbol, and (5) what conditions affect the usefulness of symbols? A specific

focus will be the testing and evaluation of safety’ symbols in the workplace and under emergency conditions—with the ultimate goal being technical input into the development of standards for symbol use and evaluation.

During the symbol research program at NBS, we will develop and implement a- variety of

test procedures for evaluating safety symbols. As Cahill [16] noted, the empirical validation of a symbol's effectiveness is an essential element of symbol development. Validation

is a key step in determining whether a symbol accurately communicates the desired information and can affect the subsequent actions of the intended audience. Thus, Freedman,

Berkowitz and Gallagher [17] tested public information symbols by determining if these symbols were successful in guiding people through a museum. Heard [15] assessed the effectiveness of automotive symbols by having subjects touch each control as the corresponding symbol

was presented, while Easterby and Zwaga [18] asked a wide variety of subjects to define the

meaning of each of six public information symbols.

The preceding examples are presented to indicate some of the situations in which symbols

have been evaluated for their effectiveness. This knowledge can then be used to improve the

symbol, implement an education program, or empirically support a symbol's widespread use. In conclusion, knowledge of the understandability of a given symbol, particularly a safety

symbol, is essential before it is used. The development of standard evaluation procedures

102 '
is seen as a critical factor in this process. The NBS research program will provide information on the use of different evaluation techniques, as well^ as data on the understandability

of specific safety symbols.

5.

Acknowledgments

While the authors of this report take full responsibility for its contents, we wish to mention all those who provided invaluable assistance during its preparation.

We would like to thank Mr. Robert Andrews and Mr. Samuel Beach, both members of the

NFPA Subcommittee on Visual Alerting Signs and Symbols, for their assistance with the

collection of information on the fire-safety symbols. We would also like to thank

Dr. Robert Glass and Mr. Fred Stahl for their helpful comments during the review process.

References

1. Dreyfuss, H. , Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic

Symbols , McGraw Hill, New York, 1972.

2. Mead, M. , and Modley, R. , Communication Among All People Everywhere, Natural History , 1968, 77, pp. 56-63.

3. Kolers, P. A., Some Formal Characteristics of Pictograms, American Scientist , 1969, 57, pp. 348-363.

4. Modley, R. , Graphic Symbols for Worldwide Communication, In G. Kepes (Ed.), Sign, Image

and Symbol , George Braziller, New York, 1966, pp. 108-125.

5. Dreyfuss, H. , Case Study: Symbols for Industrial Use, In G. Kepes (Ed.), Sign, Image

and Symbol , George Braziller, New York, 1966, pp. 126-133.

6. Smith, G. , and Weir, R. , Laboratory Visibility Studies of Directional Symbols Used for

Traffic Control Symbols, Ergonomics , 1978, 21, pp. 247-252.

7. Walker, R. E. , Nicolay, R. C. , and Stearns, C. R. , Comparative Accuracy of Recognizing

American and International Road Signs, Journal of Applied Psychology, 1965, 49,

pp. 322-325.

8. King, L. E. , Recognition of Symbol and Word Traffic Signs, Journal of Safety Research , 1975, 7, pp. 80-84.

9. Brainard, R. W. , Campbell, R. J. , and Elkins, E. H. , Design and Interpretability of

Road Signs, Journal of Applied Psychology , 1961, 45, pp. 130-136.

10. Janda, H. F., and Volk, W. N. , Effectiveness of Various Highway Signs, National Research

Council: Highway Research 3oard Proceedings , 1934, 14, pp. 442-447.

11. Green, P. , and Pew, R. W. , Evaluating Pictographic Symbols: An Automotive Application,

Human Factors , 1973, 20, pp. 103-114.

12. Smillie, R. J. , Continuing Research in Job Performance Aids: The Interaction of Speed

Stress and Media, Proceedings of the Human Factors Society - 22nd Annual Meeting, 1978,

pp. 502-506.

13. King, L. E. , and Tierney W. J. , Glance Legibility - Symbol versus word Highway Signs,

Paper presented at the 1970 Annual Meeting of the Human Factors Society, San Francisco,

October, 1970.

14. Modley, R. and Myers, W. R. , Handbook of Pictorial Symbols , Dover Publications, New

York, 1976.

103
15. Heard, E. A., Symbol Study - 1972, Society of Automotive Engineers (740 304) Detroit,

Michigan: Automotive Engineering Congress, February-M^rch, 1974.

16. Cahill, M. C. , Interpretability of Graphic Symbols as a Function of Context and Experience Factors, Journal of Applied Psychology , 1975, 60, pp. 376-380.

17. Freedman, M. , Berkowitz, M. , and Gallagher, V. P. , Symbol Signs: Testing Criteria and

Techniques of Evaluation Symbols for Use in Transportation-Related Facilities , (Interim

report. Contract No. DOT-OS-60071), Washington, D.C. : U.S. Department of Transportation,

September 1976.

18. Easterby, R. S., and Zwaga, H. I. G. , Evaluation of Public Information Symbols: ISO

tests, 1975 series , (AP Report. 60), Birmingham, England: University of Aston, Applied

Psychology Department, March 1976.

Appendix A

In the following section 21 photographs of the 22 fire-safety symbols used in this

experiment are given. (The EXIT sign which was presented in both red and green type is only

shown once.

)

Under each photograph is presented the percentage of subjects (N=*143) who responded

correctly with an accurate definition of the symbol.

25% correct
*

*

I

k

2. Fire Extinguisher

93S correct

3. Fire-Fighters Equipment

IS correct

$

105
I

I

4. Do Sot Lock

59% correct

5. Do Not Block - Keep Passageway Clear

19% correct

106
I

I

I

6. Fire Alarm Call Point

3* correct

7. Do Not Use Water

632 correct

107
p

p

*

8. Mo Smoking

93% correct

9. Mo Open Flame •

78% correct

108
R

H

I

I

N

«

i

i

*

«

i

i

i

rf

i

*

II

10. Telephone Eaergency

red

652 correct

11. General - Slue - General

942 correct

1C9
12. Break Glass Co Obtain Access

30% correct

13. Blind Alley

3% correct

110

m

m

*

m

*

m

l

il

il

M
Ill
17. Direction to Fire-Fighting Equipment

17% correct

18. Fire Bucket Location

64% correct

112
r

*

*

19. Exit (la words) - both Red and Green

952 and 922 correct

20. Fire Alarm Horn

162 correct

113
114
HOSPITAL FIRE SAFETY

NON-ATTENDANCE AND PATIENT MOBILITY

M. Finucane*

E.W. Marchant**

*Atkins Research and Development

Surrey, England

**University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland

In hospital emergencies, the availability of staff

to help patients is critical for their safety. The paper

shows that in a post-natal ward some spaces used by patients can be unstaffed for periods much longer then 5 minutes. This is the interval for non-attendance proposed

as the decision point for the installation of smoke detection systems. Spaces associated with, or adjacent to,

patient spaces, from which a fire could threaten patient

occupied spaces directly, were found to be unstaffed for

periods up to 72 hours. The second part of this paper presents a simple technique to establish the relative mobility

of nine different types of patient. Here the objective was

to establish the number of staff required to prepare patients

for evacuation and the number required to maintain evacuation movement.

It is proposed that a Patient Mobility Factor could be

a key factor in the fire safety analysis of any hospital as

it could help to make decisions about escape route provision

and the virtue of concepts such as "def end-in-place.

Key words: Escape; fire; hospitals; patient mobility; rescue;

staff availability.

115
Introduction

Hospitals are complex organisations dealing with many types or patient and using the skills of staff at various levels of

expertise in many disciplines. Naturally, the prime concern

of all staff is the care, treatment and general well being of

the patients. In any emergency situation, an additional

responsibility is given to staff, which is that of patient

protection — protection from the new threat(s) to life which

may occur during the emergency. In the particular type of

emergency - fire -discussed in this contribution, protection

could include attacking the fire, removing the patients and many

other actions, but an emphasis is placed on two related aspects

of patient-staff relationships: (1) the amount of time that a patient-occupied space may be unattended by staff, and (2) the

staff help needed by various types of patient to make a safe

evacuation from a threatened space.

It is assumed that the emergency communications system and

evacuation techniques are known and understood by staff members

and that they all have an adequate knowledge of the layout,

safety facilities and form of the buildings, to enable any life

saving action to be taken without delay.

The information presented and the conclusions drawn on both the

# non-attendance and the patient mobility problems are based on

preliminary observations carried out in some hospitals around

Edinburgh. The results should be regarded as those of preliminary

investigations into components of the hospital fire safety problem

but may serve also as a starting point for more detailed appraisals

of the problems of patient safety.

116
Other aspects of the hospital fire safety problem are being

investigated at Edinburgh and they include a smoke load

survey and the development of a simple fire safety evaluation

technique for hospital buildings. In addition, a major

research project is being pursued on the development of

systematic techniques for the analysis and evaluation of

fire safety in hospitals so that the various components of

fire safety can be balanced to give a definable level of safety.

(1) NON-ATTENDANCE STUDY

All emergency situations have a strong dependence on time.

The elapsed time during a fire emergency can be regarded as two

time sequences developing in parallel. One sequence traces the

development and increase in the threat that a fire will give to

the people involved. The other is that time sequence which

begins with the detection of a fire and ends with the people

involved being safe, or dead. The former state occurs when they

have either reached safety before untenable conditions were

developed, or the fire was unable to develop to a dangerous size

due to manual or automatic fire fighting, or perhaps because of

a lack of fuel or combustion air. The latter state, death or injury, can be achieved easily if the people threatened are not

able to move, or the time required for the detection of a fire is

too long.

The most responsive and versatile fire detector is probably the alert

human being and in hospitals lacking automatic detection systems,

the availability of staff members becomes an important safety factor.

In general, the growth of a fire will follow an exponential

increase in size with a ten-fold increase in intensity at the

end of each 13 minute period after ignition. The production of

smoke may follow a similar pattern but would make the environmental

conditions untenable -in the affected space much sooner than the

117
attainment of unacceptable temperatures. In either case,

early discovery of a fire is essential for any evacuation, or patient protection, plan to be successful.

The time available for effective evacuation will vary with

respect to many factors and these include the type of materials

burning, the size of the patient occupied volume, the volume

rate of smoke production, and the type of patients under

treatment. It is possible to calculate the time available

before conditions become too smoky but this is quite a difficult

process at present and a reasonable estimate of available time

may be given by N/8 minutes, where N is the number of patients

who could be threatened by smoke and/or toxic gases and who share

the same volume. For example, a 20 bed ward would need to be

evacuated in 2 \ minutes and a 4-bed ward (or sub-ward) in

30 seconds, assuming, in both examples, that the fire was in the

ward and its development not hindered. Such times may indicate

the maximum time for periods of non-attendance providing that no

» • / £

)

automatic fire- detection system was installed1 . It is interesting

also to recall part of the report of the official Inquiry into the

fatal fire at Coldharbour Psychiatric Hospital (1) "...if the

(management) system cannot ensure that the unattended period is

limited to five or six minutes, then we are forced to recommend

the provision of universal automatic fire detection by smoke

detectors...." Since the Coldharbour Report, some studies have

been carried out on the appropriateness and selection of detection

systems (2)

It is therefore evident that patient occupied spaces left

unattended for more than a few minutes could cause a serious

reduction in fire safety. In addition, fires in other spaces,

adjacent to or connected to the patient area spatially, could

produce a serious threat if discovery of a fire was long delayed.

(a) Naturally, when exposed to a fire threat, the lower the mobility

potential of patients the greater is the risk to their lives

,

and this would be another important factor in deciding on acceptable non-attendance times.

118
Method of Measurement

The non-attendance study had the objective of measuring

the non-attendance times in various wards although only one ward type (post natal) is presented here. The times were

measured by personal observation and at least nine periods of

observation were undertaken so that a knowledge could be gained

of the variation in staffing patterns with the time of day and

the day in the week. For each period in the 24-hour day, three

observations were made and the results presented in the diagrams

are the average time periods over the three observations. There

was found to be no significant difference between the days of the

week. Some of the results presented will be unique to post-natal

wards (e.g. the nursery) but other spaces such as the day room

and the treatment room, may have similar functions in other types

of .ward. In these latter cases similar non-attendance times

could result.

Patient sleeping areas were assumed to be non-attended during the

night-time period (23.00-06.00) because of the difficulty of

identifying which patients were asleep and which were awake. A

definition of non-attendance for patient areas is: all patients

asleep and no-staff present. In other areas the non-attendance time

was defined as the time when no staff member was present. However,

sub-ward areas were included, these containing one, two or three beds

only.

For each activity space in the ward, a histogram is presented

(Figures 1-16). The vertical axis represents the frequency of nonattendance, with respect to three basic time periods (5, 15 and 30

minutes) and the hour of the day along the horizontal axis.

In each of the diagrams the clear part of the bar indicates the

periods of 5 minutes that the space is empty; the hatching shows the

periods of 15 minutes and those parts "crossed" indicate the periods

of 30 minutes in each hour that the area is empty.

119
Figure 1 shows the non-attendance pattern for the four

sub-ward areas. Although these areas are well used by alert

people, there are two or three periods throughout the day time when

the unattended period is at least fifteen minutes. When

compared with other areas this would seem acceptable unless any

patient has a tendency to arson (a problem not uncommon in some

hospitals)

Figure 2 indicates the periods when the patients' sittingrcom is

empty. As would be expected, this space is unused between

1.00 am and 6.00 am. If there is no automatic detection system,

this could be an area where an ignition source could develop into

a small fire unnoticed. A reference to Figure 17 shows that only

four or five staff members would be available during this part of

the day.

The kitchen (Figure 3) is fairly well used throughout the day but

there are periods when a hazardous situation could occur unnoticed.

Naturally, such an occurrence would depend on the probability of

ignition for each of the power using appliances in the kitchen, but

this is beyond the scope of the present paper.

In contrast, the various stores. Figures 4-7, tend to be visited

infrequently and if any store is adjacent to a patient area, then

a careful assessment of the possible ignition sources must be made

in addition to the evaluation of the properties of the materials

stored. Some spaces in the total ward area are unoccupied for much

longer periods, up to 60 hours. These include laboratories in

which continuous experiments are carried out. Any ignition in such

spaces would be most harmful in the hours of low staffing levels,

5.00 pm to 7.00 am. (Figure 17).

Figure 8 shows that almost constant surveillance is possible in the

nursery but the baby bathroom (Figure 9) is used f or • some part of each

hour only. The bathroom and toilets are in fairly regular use

throughout a large part of the day and if they are fitted with

traditional equipment, are likely to be places of low fire hazards.

120
However, damp paper and cotton towels could present a smoke

hazard if ignited (accidentally) during the night. Similar

comments would apply to the sluice and treatment rooms

(Figures 11 and 12) . This group of spaces were occupied as dictated by the routine of the hospital.

The Sisters' Room (Figure 13) was unused from 10 pm to 7 am as most of the available staff were involved with baby care.

The histograms for the cloakroom, office and telephone (Figures

14, 15 and 16) show expected usage patterns.

Discussion

In all the activity spaces in this post-natal ward, periods of

non-attendance exceeding five minutes were observed. This has

serious implications for fire safety planning as the chance of not

observing a fire in its initial stages becomes greater, especially

as some of the areas had non-attendance periods much longer than

might have been expected. This observation, however, does not

mean that changes in nursing operations are required, or that smoke

detectors should be installed in all spaces, but that the risk should

be estimated and compared to the acceptable risk for the particular

type of hospital. For example, the "additional risk" of the observed

periods of non-attendance could be mitigated by the inherent fire

safety of the occupied spaces.

In the design of new, and the decisions about alterations to

existing hospitals, the "non-attended" spaces could be grouped to

share some form of early fire detection, perhaps a smoke sampling

system.

One aspect of fire safety which occurs after the detection of fire,

is the preparation for and maintenance of movement for the patients

threatened by a fire so that they may reach a place of relative, or absolute, safety. In some types of ward, the patient will be much

more dependent on staff than in others. In all cases the effectiveness

of an evacuation to safety will depend upon the ratio between staff

121
available and staff required. Figure 17 is a record of actual

staff number variation against time. It may be likely that

the other wards may have given the same pattern of staff distribution

throughout the day, although their patient : staff ratio may

be different.

The next part of this contribution deals with the numbers of

staff required to help various types of patient.

(2) PATIENT MOBILITY

The importance of considering both fire development and the

reaction of people to the fire threat as a sequence of time, has

been emphasised. The "degree" of non-attendance by alert people

in various parts of a ward was considered as a factor in the time

available for an ignition to be discovered. This part deals with

two subsequent parts of the time, or event, sequence for the

people involved - the problems of preparation for movement when

under fire threat and the maintenance of movement to reach a place

of safety. In this study an emphasis was placed on the availability

of staff, or the number of staff required, to help a group of patients

to reach safety. In the selected sample of nine ward-types, the

need for staff help varied markedly as did the proportion of patients

able to move without assistance.

Investigation Technique

After discussions with members of . the nursing staff at various

hospitals, it was agreed that the most realistic approach to the

investigation was to ask the Sister, or Charge Nurse, a set of

questions on a personal visit to any particular ward. THe questions

(see Appendix 1) were designed to give the investigator some information on the possibility of patient awareness to potential

danger, the number of staff required to prepare the patient for

evacuation, the number of helpers required to maintain movement

towards safety and how the patient was to be moved.

122
As this study is a preliminary investigation, the types of

ward chosen may not be representative of the total variation

of ward types to be found in UK hospitals. They were

selected to give a wide variation of patient types so that

any significant evacuation problems could be identified. The

ward types are listed below.

Table 1: Ward Types Selected

Ward Type Number of Mobile

Patients Patients***

1 . Ante-Natal 66*(4) ** 95 .5%

2. Post-Natal 83 (5) 80.7%

3. Surgical (Female) 58 (4) 24.1%

4. Young Chronic Sick 22 (1) 13.6%

5. General Medical 36 (5) 28.0%

6. Geriatric (Male) 46 (2) 0 %

7. Orthopaedic (Female) 91 (4) 5.5%

3. Acute head and spinal injury 54 (4) 3.7%

9. Assisted ventilation 7 '(3) 0 %

These numbers are the total number of patients investigated

i.e. the total for all visits.

The numbers in parenthesis indicate the number of visits made

to each ward.

Mobile patients are those not requiring any help and able to

move at least 90m.

Those wards with a regular turnover of patients were visited more *

times than long-stay wards in an attempt to gain a reasonable

representation of the mobility distribution for each ward.

123
Results and Discussion

Table 1 above shows the proportion of patients who did not

require help to evacuate. The overall percentage is 33.6%

or patients in this category. This is in reasonable agreement

with the accepted proportion of 40% but the distribution of

mobile patients is far from uniform. From the Table it is

clear that some groups require guidance only. It is important

to note that the 40% figure cannot be applied to all groups of

patient and if fire safety can be included in the emergency plan

for staff members, then an understanding of the uneven distribution

of non-mobile patients must be included in their training. The

Tables in Appendix 2 give the compiled results for each of the nine

wards. Using the responses to Questions 8 and 9, and assuming that

each patient was in bed initially, a Patient Mobility Factor was calculated for each type of patient. It is expected that the problems

created by the use of drugs, (e.g. sedatives), mental instability and

defects in sensory response were included intuitively in the answers to

questions 8 and 9 obtained from the nursing staff.

The calculation of the Patient Mobility Factor (PMF) is best

described by an example. Taking data from Table 5 Appendix 2

(Male Geriatric Ward) , thirty-four from forty-six patients required

two staff members to prepare for evacuation, and twelve patients

required one helper (Question 8) . Similarly, for continuing

movement, forty-two patients needed one helper and four only from

forty-six could move alone. These numbers can then be assembled

as follows :-

Total number of staff actions required

Number of patients

Staff actions (A) = (34x2) + (12x1) = 80

Staff actions (B) » (42x1) + ( 4x0) = 42

PMF =

80 + 42

46

= 2.65

(A) are the actions required to prepare for evacuation, and

(B) are the actions required to maintain evacuation movement.

124
The following Cable lists the PMF values for each of the nine

wards. The third column of the table is a set of values which

relate the degree of difficulty of moving patients taking antenatal patients as unity. After further analysis, it may be

possible to use such a rank order as part of a fire safety

appraisal scheme for hospitals.

Table 2: Patient Mobility Factor (PMF)

Ward Type PMF Relative

values

1 . Ante-natal 0.17 1.0

2 # Post-natal 0.65 3.8

3. Female Surgical 1.69 9.9

4. Young Chronic Sick 1.95 11.5

5 . Mixed General Medical 2.15 12.6

6 . Male Geriatrics 2.65 15.6

7. Female Orthopaedic 3.29 19.4

8. Acute Head and Spinal Injury 3.50 20.6

9. Assisted Ventilation 5 . 67 33.4

The PMF values may be helpful in comparing the difficulty of handling

different types of patient. • It should be noted also that

simultaneous action is assumed in the calculations, a situation

unlikely to occur because of the number of staff required for the

preparation phase. Considering the geriatric ward, here a total

of 40 staff would be required to prepare patients for simultaneous

evacuation, but only 21 staff members to maintain evacuation.

Taking the simple expression j

minutes, which gives the time

available for evacuation (N being the number of patients), then the

40 staff would need to be assembled and evacuation completed within

3 minutes after ignition. This assumes the actual ward being under

direct fire threat. In most hospitals the assembly of 40, or even

21 staff members in such a short time would not be a practicable

proposition, but it is evident that the longer the time required before

evacuation is completed, the greater the chance of a multiple fatality.

Similarly, the post-natal ward would have no problems as 4 staff members

would be required and Figure 17 shows that at least 4 people were

available for 22 hours in every 24 hours.

125
PMF values may be useful in the assessment of the fire

emergency needs of various types of patient as they concentrate

on the number of able people required to help in particular

ward types. Although the calculations described give some common measure, the patient handling problems in ward types

containing specialised treatment areas (e.g. intensive care,

and assisted ventilation) which have a high staff : patient ratio

ordinarily, should have few problems as sufficient staff members

could be assembled easily.

In some treatment areas and operating theatres, the patient

may be in such a critical state that the fire safety designer

should practice the concept of "defend-in-place" , so that the

patient and immediate staff do not need to leave the patient.

After the patients have begun to evacuate, other factors will

influence their continued safety. For example the quality and

quantity of escape paths whose adequacy will depend on the

evacuation technique possible and the degree of protection

available to the escape route.

Closing Remarks

The two studies described here represent preliminary investigations

into two components of life safety - the amount of time that

various spaces are unattended and the demands that patient

mobility could create in an emergency. In the first part it was shown that non-attendance times could be excessive for some spaces within a ward, even when the ward area has up to five staff

at night. Non-attendance times could be combined with fire

incidence information for each existing hospital to help decide

oh the type, size and location of automatic detection and

communication systems. For proposed buildings, non-attendance

times for various spaces could give some guidance on the real need

for some spaces, the 2- and 3- dimensional grouping of spaces for

safety and surveillance reasons as well as information on the

required performance of detection and communication systems.

126
The second part, on the emergency help required for various

types of patient, develops the concept of Patient Mobility

Factor. This gives a relative measure of the movement problems

associated with different physical states of patients. The

numbers of staff that would be required for simultaneous

evacuation in some wards could never be made available and it

is clear also that the total population in multi-bed wards

where the patients are heavily dependent on staff care could

never be evacuated in an emergency. The trial evacuations

organised by DESS at Hackney General Hospital (3) showed

that the timely evacuation of geriatric patients by normal

staffing using traditional techniques is not possible.

Although analytical studies should be undertaken using all

sizes of ward and levels of staffing, it is likely to be shown

that there is a critical combination of .ward size and staff required

beyond which any fire would become a fatal fire. For all such

situations, the fire safety emphasis could be better placed on surveillance (automatic or manual) to discover an ignition early

coupled with effective fire suppression techniques (again

automatic or manual)

Finally, in hospital fire safety, no single recommendation will

be appropriate for all hospitals. It is essential, therefore, to

analyse each situation and balance the fire and patient risk

factors against the fire safety factors given by the staff available,

the building and the installed fire safety equipment.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The invesgitations reported in this paper are part of. a larger

project on the systematic appraisal of fire safety problems in

health buildings. The project is sponsored by the Engineering

Division Of the Department of Health and Social Security.

127
REFERENCES

(1) Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Fire at

Coldharbour Hospital, Sherborne, on 5 July 1972.

Cmnd. 5170. London: HMSO 1972.

(2) R.H. Kennedy, K.W.P. Riley and S.P. Rogers.

"A study of the operation and effectiveness of fire

detectors installed in the bedrooms and corridors of

residential institutions”. 3RE C? 26/78.

(3) Fire Evacuation Exercise at Hackney Hospital.

BRE 5lews No 35. Department of the Environment,

Spring 1976.

128
APPENDIX 1

PATIENT MOBILITY INVESTIGATION

Sec of Questions

General aues cions

1. Type of ward.

2. Number of beds in ward.

3. (a) Average patient age; (b) Ailment; (c) Average length of

range of age. stay; range of

length of stay.

4. At what time of day is patient sedated, if at all?

5. Are there any side effects from medication given?

6. Can the patient (a) see; (b) hear; and (c) react rationally

to stimuli?

7. Is the patient in bed for most of the day?

3. How many people are required to prepare to move the patient to

safety in an emergency?

9.

How many people are required to move the patient to safety in an emergency, after preparation?

10. What method of movement would be used?

11. How quickly could the patient move/be moved, i.e. very slow, slow,

normal?

12. How far could the patient move, or be moved, i.e. less than 10m,

30m, 90m?

13. Would the patient be ip danger of dying if moved elsewhere in an emergency, i.e. could drips etc. be set up elsewhere afterwards?

129
APPENDIX 2

This appendix is a set of nine tables which correspond to the

wards surveyed in the Patient Mobility Investigation and the

information in the tables are responses to the numerous questions

listed in Appendix 1.

Table 2-1 Ante-Natal Ward (4 visits)

3. (a) 27 years

(20-39 years)

(b) pregnancy (c) 8 days

(0-29 days)

4. 52/66*

10/66

4/66

No sedation given

Sedated all day

Sedated at night

5. Sedation only makes patients drowsy but able to be :

6

66/ 66 No sensory decrement

7. ‘23/66 In bed for most of day

8. 63/66

3/66

Require no help to prepare

Require one staff member to

to move to safety

help

9. 58/66

3/66

Require no help to move to

Require one staff member.

safety

10. 58/66

8/66

Walk to safety

Use wheelchair

11. 62/66

4/66

Normal speed of movement

Slow speed

12. 66/66 Able to move 90m or more

13. 1/66 Danger to life if moved.

These numbers throughout these tables refer to: in the

denominator - the total number of patients observed for all

visits; and in the numerator - the total number of patients

observed for all visits who relate to the particular response.

130
Table 2-2 Post-Natal Ward (4 visits)

3. (a) Age 25 years (b) After childbirth (c) 3.3 days

(15-35 years) (0-13 days)

8/74 Cesarian section patients.

4. 2/74 Sedated all day

72/74 No sedation

5. Effect of sedation - makes patient drowsy but able to be roused

6. 74/74 No significant sensory decrement.

7. 15/74 In bed for most of day.

8. 2/74 Two staff required to prepare patient.

10/74 One staff required.

52/74 No help required

9. 1/74 Two staff required to move patient to safety.

11/74 One staff required.

62/74 No help required.

10. 1/74 Stretcher to safety

4/74 Use wheelchair

69/74 Walk to safety.

11. 65/74 Normal speed of movement.

9/74 Slow speed.

12. 74/74 Able to move 90m or more.

13. 74/74 No danger to life.

MB: Babies to be moved by additional help.

131
Table 2-3 Surgical Ward (Female) (5 visits )

3. (a) Age 49 years (b) 45/72 post operative patients (c) 2.4 days

(17-84 years) 59/72 abdominal trouble (0-15 days;

4. 19/72 Sedated all day

53/72 No sedation.

5. Post operative anaesthetic effects render patient unconscious for

about 10 hours.

6. 62/72 No significant sensory decrement.

5/72

5/72

Reactions suspect.

One sense lacking.

7. 39/72 In bed for most of day.

3. 21/72

28/72

Two staff required to prepare patient.

One staff required.

23/72 No help required.

9. 17/72 Two staff required to move patient.

18/72

37/72

One staff required.

No help required.

10. 17/72

9/72

Bed used to move patient.

Wheelchair

46/72 Walk to safety.

11. 20/72 Normal speed of movement

45/72 Slow

7/72 Very slow.

12. 72/72 Able to move 90m or more.

13. 5/72 Danger to life if moved.

132
Table 2-4 Young Chronic Sick Ward (2 visits)

3. (a) Age 46 years (b) 16/44 Waist down (c) 42

(23-66 years) paralysed (0

4. 16/44 Sedated at night

23/44 No sedation

5. Able to be roused from sedation.

6. 42/44 Sensory response ail right

2/44 Poor sight.

7. 2/44 In bed for most of day.

42/44 Mostly in wheelchairs.

3. 2/44 Four staff required to prepare patient.

24/44 Two staff required.

12/44 One staff required.

6/44 No help required.

9. 18/44 One person required to move patient.

26/44 No help required.

10. 42/44 Wheelchair used to move patient.

2/44 Walk.

11. 18/44 Normal speed of movement.

24/44 Slow speed.

2/44 Very slow.

12. 44/ 44 Able to move at least 30m.

18/44 Move 90m or more.

13. 44/44 No danger to life.

months

•72 months)

133
Table 2-5: Geriatric Ward (Male) (2 visits)

3. (a) Age 73 years (b) 20/46 One side Daralvsed (c) 77 days

(51-89) 10/46 Senile dementia (0-96 days)

3/46 Total paralysis

4. 12/46 Sedated all day

30/46 No sedation.

5. Able to rouse from sedation: 4/46 very drowsy continuously

6

34/46 Sensory response all right

12/46 Poor vision and speech, and irrational behaviour.

7. 10/46 In bed most of day.

36/46 In wheelchairs

3. 34/46. Two staff required to prepare oatients

12/46, One staff required.

9. 42/46 One staff required to move patient.

4/46 No help required.

10. 42/46 Wheelchair used to move patient.

2/46 Trolley used.

2/46 Walk.

11. 38/46 Normal speed of movement.

6/46 Slow speed

2/46 Very slow.

12. 46/46 Able to move at least 90m or more.

13. 46/46. No danger to life if moved.

134
Table 2-6. General Medical Ward (5 Visits)

3. (a) Age 72 years Ob) 23/86 heart complaint (c) 10.7 days

(50-93) (0-53 days)

4

10/36 Sedated all day.

38/86 Sedated at night

38/86 No sedation.

5

Sedation causes patient to be drowsy.

647/86 Faculties all right

18/86 Reactions suspect.

21/86 One sense deficient.

7. 19/36 In bed for most of day.

8. 2/86 Three staff required to prepare patient.

33/86 Two staff required.

27/86 One staff required.

24/86 No help required.

9. 29/86 Two staff required to move patient.

28/86 One staff required.

29/86 No help required.

10. 5/86 Move in bed to safety .- 16/86 Wheelchair.

65/86 Walk to safety.

11. 23/86 Normal speed of movement.

48/86 Slow speed.

15/86 Very slow.

12. 86/86 Able to move 30m.

71/86 Able to move 90m or more.

13. 5/86 Danger to life if moved.

135
Table 2-6: Orthopaedic Ward (Female) (4 visits)

3. (a) Age 61 years (b) 69/91 damage to hip (c) 29.3 days

(14-87 years) or leg. (0-73 days)

4. 9/91 Sedated all day

16/91 Sedated at night.

2/91 Sedated when required.

64/91 No sedation.

5. Effect of sedation to make patient drowsy but able to be roused

6

60/91 Sensory response all right.

23/91 Reactions confused.

8/91 Blind and deaf.

7. 59/91 In bed for most of day.

3. 74/91 Two staff required to prepare patient.

12/91 One staff required.

5/91 No help required.

9. 54/91 Two staff required to move patient.

31/91 One staff required.

6/91 No help required.

10. 54/91 Move in bed to safety.

21/91 Wheelchair.

14/91 Walk ‘to safety.

2/91 Use crutches.

11. 26/91 Normal speed of movement. » 56/91 Slow speed.

• 9/91 Very slow.

12. 91/91 Able to move 30m.

86/91 Above to move 90m or more.

13. 91/91 No danger to life.

136
Table 2-8; Acute Head and Spinal Injury Ward (4 visits)

3. (a) Age 48 years (b) 27/54 severe head injury (c)

(3-83 years) 9/54 spinal injury

4. 54/54 No sedation.

5

10/54 Unconscious

6. 14/54 No reactions.

16/54 Sensory response all right.

24/54 Slow or confused reactions.

7. 24/54 In bed for most of day.

8. 44/54 Two staff required to prepare patient.

8/54 One staff required.

2/54 No help required.

9. 40/54 Two staff required to move patient.

13/54 One staff required.

1/54 No help required.

10. 40/54 Move in bed to safety.

7/54 Wheelchair.

7/54 Walk to safety.

11. 43/54 Normal speed of movement.

11/54 Slow speed.

12. 54/54 Able 'to move 90m or more.

13. 2/54 Danger to life if moved.

8.8 weeks

(0-35 weeks)

137
Table 2-9: Assisted Ventilation Ward (3 visits)

3. (a) Age 44 years (b) 6/6 Crushed chest (c) 1 day

(25-62 years) (0-3 days)

4. 5/6 Sedated all day.

1/6 No sedation.

5. 4/6 No reactions due to drugs or being unconscious

2/6 Drowsy during day.

6. 2/6 Sensory response all right.

4/6 No reactions.

7. 6/6 In bed for most of day.

8. 5/6 Three staff required to prepare patient.

1/6 Two staff required.

9. 5/6 Three staff required to move patient.

1/6 Two staff required.

10. 6/6 Move in bed.

11. 1/6 Normal speed of movement.

5/6 Slow speed.

12. 6/6 Able to move 90m or more.

13. 6/6 No danger to life if moved.

138
Figure la

Sub- Ward A

(1 Patient)

Figure lb

Sub -Ward 3

(1 Patient)

Figure lc

Sub-Ward C

(2 Patients)

Figure Id

Sub-Ward D

(3 Patients)

FIGURE 1:

C

CJ<

ji

aa—

z

3

2

TIME OF DAY (HOURS)

NON-ATTENDANCE TIMES FOR SUB-WARD AREAS.

139
FIGURE 2

PATIENTS

S ITTINGROOM

FIGURE 3

WARD KITCHEN

FIGURE 4

STOREROOM A

FIGURE 5

STOREROOM 3

o

sCs*

TIME OF DAE (HOURS)

140
12

FIGURE 6

STOREROOM C

10

FIGURE 7

MILK STORE

FIGURE 3

NURSERY

<a

FIGURE 9

3A3Y BATHROOM

>•

TIME OF DAY (HOURS)

141
FIGURE 10

BATHROOM

AND TOILET

12

1036420

FIGURE 11

SLUICE ROOM cc

FIGURE 12

TREATMENT

ROOM

FIGURE 13

SISTER'S

ROOM

O>uzaa

O’aa

&4

TIME OF DAY (HOURS) PPi«PIPiIIII000

10

10I0

142
a

a

a

a

a

a

a

NUHSZS ' C1CAZP.CCM

Muas iyo

077 1 CZ

tf

a

a

a

a

a

a

FIGUHZ 15

TELEPHONE

CUBICLE

TIME 07 DAT (HOUSE)

143
FIGURE 17a

NURSING

STAFF

FIGURE 17b

NURSING

AUXILIARIES

FIGURE 17c

DOMESTIC

STAFF

FIGURE 17d

TOTAL STAFF

a

a

a

<

a

<

>

<

a

a

<

33

o

a

a

z

TIME OF DAY (HOURS)

144
NETWORK MODELS OF BUILDING EVACUATION

R.L. Francis*

P.B. Saunders**

*Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida 32611

**Operations Research Division

, Center for Applied Mathematics

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D.C. 20234

This extended abstract outlines the work presented in the National Bureau

of Standards Report No. NBSIR 79-1738. "EVACNET : Prototype Network

Optimization Models for Building Evacuation." (Complete reference below.)

In brief, EVACNET work to date has consisted of a pilot project conducted to analyze the evacuation of buildings by means of computerized network flow optimization models. A major effort during this study involved

constructing such an evacuation model of Building 101, an eleven-floor

building located at the Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus of the National

Bureau of Standards. A "skeletal" network model of the building has been

constructed which represents the following entities (as well as paths of

movement between them): workplaces, halls, doors between workplaces and

halls, stairwells, doors between halls and stairwells, doors between stairwells and the lobby, and lobby doors. The model determines by itself an evacuation routing of the people in the building so as to minimize the

time to evacuate the building. Further, the model is dynamic, in the

sense that it represents the pattern of the building evacuation over time.

Just as one might imagine photographing an actual building evacuation

using automatic time-lapse cameras which take pictures of relevant evacuation activities over regular time intervals, so the model depicts the

evacuation of the building as it changes over time: time is divided into

discrete time periods, and the model indicates the changes in the evacuation status during each time period, as well as the evacuation status at

the end of each time period.

Data for the model include such things as the numbers of people in

workplaces prior to evacuation, stairwell flow-rate capacities, hall and

lobby flow-rate capacities, as well as static capacities such as the total

number of people a hall, workplace, or stairwell can accommodate. By making repeated computer runs of the model with different data sets, "what if"

questions of interest, such as the following, can readily be addressed:

• What if there is a fire on the tenth floor?

• What if we could use "express elevators" to facilitate evacuating

the building?

• What if a fire blocks a stairwell and/or some halls?

145
• What if we add more building exits?

• What if we add more stairwells?

• What if we want to identify evacuation bottlenecks?

• What if we want to determine the minimum time to evacuate the

building, as well as routes people could follow so as to evacuate the building in the minimum time?

The fact that the model is computerized greatly facilitates asking such

"what if" questions: answering them usually entails only changing model

data and then making a computer run. Such data changes can often be made

by an operator sitting at a remote computer terminal. Computerization

permits answering such questions quickly, and is particularly useful when

the model is large enough to be unwieldy if dealt with manually. Such a computer model has clear advantages over such other approaches as the use

of graphical models, pictorial representations of building evacuation,

and actual trial building evacuations: the computer model is often quicker,

cheaper, can handle larger problems, and greatly facilitates the comparison of many alternatives. In the long run, it is hoped that such computer

models will facilitate the study of the interrelationships of building

evacuation with building design, building redesign, and building evacuation

standards, and will also lead to improvements in design for evacuation.

While the particular model we have studied (to date) is for a specific

building, the modeling methodology we have developed is rather general,

and should facilitate modeling the evacuation of other buildings.

Key Words: Building evacuation; minimum evacuation time; dynamic network

optimization models.

The complete reference is:

Francis, R.L. and Saunders, P.B. EVACNET: Prototype Network Optimization

Models for Building Evacuation. National Bureau of Standards Report No.

NBSIR 79-1738. October 1979. NTIS Order No. PB 80 113 780.

#
HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN FIRE DEPENDING ON TYPES

OF OCCUPANCY: HEALTH CARE, PENAL AND LEISURETIME OCCUPANCIES

Gilda Moss Haber, Ph.D

Consultant

Abstract

The behavior of occupants of buildings in fire emergencies depends

upon the social structure and lines of authority in the building. This

paper contrasts the expected and actual behavior of building occupants

in two contrasting types of buildings: (1) Total institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes and prisons where the institution is highly

organized, the formal lines of authority are highly structured and the

client population is provided 24-hours a day total care and is highly

dependent on the staff; and (2) Places of amusement such as nightclubs,

where there is limited organization, lines of authority are not structured

and the patrons have limited familiarity with the layout of the building.

Key Words: Fire emergencies; hospitals; human behavior; institutions;

nightclubs; nursing homes; prisons.

1.

INTRODUCTION

So far, attempts at describing or explaining human behavior in fire have assumed that we could arrive at a basic pattern of human behavior in fire-*-. This paper deals with the

idea that human behavior in fire varies depending on the type of occupancy. The first

task of this paper, then, is to hypothesize a model of types of occupancy and then state

expectations of types of behavior for these different occupancies.

Data for this paper was gathered by the author through in-depth studies of seven nursing home and hospital fires in America and Canada in 1976-77 while at the National

Bureau of Standards; and in interviews with administrators and patients in regular hospitals,

psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, homes for the aged and for paraplegics, dormitories,

apartment houses, houses for the retired and the aged, prisons and jails. These facilities

are located in the United States, Canada, France, Italy and Egypt. Information on fires

in nightclubs was obtained through the literature.

2.

CLASSIFICATION OF BUILDINGS

We hypothesize a classification of four different types of occupancies. These four

types of occupancies are based on the first two of the following factors:

1. Whether the occupancy is a total institution or not. See below for definition.

2. The familiarity of the occupants, except for staff, with the building.

3. Whether the occupancy of the building is voluntary as in hospitals and nursing homes,

or involuntary as in prisons and jails.

4. Whether the ratio of staff to patients or inmates is high, low, or non-existent.

5. The performance of the building under fire conditions, i.e., how well the building

and rooms can withstand fire.

On the basis of these variables, we hypothesize two major categories of occupancy,

total institutions and non-total institutions. Total institutions are highly organized,

have twenty-four hour occupancy by the majority of users, and an authoritarian staff.

These institutions provide for all the needs of the occupants. This concept is taken from

Goffman^. Non-total institutions are very loosely organized, are used for part of a day

by occupants, and do not haye authoritarian staffs. The non-total institutions, like

nightclubs, have extremely loose organizations and have staffs who are subordinate to 147
users of Che occupancy and serve the occupants when they visit. Examples of total institutions

to be used in this paper are: nursing homes and hospitals, with voluntary occupants; and

prisons and jails with involuntary occupants. At the othej- extreme, the non-total institution

occupancies are represented by nightclubs and dance halls. Both the total and non-total

institutional occupancies have two types of occupants, those who are familiar with the

building and those who are not familiar with the building. This leads to four possible

types of occupancy:

1. A total institution with voluntary or involuntary occupants having an authoritarian

staff and having occupants who are familiar with the building. Examples of such

occupancies are nursing homes, hospitals, prisons and jails.

2. A total institution where occupants are involuntarily housed with an authoritarian

staff. The occupants are believed not to know their way about the building. Examples

of such occupancies are hospitals for the severely retarded or withdrawn, (such as autistic and schizophrenic patients) or patients with organic brain damage (such as congenital defects or senility), which could result in confusion about location and

relationships.

3. A non-total institutional occupancy with a loose and nonauthoritarian staff, if any,

where occupants go voluntarily, spend a portion of their day and know the territory.

Examples of such occupancies are office buildings, apartment houses, dormitories and

private homes.

4. A non-total institutional occupancy with a loose and nonauthoritarian staff, where

occupants come only as visitors at unpattemed times, mainly for purposes of amusement

and where occupants do not know the territory. Examples of such occupancies are restaurants, nightclubs and dance halls.

A model of these four types of occupancy is presented below. In this paper, however, we are only going to discuss the two occupancies at the extreme opposite of each other,

occupancies (1) and (4) : total institutions with voluntary and involuntary occupancy

where occupants know the territory (especially nursing homes, hospitals and prisons)

and non-total institutions where occupants enter voluntarily as occasional visitors and do

not know the territory (such as nightclubs). We are concentrating on occupancies (1) and

(4) due to the constraints of time and space, due to the fact that these categories represent

the extreme opposites of the four types of occupancy, and due to the fact that there is

better documentation at the present, on these two types of occupancy.

3. HYPOTHESES

1. The first hypothesis states that occupancies can be classified under the four headings

described above.

2. The second hypothesis is based on the premise that occupants are mentally alert but

physically dependent on the staff for their safety, due to physical restraints (as in

health care institutions) or building restraints (as in prisons) . It is hypothesized

that such occupants will rely heavily for their safety on the staff, and on building

performance in fire, so that there will be little panic, and comparatively few deaths.

(If the staff and the building operate well during fire, there should be no injury or

fatality, but if one or the other or both misfunction, fatalities are to be expected.)

At the other end of the occupancy spectrum, most occupants are Visitors, there is

almost no staff leadership, and occupants do not know their way around. We hypothesize

a high rate of panic and multiple deaths, as in nightclub fires. By panic we mean behavior which -cannot be rationalized as being directed toward a reasonable goal,

namely, behavior which does not effectively contribute to an escape from the fire

danger. Non-rational behavior is believed to be largely due to ignorance as to what

to do in a fire, together with some insuperable odds, like the malfunctioning of a building during fire. This non-rational behavior maximizes rather than minimizes

the effects of the fire on human life.

148
Total Institutions

Confined Occupancies

Characteristics

Non-Total

Institutions

Characteristics

Familiarity

with the

Building.

Non-Familiarity

with the

Building

Non-Penal Institutions 1 Penal Institutions 1 3

. , • (a) i.e. Hospitals, nursing (b) i.e. Prisons, jails^ i.e. Private homes.

homes, homes for the and buildings for apartment houses.

aged. the criminally dormitories, office

insane. buildings, retireVoluntary occupancy.

Involuntary occupancy.

ment homes.

Authoritarian staff.

Authoritarian staff.

Voluntary occupancy.

High ratio of staff to Non-authoritarian

occupants

Fairly high ratio of staff.

staff to occupants.

Familiarity with building No staff or skeletal.

except for newcomers Familiarity with

and visitors. building except for Familiarity of occu- newcomers and visi- pants with building.

Average to high per- tors

| formance of building Average to high

under fire. Poor performance of building performance > building under fire. under fire.

Building designed for

non-escape

1

1 2 4 , 1 i.e. Homes for the severely retarded or i.e. Nightclubs, dance : withdrawn (autistic or psychotic)

halls

Involuncary occupancy. Voluntary occupancy.

1 Authoritarian staff. Non-authoritarian

staff.

j

1 High ratio of staff to occupants.

t Low ratio of staff

Non- familiarity of occupants with building. to occupants.

i Average to high performance of building Non-familiarity of

under fire. occupants to i buildings because

they are mostly

occasional visitors. 1

i Average to poor performance of the

building under fire.
Total institutions house large concentrations of people which are all potential

victims in fire; nightclubs and dance halls often run into occupancies up to or more than

four thousand, as at the Beverly Hills Supper Club. The death toll from fires in health

care institutions and prisons has been estimated to be about six hundred a year since

1973. The death toll from nightclub fires has been sporadic but has run as high as four

hundred deaths in one fire as in the Cocoanut Grove Fire of 1942. As more high rise

prisons are erected, the risk of multiple deaths or injury in fire is increased and we can visualize fires where occupants stand little chance of escape. We refer particularly to the new skyscraper prisons in New York and Chicago, thirty stories or more in height.

4. DISCUSSION

We will now discuss two of the types of occupancy, total institutions and non-total

institutions, and give examples from actual fires which seem to support the hypothesis

about panic. Discussion will center around the following points:

1. The type of occupancy involved.

a. Staf f-occupant relationships.

b. Familiarity with the building.

c. Building performance under fire.

2. The behavior of occupants and staff and the building's performance in each of the two

types of occupancies discussed in this paper.

3. Considerations for design.

4.1

Total Institutions - Health Care

Type (a): i.e., total institutions with voluntary occupancy, such as nursing homes

and hospitals.

4.1.1

Staff-Occupant Relationships

In a total institution occupants are in the building for twenty-four hours a day and

night, and receive all of their needs in this building. Only the staff changes with each

of the (usually three) shifts. Occupancy is usually voluntary. The staff is usually

authoritarian and almost all decisions regarding the occupants are made by the staff.

This is also true of emergencies. This would lead us to believe that occupants place

great faith in the staff and will do as they are told in an emergency.

4.1.2

Familiarity With the Building

Staff is familiar with the building and occupants with any mobility at all are usually

familiar with certain routes in the building. In some cases this familiarity can be

dangerous for patients as in the case where able bodied nursing home residents left their

rooms during fire and succumbed to smoke in the hallway. In another case, a blind. girl in

a wheelchair wheeled herself out of a safe area and back to her room where she succumbed

to smoke inhalation.

4.1.3

Availability of Staff Assistance

In health care institutions there is usually a high ratio of staff to occupants,

although this is sometimes drastically cut at night, reducing the staff’s ability to handle evacuation in a fire. The high ratio of staff to occupants usually assures the

occupants maximum care during emergency with three exceptions:’ (1) the staff may not be

well trained, (2) the staff may be new to the institution, or (3), they may not have been

trained to deal with fire. There seems to be a large turnover of staff in nursing homes.

If a visitor is in the building, he or she may upset the work of the staff. For example,

in one case the door of a fire room had been closed by a staff member but was reopened by

a visitor letting out fire and smoke. Many nursing home fires seem to occur between

midnight and 6 o'clock in the morning. At these times there may be only a skeleton staff

which has to deal with a large number of patients. At night patients may be sedated or even tied to the bed. This presents a problem in getting the occupants to move if it

150
I

I

a

a

a

a

i

becomes necessary. However, it appears that closing patient doors and leaving patients in

their rooms are among the best solutions for protecting a large number of immobile people.

This is one solution as pointed out by Burgun-5 . 4.1.4

Building Performance Under Fire

Health care buildings are usually subject to building and fire codes, but not all

such facilities fully meet the codes. The failure to have adequately protected buildings

is documented by the Report of the Subcommittee on Long Term Care of the Special Commission

on Aging, U.S. Senate Committee on Nursing Home Fires^. The report estimates there were

6,400 nursing home fires in 1973 and 551 persons lost their lives in institutional fires.

Types of building deficiencies observed in nursing homes by the writer in 1976 included: an assembly room with no direct exit to the outside and only oije exit route to the outside

which was blocked by the fire; windows too narrow for patients to be easily rescued by

firefighters, and construction of the building which does not allow firefighters to draw

up close to the building as when there is a greater width to the building at the lower

floors than on higher floors. (Firefighters who can usually reach up to the eighth floor

cannot do so if the building curves outward at the bottom floors.) All seven health care institution fires involved bedding, mattresses, clothing or laundry^.

4.1.5

The Behavior of Occupants and Staff and the Building's Performance

The second hypothesis suggests that in health care institutions we would expect

people to depend on staff and the building in fire and that occupant chances of survival

are better when they have an experienced staff and a fire resistant building. An analysis

of seven health care institutions and causes of death shows that two major causes of death

among patients were: disobeying staff directions to stay in safe places far from the fire or behind a closed door; and building deficiencies. Difficulties stemming from occupant

behavior were, for example, when patients left a relatively safe place behind a shut door,

and went into a smoke filled hallway or attempted to return from a safe place where the

staff has put them, going into a, smoke area. Staff had some difficulty with nursing home

patients in getting them not to return to their rooms. Ironically, in a fire in a large

mental institution for the criminally insane in Canada, which was studied by the author,

patients were reported to have been extremely docile, and to have followed the directions

of one nurse who led them to the safe side of a fire door and then shut the door. There

is the possibility that chey were docile due to medication, but it is thought that the

severely emotionally disturbed are more likely to respond to direction. In this case in

Canada, both the direction on the part of the staff was good and the building performance,

in terms of a reliable fire door, was good. An entire wing of the floor of fire was demolished, but no one was hurt, not even the man who was in the room or fire origin.

4.1.6

Design Considerations

4. 1.6.1 It seens impractical if not impossible for staff to carry out vertical

evacuation during fire in a hospital or nursing home, where a large percentage of the

occupants have little mobility. If there is only a skeleton staff at night, evacuation of

occupants is even more difficult. In the light of this, other means of assuring occupant

safety need consideration.

Rooms and/or balconies (in warm weather) could be used for horizontal evacuation.

This method of evacuation together with locating people in refuge areas was frequently

effective. A new center for paraplegics near Cairo in Egypt has clusters of nine patients

in a clover leaf arrangement all on the ground floor level. There is a direct exit for

every three persons, via a small ramp from the building to the outside in case of fire.

4. 1.6. 2 Early detection of fire is important by means of staff checks on the floor

and smoke detectors.

4. 1.6. 3 Sprinklers have repeatedly been advocated as safety measures in health care institutions. Their use has lagged partially due to the expense.

4. 1.6. 4 Direct communication between health care institutions and the fire department

is in order. The activating device should be inaccessible to patients to avoid false

151 ‘
alarms. Reliance on telephone communication only, is inadvisable as in several cases telephones did not work during the fire. A box in the administrator' s office is an alternative. Staff must also be trained not to delay notification of the fire department.

4. 1.6. 5 Heavy doors on occupants' rooms kept a number of occupants safe during fire even where they were immediately next to the fire. This was often highlighted by the fact

that of two occupants in a room, the one that left the room and went into the smokey

hallway, died; the one who remained in the room behind a closed door survived. Burgunb observes that since patients cannot be moved easily, the first refuge area should be the

patient's own room.

4. 1.6. 6 Obviously to be avoided are such glaring deficiencies as an assembly room with no direct exit to the outside, only one escape route, and no doors on the room, to protect the occupants if the fire is in the escape route. Twenty-one people died in 1976

in such an assembly room.

4.1.6. 7 Since all seven health care institution fires visited by the writer in 1976

involved bedding, laundry or clothes as the first source of ignition, this strongly suggests

paying more attention to their flammability and the toxicity of their combustion products.

The same materials are mainly used as fuel for beginning fires in prisons and jails.

Mellam^ observes that when the use of carpeting was on the upswing in hospitals, its flame

spread rating had not been fully tested.

4. 1.6. 8 Windows must be wide enough for firefighters to rescue occupants, including

obese occupants.

4.2 Total Institutions - Penal

Type (b) , i.e., total institutions with involuntary occupancy, such as prisons and

jails.

We now turn to a second type of total institution, type (b). This type is a twentyfour hour institution where inmates are confined involuntarily for a fixed time. Such

places are generally called prisons or jails.

4.2.1 Staff-Occupant Relationships

The staff in prisons is definitely authoritarian, and the ratio of prisoners to staff

is higher than patients to staff in a nursing home or psycniatric hospital, but lower than

the ratio of patrons to staff in, for example, restaurants and nightclubs where the ratio

may be 20 patrons to 1 waiter. The staff of a prison is not there involuntarily but in some respects they also are confined in their daily living. Staff in prisons appear to be

familiar with the territory, with some exceptions. For instance, frequently women prisoners

are housed in a wing or one floor of a prison or jail. As a group they need less space

because there are fewer women who commit crimes, fewer who are arrested and fewer who are sentenced than men for each of the above categories^.

4.2.2 Familiarity With the Building

Since the Angel case where a guard was killed by a woman prisoner who claimed he was attempting rape, male guards in America have been careful not to enter the women's section

of pfisons for their own protection against accusations of rape. When a fire broke out in

the women's section in the upper level of a Maryland jail, the men received an emergency

call and were summoned to the scene to help. They were not aware that they had been

called about a fire : they thought they had been called about a fight or illness. They

did not respond with fire equipment, which was kept downstairs. When they returned with

masks and hoses, they did not know their way around the women’s quarters, never having

been up there. The male staff's lack of knowledge of the prison could have proven fatal

in the fire emergency. In some cases one lock at the end of a row of cells lets out an entire row of cells. However, only one or two senior guards in charge of hundreds of

prisoners may have keys. They have to be located in an emergency. Delays in unlocking

cells have led to deaths.

152
4.2.3 Building Performance Under Fire

Fast action against fire in a prison is essential due to the fact that prisoners in

open barred cells are exposed to toxic fumes. If it is necessary to evacuate them, it

takes a great deal of time to unlock the individual cells.

Only one prison seen in five countries, the new Chicago Women's Detention House,

claimed to be able to unlock all cells within a few minutes, by way of a central monitoring

board. However, even there the superintendent said that she feared that in a fire the metal

doors and/or locks might buckle in the heat before she could get to the inmates. She said

she had had to stand by helplessly in the past when fire had buckled locks making it

impossible to reach the occupants.

Prisons are dedicated to seeing that inmates do not escape. Therefore, it is difficult

to arrange for safety in the case of fire. Moreover, security men interviewed in some of

the most modem skyscraper prisons seemed to be very unsure as to what steps to take in

the event of fire. In the Chicago Men's Detention House, which largely houses those

accused of white collar crime and illegal immigrants, staff was relying on the design of

the outside walls with slatted windows which allowed air to come in from the outside in

the event of fire. However, although the men could move freely on each floor, there would

still be the problem of unlocking the doors at each end of the floor leading to the aired

stairways. Moreover, the cold air constantly coming In from the outside in winter could

freeze the water hoses housed in the stairway unless a special container were to be built

for fire equipment to protect it from freezing. This was planned, but the author does not

know if this step has been taken.

Almost all American prisons visited claimed that fire setting inside the prisons was

a constant problem and that the more psychologically disturbed the prisoner, the more

likely he was to sec fires. Fires were most often set by the most difficult inmates,

according to guards, inmates and trustees, who made up the internal fire department at San

Quentin and elsewhere. In sections of large prisons more fires occurred in the worst

.parts of the prison by the worst prisoners (they called this section Viet Cong), than in

the honor section where almost no fires occurred. Typically inmates set fire to their

bedding when angry with a roommate, disappointed by parole refusal, jealous of another

prisoner, or when crying to embarrass a disliked guard whose superiors would question the

frequent fires in his area. As of now much bedding in prisons and jails in America is

toxic when heated and has contributed to a number of deaths in prisons.

Another factor contributing to the dangerous conditions of prisons

is the fact that firefighting equipment is put out of the reach of the prisoners as prisoners

are said to either vandalize the equipment or use it as weaponry. This also makes it

difficult for guards to have access to fire equipment. Inmates seem to be unaware of the

danger to themselves as well as to others in lighting fires in confined areas. If it were

possible, it might be useful to have sprinklers in recessed and grilled areas over parts

of the prison. In addition few prisons have adequate fire alarms. An exception to this

is the new Women's Detention Cencer in Chicago.

Not all of the danger comes from inmates. The superintendent of the Chicago Center

said that visitors often set fire to toilet paper and paper towels in the visitor's rest

rooms. Women as well as men are known for frequent acts of arson whether inmates or visitors of inmates.

Education programs given to inmates as to the possible consequences of lighting fires

might be of some help in reducing prison fires. On the other hand there is the possibility

that once fires are seen as a weapon they might be set more often. - Experimental programs

could be tried, first on trustees, then on more and more disturbed prisoners to see if

information on the consequences of fire increases or decreases fire setting in prisons. A control group could be observed to see if there is any difference in the rate of fire

setting between the group which receives training and the group which does not. Meanwhile,

studies need to be done on how to simultaneously release large numbers of inmates, move them to another place within the institution, and sprinkle the cells. The new high rise

prisons containing large amounts of toxic materials such as nylon carpeting, synthetic

bedding, plastic furniture and unbreakable "glass" windows, run the risk of becoming

153
"Towering Infernos". In some ways, the more old fashioned prisons, built largely of stone

and with little synthetic materials as in San Quentin and prisons in Milan and Cairo, are safer because they have less flammable and toxic materials in them.

Some recent prison fires in America are as follows:

1. October 2, 1974 - Cranston, Rhode Island, Youth Correctional

Center, 2 dead.

2. June 9, 1975 - Sanford, Florida County Jail, 11 dead.

3. November 18, 1975 - Williamsport, Pennsylvania, County Jail, 3 dead.

4. July 2, 1976 - Marion, Ashville, North Carolina, five inmates were killed and

twenty-eight were bum victims when men in a dormitory rioted and set fire to a pile of mattresses.

5. October 12, 1976 - Prince George’s County Jail, Maryland, six inmates were

injured, one burned seriously, and twenty-nine firefighters and Sheriff Deputies

suffered smoke inhalation. An inmate set fire to a foam plastic mattress

resulting in thick toxic smoke pouring out.

6. January 31, 1976 - Portland, Main County Jail, 1 dead.

7. July 7, 1977 - Danbury prison, Connecticut, five people were killed and 71

injured, five critically, including a guard and a fireman.

8. July, 1977 - Tennessee, 42 people died in fire. Most victims died after inhaling

toxic fumes emitted from burning mattresses made with polyurethane padding.

These mattresses when burned produce black smoke containing toxic gases including

cyanide

4.2.4 Behavior Constraints on Occupants and Staff

As in health care institutions, which often are also total institutions, we would

expect prisoners caught in a fire to be dependent upon the authoritarian staff for protection

or escape from fire. Healthy inmates in prisons and jails are involuntarily confined and

may be totally dependent upon staff to rescue them. Unlike health care occupancies, penal

or correction occupancies have to solve the dilemma of how to release inmates from cells

without letting them escape. Inmates have two strikes against them if caught in fire

the staff may not be anxious to release them and/or they may be ambivalent. This ambivalence

was clear in the case of a woman guard in charge at the time of a fire. She expressed

great ambivalence and anxiety as to whether she should have released inmates or watched

them as smoke poured into their cells. She chose the second alternative with great agitation.

Secondly, the buildings are designed specifically to prevent escape - at least to the

outer world, and accessibility to fire equipment is constrained.

4.2.5 Design Considerations

1. The fact that escape to the outer world is not desired suggests strong consideration

for providing an internal place of refuge. In the 30 story occupancy of the Men's Detention

Home in Chicago, a floor half way up in the building was designated as a refuge area if

necessary. However, the heavy machinery is kept on this floor which, if damaged in any

way, could threaten inmates. Another prison which had a fire is adding rooms horizontally

to serve as refuge areas should it become necessary.

2. Reducing the number of people in any penal institution, or increasing the horizontal

size of penal institutions would upgrade safety. Wide and low buildings would reduce

crowding and the inaccessibility to firefighters of high rise buildings.

3. Bars of cells could, in new facilities, be replaced by doors to allow protection

against smoke and fire.

154
4.

Materials in furniture, carpeting, bedding should not have unusual toxicity if

heated or ignited. This development lies in the hands of chemists.

4.3 Type 2 and Type 3 Occupancies

Due to time and space considerations, this paper will not deal with type 2 and 3 occupancies. Type 2 refers to occupancies where occupants are highly disoriented and

might also be unaware of their environment, e.g. autistic and psychotic patients and those

with organic brain damage. Type 3 refers to residential and office buildings. While some consensus exists between people carrying out research in this last area, there is still no definitive profile of human behavior in residential or office type occupancies. There is,

however, consensus among Bryan, Cantor, Haber and Woods'^ regarding some aspects of behavior

in residential fires. This consensus revolves around aspects of response to fire, namely

disbelief of the information that there was a fire, surprise at the speed of fire, and

differential behavior between men and women at the scene of fire, with a tendency for men

to fight the fire and take more risks, and a tendency for women to evacuate themselves,

their children and others from the fire.

4.4 Visitor Institutions

We now come to a discussion of fires in non-total or "visitor" institutions. These

are the opposite of total institutions which are characterized by twenty-four hour occupancy

by the same people and an authoritarian staff. Non-total institutional occupancy is

characterized by a continuously changing occupancy due to the fact that people are visitors

to the occupancy. They neither live nor work there, but come there possibly once or often, but always in the role of visitor. In this capacity the visitor, or stranger, has

several characteristics of his own and his own specific relationship to the staff.

We will examine four night club and one dance hall fires. Each of these had multiple

deaths, ranging from a low of seven in the Cinema Follies Theatre, to a high of 491 in the

Cocoanut Grove fire in 1942. When night clubs have some of Che seven characteristics

listed below, there is a significant risk of a tragic fire.

1. Night clubs are frequently overcrowded;

2. Exics may be obscured by low lights and drapery;

3. Exits may be locked against gatecrashers;

4. The furnishings, furniture and decorations in night clubs

may be highly flammable;

5. Staff and owners may try to fight the fire themselves

unsuccessfully; and,

6. They may delay calling in the fire department until the

fire is completely out of hand, unlike people in institutions

like nursing homes or people in their own residences;

7. Patrons do not know the territory or possible escape routes.

If the main exit is blocked by the fire and if the lights go out, patrons of a night

club may become hopelessly lost and die in the fumes before finding an exit.

An additional problem with night club fires is that they are unexpected and alarms

may be delayed.

The five club fires from which these conclusions are drawn are:

1. The Cocoanut Grove Club fire, 1942, 491 dead11

.

2. The Blue Angel Night Club fire, Manhattan, 1975, 7 dead

13

.

3. The Cinema Follies Club fire, Washington, D.C., 1977, 8 dead13

. 155
4. 14

The Beverly Hills Supper Club, Kentucky, 1977, 164 dead

5. The Cinq-Sept Club, France, 1970, 145 dead*^. ,

The visitor comes to the occupancies voluntarily. He or she usually comes with

expectations of enjoyment and leisure time activity. The visitors have a loose relationship

to the staff, and often a limited knowledge of the layout of the building.

4.4.1

The Relationship of Staff and Patrons

The relationship of staff to patrons in night clubs and dance halls is totally different

to that of the relationship of staff to occupants of nursing homes, hospitals and prisons.

As pointed out above, relationships between occupants of total institutions are clearly

demonstrated so that the patient or inmate becomes almost totally dependent on the authority

of the staff. Uniforms are a symbol of authority.

In a nightclub or dance hall there is the complete reverse. Here the patron or customer is always (or mostly) right, and the staff is* there to serve the customer.

Uniforms are not symbols of authority but of service. There is no call for the use of

staff authority unless customers become difficult and/or in an emergency. The staff

wields no authority. For example, when a bus boy calmly announced the breakout of the

fire at the Beverly Hills Supper Club, he was thought to be part of the comedy routine the

patrons were enjoying. In this sense only, Freedman-^ is correct - crowding only causes an escalation of the mood of the crowd before it came to the occupancy. Leisure type

crowds had come to the Beverly Hills Supper Club and expected to be amused, so they were

also amused when a bus boy announced a fire. The same was true of the Cinema Follies Club

fire. The fact that the patron is in charge often leads to a minimum of direction on the

part of the staff. Attendance at a place of amusement is always voluntary.

4.4.2

Action of the Patrons

Human behavior in tragic fires in nightclubs and other places of amusement most

approximates what we usually call panic. The staff, which knows the exits of the building,

exerts little or no leadership on the occupants who are all visitors and rarely know their

way about. Visitors may ignore staff announcements when they do occur. Moreover, by the

time the staff does make such an announcement the fire may be out of control since the

staff has delayed calling for help and also has tried to fight the fire alone. The exits

cannot handle the exiting flow of patrons and there is a jam at the doors. After the

fire, bodies are found at the exit, and in restrooms and cloakrooms.

4.4.3

Deficiencies in the Building and Contents

Most dangerous about the five nightclubs and entertainment places studied here, is

the poor performance of buildings and decorations. Exits were unmarked; doors which were supposed to be open were locked (supposedly against gatecrashers) ; the panic bar did not

work; and in one case the doors opened inwards. *

In these tragic fires the staff usually procrastinated calling in the fire department

while they looked for the source of the burning odor, and or tried to put out the fire

themselves. By the time staff decided to call for help, the fires were raging full blast.

In all of the five places of entertainment, the decorations and furnishings provided

much of the fuel for the ensuing conflagration. Night clubs and dance clubs use a great

deal of stuffed furniture, flammable wall and ceiling coverings, plastic plants and flowiiig

drapes. Other factors which make such places of leisure highly dangerous in fire emergencies

are the large concentrations of people, slow discovery of fire, slowness in reaction,

failure to call in firefighters, locked or obscured doors, doors opening inwards, insurficient training of staff and patrons, limited leadership by staff in some fires, light

failure, and ignorance of exit routes by patrons.

4.4.4

Design Considerations

Design and operational considerations are clear and simple: (1) Occupancies must not

be overcrowded; (2) exits must be plentiful and well marked and never locked; (3) fire

156
alarms should be directly linked up to the fire station; (4) sprinklers should be installed;

(5) there should be a back up system for failed lights; (6) doors must open outward; (7)

swing doors should be abolished; and most important, the flammable and toxic nature of

furniture, upholstery and decorations should be severely restricted.

5.

SUMMARY

This paper has hypothesized that there are clearly distinguishable classifications of

occupancy, and that we would not expect a single type of human response to fire in all of

these occupancies, but different types of responses.

We expect to find a greater frequency of fires in total institutions such as health

care and penal institutions, where confinement seems to be associated with frequency of

fires. Staff and the buildings in these confined occupancies are supposed to be well

prepared for fire. Occupants in these types of institutions are almost always totally

dependent on the staff and the building for their safety because they are either handicapped

by age and infirmity or are involuntarily confined. In actual fact, there is often insufficient performance by staff and inadequacies in the buildings, in these types of occupancies.

Although serious fires in amusement centers appear to be less frequent, the staff

often has no training in fire emergencies, patrons are highly concentrated, patrons may

refuse to accept staff leadership, and the staff may delay calling the fire department.

Frequently buildings for amusement have unsafe features such as obscured exits, locked

exits, and highly flammable furnishings. When a major fire occurs, hundreds of patrons

may be directly exposed to the danger.

6. CONCLUSIONS

Since fires seem to be a regular pattern in health care and penal institutions, and

it is not feasible to evacuate everyone vertically, the buildings should contain a number

of fire safety features and the staff should be properly trained.

7. REFERENCES

1. John L. Bryan, Smoke as a Determinant of Human 3ehavior in Fire 3ehavior in Fire

Situations (Project People), NBS-GCR- 77-94 , National Bureau of Standards, June 30,

1977. David Canter, Human Behavior in Fires , Fire Research Unit, University of Surrey,

Guilford, England, 1978. Gilda Moss Haber, Fire as Environment: A six month pilot

study of human interaction with fire as Environment in Total Institutions , (unpublished

paper), 1976. Peter G. Woods, The 3ehavior of People in Fires , Borehamwood Building

Research Establishment, Fire Research Note No. 953, November 1972.

2. Erving Goffman, Asylums: Essays on-the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other

Inmates , New York: Doubleday, 1961, p. 482.

3. J. Armand Burgun, "Life Safety Code Protects Lives, Not Just Buildings," HosDitals

42(1) (Jan. 1, 1968), pp. 45-48.

4. Nursing Home Care in the United States: Failure in Public Policy: Supportive Paper

No*. 5 The Continuing Chronical of Nursing Home Fires. Report of the Subcommittee on Long Term Care of the Special Commission on Aging, U.S. Senate, U.S. Government

Printing Office, Washington, D.C. August 1975, Report No. 94-00.

5. Haber, op. cit ., n. 1.

6. Burgun, op. cit .. n. 3.

7. Roger C. Mellam, "Flooring Trends are Toward Cleanability and Sound Control," Hospitals

42(19) (Oct. 1, 1968), p. 36.

8. Discussions with the Supervisor of the Chicago Men's Detention House.

9. Robert K. Merton and Robert A. Nisbet, Contemporary Social Problems , Harcourt, Brace

and World, Inc., 1961.

157
10. Bryan, Canter, Haber, Woods, op. cit ., n. 1.

11. Helen Rank Veltfort and George E. Lee, "The Cocoanut Grove Fire: A Study in Scapegoating,"

Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology , 38 (April 1943) Clinical Supplement.

12. "Seven Die in Fire, Panic at New York Night Club," Washington Star , December 18, 1975.

13. "Flames Were Shooting Up Stair Well, Custodian Says," Washington Post , Thursday,

October 27, 1977, pp. Cl, C12.

14. Richard L. Best, Reconstruction of a Tragedy: The Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire , National Fire Protection Association, 470 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts

02210, p. 477.

15. "La Mort le Bal," Paris Match . 14 Novembre 1970; Le Monde , "Trois Communications sur l'encendie au conseils des Ministres," 5 Novembre 1970, p. 485.

16. Jonathan Freedman, Crowding and Behavior , New York, Viking Press, 1975, p. 431.

158
USING BEHAVIORAL DATA IN FIRE SAFETY ANALYSIS

1

Susan Godby Helzer

Center for Fire Research

National Engineering Laboratory

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D.C. 20234

Decision analysis is used to evaluate alternatives for reducing fire

losses. An explanation of the decision analysis approach is given in the

context of the upholstered furniture fire problem. The uses of behavioral

data and the needs for such data in this type of analysis are given. Three

alternatives to reduce upholstered furniture fire losses are presented and

compared on the basis of minimizing the total cost plus loss to society.

The sensitivity of these results to changes in the model inputs and assumptions is also addressed. Good behavioral data are needed for future analyses

of this type. This paper indicates areas where research on human behavior

will provide an important ingredient in future fire safety planning.

Key words: 3ehavioral data; building fires; cost benefit analysis; decision

analysis, fire losses; human behavior; smoke detectors; upholstered furniture.

1. Introduction

Decisions concerning public safety—particularly fire safety—are being made continually

at all levels of government. For example, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently

addressing the upholstered furniture fire safety problem.

Upholstered furniture fires in residences are one of the primary causes of fire fatalities

in the United States today. These fires also cause many injuries and substantial property

losses each year. In an attempt to reduce upholstered furniture fire losses, the Consumer

Product Safety Commission is considering a mandatory flammability standard for upholstered

furniture. Since most upholstered furniture fires are caused by carelessly dropped cigarettes, combinations of upholstery materials and constructions which could be ignited by

cigarettes would not be permitted under the proposed standard. Because of possible increased

manufacturing costs, including flammability testing and record-keeping requirements, it

appears likely that the promulgation of such a standard would increase the consumer cost

of new upholstered furniture.

On the other hand, some local governments have addressed the entire residential fire

safety problem by requiring the installation of smoke detectors in residences. Some local,

laws apply to new construction only, while other laws apply to all residences in the particular jurisdiction. There are also consumer costs related to this fire loss reduction • strategy.

Complete details of the work on which this paper is based as well as a complete set of

references may be found in [1].

159
It is important to all of us that these fire safety decisions be made in a rational manner based on the best information available to the decision makers. Today, I want to show you how we, at the Center for Fire Research, are using decision analysis to provide

this rationally based input to the decision makers. I also will indicate the type of

assumptions related to human behavior which we had to make in order to perform our analysis,

as well as the type of research that would help us to improve this type of analysis in the

future.

Decision analysis provides a logical framework for addressing complex fire safety

problems. The steps we use in our analysis are summarized in figure 1. Our decision problem

may be defined in terms of the question, "what intervention strategy (if any) should be

used to reduce residential fire losses resulting from ignition of upholstered furniture?"

To date we have considered three alternatives: no government action, mandatory installation

of smoke detectors, and the proposed upholstered furniture standard under consideration by

the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Each of these alternatives assumes increasing

levels of voluntary smoke detector installation and certain naturally evolving changes in

upholstered furniture flammability.

Figure 1. Steps in the Decision Analysis Procedure

Our criterion for the "best" alternative is that it result in the minimum cost plus loss

to society. That is, the upholstered furniture losses under each alternative are modeled.

We then model the cost associated with implementing each alternative. We then calculate the

total cost plus loss to society under each of the alternatives and compare them.

After comparing the alternatives, we perform sensitivity analysis on the various

assumptions and input data used in the model to determine what effect these assumptions and

data have on the choice of alternatives. If the analysis shows that a particular data

element has a significant effect on our choice of alternatives, we may decide to obtain

better data on that particular element before making a decision.

2. Modeling Upholstered Furniture Fire Losses

Since the questions and assumptions related to human behavior are associated with

modeling the fire losses, I will first direct my attention to this topic.

We develop a fire loss model to enable us to predict the upholstered furniture fire

losses under each of the alternatives. The fire loss model, given in figure 2, takes the

form of a probability tree. The model assumes that an ignition has occurred, and first

addresses the question of whether that ignition results in a fire which is reported to the

fire department. The model then addresses the ignition source. The fire loss model is

actually four times as large as it appears, since only the portion associated with one of

the four possible ignition sources is shown. The model then asks the following questions

about the fire:

160
IS » is fine RESPOA- IS there a 0ISC0VERE0 EXTENT

IS SIBIE functional 0CFOBC OF U Fiat IGNITION SOMtONC PCRSON SMOKE LEAVimG FltC FUME

ItPOATEO’ SOURCE HOMC’ OETECTOR’ CHAIR7 TYRE DAMAGE LOSSES

FATALITIES

INJURIES

TANGIBLE PROPERTY

INTANGIBLE PROPERTY

LECENO

su SMOLDERING

SAA/FL SMOA.OEPING THEN FLAMING

R. OWECTLY FLAMING C CONFINED TO CHAIR

R 8EYONO CHAIR BUT CONFINED TO ROOM

»A eevoNO room

Figure 2. Upholstered Furniture Fire Loss Model

161
Ls 4 omeone home, at the time of ignition?

14 a neeponeible pennon awake'!

14 them a functional moke detecton?

14 the fine die covered be f one it leave* the chain??

Voe4 the fine maiden only (SM)? Smolderi and then {lame (SM/FL)?

On Mae the Ignition a flaming Ignition (FL)?

14 the £&une. cfcimag£ confined, to the chain [C]? Spnead beyond

the chain but nemain confined to the noom of onigin (R)?

On epnead beyond the noom of onigin (>R)?

Each path through the tree represents one possible scenario or combination of events.

For example:

A ciganette ignition occunned uhen someone Mae home and evenyane

Mae aeleep in a home uith no functional moke detecton. The

fine moldened and then flamed neeulting in flame damage aihich

extended beyond the noom of onigin.

Each branch of the tree is assigned a probability. The probability of a particular path

through the tree, is the product of the probabilities of the branches which comprise that

path.

Associated with each path through the tree are the average losses associated with the

corresponding combination of events: numbers of fatalities and injuries, and dollars of

property loss. We consider both tangible property loss, the actual loss reported by the

fire department, and intangible property loss, such as loss of family mementos or household

disruption. Using the probability of each path and its associated losses, probability

distributions on upholstered furniture fire losses are constructed.

The fire loss model is first used to calculate upholstered furniture losses for current

conditions. Using a combination of fire loss data and expert judgment , we assign numerical

values to the various model parameters for current conditions. Then, for each alternative, we consider some future year when that alternative is "fully implemented." For example, in

the case of the proposed upholstered furniture standard, we consider some future year when

all existing furniture has been replaced by furniture manufactured under proposed standard.

For each alternative, we change the numerical values for current - conditions to the appropriate values for the "fully implemented" alternative and exercise the model to calculate the

expected losses. The losses for the years between the current year and full implementation

are calculated using the rate at which the particular alternative is implemented. In this

way we obtain the future annual fire losses anticipated under each alternative.

3. Using Behavioral Data

To indicate what information from human behavioral research would be useful to us in

modeling upholstered furniture fire losses let us look at three auxiliary trees we use to develop some of the probabilities required for the fire loss model.

In modeling upholstered furniture fire losses, we use a combination of fire incident

data and expert judgment. Our primary source for fire incident data is the U.S. Fire

Administration's National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) . Our primary source for

the probability assignments^ for the auxiliary trees I’m going to discuss here is the best

2For convenience we may refer to any piece of upholstered furniture as a "chair."

3Experts in upholstered furniture flammability, fire detection and other areas of fire

research at the Center for Fire Research and elsewhere.

4These assignments are for the class of all fires, both reported and unreported, for current

conditions. The method used to combine fire incident data on reported fires, with expert

judgment which applies to all fires (both reported and unreported), is discussed in detail

in our full report on this project [1]. Results given in this paper are for the class of

reported fires, since these .account for the majority of fire losses.

162
judgment of i'OlZ research experts. We would have liked to use some human behavior data or research to provide these probability inputs, but we are not aware of any research directly

related to our needs.

The tree in figure 3 assumes that a piece of upholstered furniture is ignited by a cigarette, and then asks if someone is at home when the ignition occurs. We set the probability that someone is home when the ignition occurs at 0.95, the best estimate available.

IGNITION SOURCEIS SOMEONE

HOME’

IS A RESPONSIBLE PERSON AWAKE?

IS THERE A FUNCTIONAL SMOKE

0ETECT0RT

IS FIRE DISCOVERED BEFORE LEAVING

CHAIRT

OISCOVEPEO functional y 100 / 0 0$ HOT OlSCOVfRFO AWARE i 0 00 / 9 10

*

!

l OlSCOVFREO \ HOT FUNCTIONAL 7 0 95

0 95

* V0T OlSCOVERfO HOME / 0 05 / OM A

OlSCOVFREO

i functional t 0 83 \ /

oos

* HOT OlSCOVFREO \ HOT AWAIC^ 0 IT 9 20 k 0ISC0VERE0

CIGARETTE /

* \ vor functional y 0 so

0 JS

* tot ciscovesfo

0 50

* 0ISC0VERE0 functional i 0 0J / 0 05 tot aiscovcco \ HOT NOME 0 98 90S k 0ISC0VEAE0 \ NOT FUNCTIONAL 9 31 0 95 ' TOT DISCOVERED

0 99

Figure 3. Probability Tree for Cigarette Ignitions Under Current Conditions

The next parameter asks whether a responsible person is awake at the time of ignition.

Fire research experts believe that most upholstered furniture fire fatalities occur while

people are asleep. Furthermore some data exist which seem to indicate that many of these

fatalities occur when people have been drinking, or under the influence of drugs. Now you

may have noticed that the question asks about a "responsible person," which we define, for

the purpose of this analysis, as a person who is physically capable of responding to the

fire and doing something about it. Thus, a person who is drunk, or under the influence of

drugs, or an invalid, or a small child would not be a responsible person by our definition.

Our best estimate of the probability of a responsible person being awake when a cigarette

ignition occurs is 0.80.

Each of the three alternatives we are considering today, involves the installation of

smoke detectors, on either a voluntary or mandatory basis. Under current conditions, we assume that about five percent of American homes have a functional smoke detector.

When we combine the three brances in figure 3 "home and awake", "home and not awake",

and "not home" with the two functional smoke detector branches, we obtain the six discrete

branches shown in the figure. Thus the next parameter "Is fire discovered before leaving

chair?" requires six sets of probability assignments. To obtain the "discovery" probability

in the case of no responsible person awake and a functional smoke detector present, we introduce the tree shown in figure 4. This is a simple attempt to address the questions

concerning the efficacy of smoke detectors in responding to a fire situation in time to wake

up intoxicated or drugged persons as well as normally responsive people. As you can see, we calculate that this probability is 0.83.

163
PROBABILITY

OF DISCOVERY

GIVEN HOME.

IS FIRE NOT AWAKE

CHARACTERIZATION DISCOVERED AND FUNCTIONAL

OF PERSON BEFORE LEAVING PATH SMOKE

NOT AWAKE CHAIR? PROBABILITY 0ETECT0R

DISCOVERED

0.00

0.10

0.07

0.03

0.76

004

1.00

0.00

0.07

0.76

0.83

Figure 4. Calculation of Discovery Probability Conditional

on Home, Awake, and Functional Parameters

This is an area where almost no data are available. We must rely upon the best judgments

of experts in fire research to obtain the probability assignments. The case of no responsible person awake and no functional smoke detector requires another particularly difficult

probability assignment where almost no data are available. The other four cases with

responsible persons awake or no one home, although not as critical to the analysis, also

suffer from a lack of available data. Some human behavioral research has been directed

toward special occupancies, such as hospitals. However, our analysis concerns -12.5 idZiVtioJi

occupancies, where most fire fatalities occur.

Figure 5 shows how the probability assignments vary with the ignition source. The tree

in figure 5 is analagous to the tree in figure 3, except that the tree is for "open flame"

ignition sources. Notice that the "home" and "awake" probabilities are higher than the

corresponding probabilities for cigarette ignition sources. This reflects the fact chat

most open flame ignition sources are matches and lighters which ignite the furniture rather

quickly. Most of the other probabilities are the same for both types of ignition source.

You might be wondering at this point, why I'm asking for data when our analysis of the

upholstered furniture fire problem is essentially done. In the future we expect to do a detailed analysis of the entire residential fire safety problem. We will be looking at educational programs and residential sprinklers as well as smoke detectors and product

standards. Future decisions about residential fire safety will be based on analyses such as this one. If no behavioral data exist to help the analyst estimate how a person will react

in a particular fire situation, then decisions will be made based on the analysts' perceptions, or the fire researchers' perceptions, or the decision makers' perceptions - whether

or not these perceptions have any basis in reality. The implementation of some of these • decisions may cost a great deal and affect our daily lives. It is important to direct more behavioral research toward residential occupancies because that is where most fire fatalities

occur. We need to know more about how you and your family, in your home, and your neighbors,

in their homes, respond to fire situations.

Another area where more human behavior data would be very useful is in. making the

outcome assignments on loss required for the fire loss model (figure 2)

164
IS A IS THERE A IS FIRE RESPONSIBLE functional 01SC0VERE0

IGNITION IS SOMEONE PERSON SMOKE BEFORE LEAVING SOURCE HOME1 AWARE1 DETECTOR1 CHAIR 1

DISCOVERED

' Figure 5. Probability Tree for Open Flame Ignitions Under Current Conditions

From the NFIRS data base we obtain the average loss associated with each extent of

flame damage category. Thus for fires that are confined to the chair, confined to the room, or spread beyond the room we obtaon the average number of fatalities and injuries and the

average property lo§s per fire. Our common sense tells us chat lower property losses and

fewer casualties are usually associated with fires that are discovered early. We also know

that a fire fatality or injury is more likely to occur when someone is home, and even more

likely when everyone is sleeping. Even more fatalities occur among the elderly, very young,

drunk or drugged, infirm, and disabled. In addition to using the relationships between

losses and extent of flame damage obtained from the NFIRS data, we also wish to make our loss outcomes conditional on these factors.

For our analysis of the upholstered furniture fire problem, we have made the loss

assignments conditional on the "at home" and "discovery" parameters as well as the extent of

flame damage. This is done oy estimating the relative likelihood of each type of loss for

each combination of circumstances. For example, if someone is home and the fire spreads

beyond the room of origin, the project team estimates that a person is ten times more likely

to be killed, and five times more likely to be injured, if the fire is not discovered

before it leaves the chair, than if it is discovered. In this way we can quantify how early

discovery reduces injury and loss of life. Estimates of this type are then mathematically

combined with the NFIRS data to obtain the required outcome assignments.

Although we believe that there is a strong relationship between the values of the

"awake" parameter and the expected losses, there is not enough information available to make even preliminary assessments of this relationship. Neither were we able to quantify the

relationship between expected losses and age, intoxication, disability, or infirmity.

Thus to use these ideas about what sets of circumstances are associated with increased

(or decreased) losses, these relationships must be quantified. This is an area where

there is a critical need for data on human behavior. We need to quantify the relationships

between sleep, age, alcohol or drug use, physical or mental disability and fire injury and

death. I'm sure that a great deal of work will be required to answer these questions, but

these answers could have a profound effect on future decisions concerning fire safety.

165
4. Summary of Decision Analysis Results

I'd like to devote the rest of this talk to discussing the type of results we obtain

from our analysis.

In section 2 I described how the fire loss model is used to calculate the future

annual fire losses for each alternative. These annual upholstered furniture fire losses

are calculated' in terms of numbers of fatalities and injuries and dollars of property loss.

In order to compare the alternatives on a consistent basis, we convert the injury and

fatality totals to monetary equivalents by assigning a dollar value to the amount that

society is willing to pay to avoid a single fire injury or fatality. In this way we obtain

total annual fire losses in dollar units which we can combine with cost estimates. The

annual losses from upholstered furniture fires for current conditions and the value assignments used in our analysis are given in table 1.

Table 1. Annual Upholstered Furniture

Fire Losses for Current Conditions

-Annual Losses

3

Category Number

Value

Assignment

Monetary Equivalent

(Millions of Dollars)

Fatalities 1310 $300,000 $394

Inj uries 7570 10,000 76

Property

Tangible

Intangible

173

26

Total $668

aCalculations may not check because of rounding.

The total annual losses under each of the three alternatives we have considered to date are shown in figure 6. The losses decline from about $670 million in 1975 to about

$490 million in 1980 when the detector and proposed standard alternatives are assumed to take effect. Most of this loss reduction is due to assumed voluntary and locally mandated

smoke detector installation; a small part of the loss reduction is the result of assumed

changes in upholstered furniture materials and construction. Both of these assumptions

apply to the three alternatives considered. After 1980 the losses under the detector

alternative continue to decline to a'bout $400 million in 1985 when the required smoke

detector installation is complete. After the detectors are installed, the losses under the

no-action and detector alternatives decline slightly due to the furniture changes. Under

the proposed standard alternative the losses decline from about $490 million in 1980 to about $160 million in 2010 as more and more household furniture is replaced by furniture

manufactured under the proposed standard. (We assume that about 80 percent of the furniture

manufactured under the proposed standard would be in compliance.)

As you can see from figure 6, the proposed standard alternative is the "best" alternative

from the stand point of £<744 AeducXton. However, we must also consider the c.04-t of each of

the alternatives over time. For example the cost of the proposed standard over time is shown

in figure 7. •

166 .
700

100

0

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

YEAR

Figure 6. Total Annual Upholstered Furniture Fire Losses Under Three Alternatives

YEAR

Figure 7. Annual Societal Cost of Proposed Standard

The most desirable alternative from the point of view of society as a whole, is the one which results in the lowest total cost plus loss. The cost plus loss over time for the

three alternatives under consideration is given in figure 8. As shown in the figure, the

cost plus loss under the proposed standard is initially quite high but becomes quite low in

the long run. On the other hand the cost plus loss under the detector alternative is initially

lower than under the proposed standard, but in the long run the cost plus loss is higher.

The cost plus loss associated with no action varies the least over time.

167
I

Figure 8. Total Annual Cost Plus Loss to Society Under Three Alternatives

To facilitate the comparison of these time varying cost plus loss values, we compare

them on a present value basis. The present value incorporates the use of a discount rate to reflect how much society is willing to pay now to partake of future benefits. For each

alternative, the cost plus loss for each future year is discounted to the present time using

this (compound) rate. The sum of the resulting discounted values is the present value of

the cost plus loss. In our analysis we use a discount rate of 8 percent.

The present value of the loss, cost, and cost plus loss for each of the alternatives

from 1977 through 2010 is shown in table 2. As you can see, the alternatives are not very

different from each other. Our no-action alternative has the largest associated loss with

no cost. The detector alternative has the second largest loss, at a small cost; the proposed

standard alternative has the lowest loss but at a substantial cost. Both the detector and

the proposed standard alternatives are preferred to no-action.

Table 2. Comparison of Three Alternatives

Alternative

Present Value (Billions of Dollars)

Loss Cost Cost Plus Loss

No-Action $6.33 $0.00 $6.33

Detector Alternative 5.63 0.30 5.95

Proposed Standard 4.84 1.12 5.96

168
We can also use the fire loss model to calculate the expected losses under a combination

of alternatives. As shown in table 3, the combination of mandatory smoke detector installation

and the proposed standard would be somewhat more attractive than either alternative separately.

Note that the costs are additive, but the loss reductions are not additive.

Table 3. Comparison of Combination Alternative

Present Value (Billions of Dollars)

Alternative Loss Cost Cost Plus Loss

Combination of Detectors

and Proposed Standard $4.44 $1.42 $5.86

Proposed Standard 4.84 1.12 5.96

Detector Alternative 5.65 0.30 5.95

No-Action 6.33 0.00 6.33

.5. Sensitivity Analysis

While I have been talking about how much judgment was used in our analysis, you might

have wondered what level of confidence we have in our results. We address this question by

performing sensitivity analysis. Sensitivity analysis is used to determine how the choice

of alternatives is affected by changes in assumptions and parameter values. Rather than

explain how the analysis is done, I would like to show you two examples.

The first example, a sensitivity study on the loss-of-life dollar assignment, is shown

in figure 9. We assign a nominal value of $300,000 to the amount that society would be

willing to pay to prevent a single fire fatality. Using that value, we find that the proposed

standard and detector alternatives are essentially equal and preferred to no action. As shown in figure 9, for values between $60,000 and $300,000 the detector alternative is the

most attractive alternative; for values above $300,000, the proposed standard is the most

attractive alternative; for values less than $60,000, no action is preferred. Thus you can just look at the figure to see how the choice of alternatives is affected by this value

assignment.

The second example is a sensitivity study on the cost of the proposed standard alternative,

shown in figure 10. The choice of alternatives is more sensitive to the value of this

parameter than to any of the other parameters we have tested. Furthermore, there is a great

deal of uncertainty regarding this cost. A significantly lower cost makes the proposed

standard clearly most attractive; whereas a significantly higher cost makes the proposed

standard the least attractive alternative.

Through the use of sensitivity analysis, we are able to focus additional analytical or data gathering resources on the most critical assumptions and parameters.

'In addition to considering the total, losses, we can consider fatalities, injuries, and

property losses seperately. As shown in table 4, the proposed standard is most effective at

saving lives (although the associated costs are not shown )

169
C/5 GO

GO

Figure 9. Sensitivity of Results to Dollar Assignment on Loss of Life

2 7

GO

GO

GO J2

o = U O

uj 5

GO

/ /

/ /

/

MO ACTION

/

/ /

- DETECTORS ^

/ /

/

/ —PROPOSED STANDARD / /

/

NOMINAL

ESTIMATE

! 100 200

INITIAL MANUFACTURERS’ COST

(millions of dollars)

300

Figure 10. Sensitivity of Results to Manufacturers' Cost of Proposed Standard

170
Table 4. Total Number of Fire Fatalities from 1977 thru 2010

Under Three Alternatives

Alternative

Number

of Fatalities

Lives Saved Relative

to No-Action

No-Action 30,800 —

Detector Alternative 25,300 5,500

Proposed Standard 17,900 12,900

6. Behavioral Data Needs

In the short time available, I have tried to give you a taste of the type of analysis

we are doing here at the Center for Fire Research. Through human behavioral research we would like to find the answers to a number of questions concerning residential fire scenarios.

For example, we know that early discovery of a fire reduces the probability of injury and

death. However, to use this information in our analysis, this probability reduction must

be quantified. Some of the probabilities we require, which should be based on human behavior

research are summarized below:

For common comhinationA o f

-eg notion sources and materials ignited in

rzA-idential fires, what is the. probability that

hormone. is home when, ignition occius

the person cut home. is

awake, and responsible?

asleep?

a child?

elderly?

infirm?

disabled?

drunk?

drugged?

Fox zaeJi of thz above cases...

wheut iA thz probability of thz a irz being discovered bzforz it

spreads if there iA a functional, smoke detector?

no functional s mokz detector? an automatic sprcnkler system?

For zach of thz possible combinations of thz above coaza... what arz thz probable losses if

thz firz iA discovered bzforz it 4 przadA

thz firz iA not diAcovzrzd bzforz it spreads?

thzrz iA a sprinkler system present?

what iA thz probability of thz person doing thz "right thing" or at IzaAt something reasonable?

Reference

[1] Helzer, S.G., Offensend, F.L. and Buchbinder, 3. Decision Analysis of Strategies for

Reducing Upholstered Furniture Fire Losses, Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Tech. Note 1101

(June 1979)

171
\

»

-
AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON

EXIT CHOICE BEHAVIOR OF OCCUPANT

IN AN EVACUATION UNDER BUILDING FIRE

Dr. Saburo Horiuchi

Department of Architecture

Kyoto University

Kyoto City, Japan

This study considers the problem of evacuating

the occupants from a large floor of a multi-story

building with multiple stairways in the event of fire.

A dangerous situation may develop when concentrations

of people at the entrances of stairs become too great.

This study explores some factors which affect these

concentrations and provides data relevant to a- determination of the appropriate width of stairs needed

for safe evacuation.

An empirical determination of stairway concentrations was made by an experiment conducted on the

sixth floor (area - 3000 sq. meters) of a department

store, using as subjects 80 members of the Kobe-City

Fire Department who were unfamiliar with the building.

Three theoretical calculating methods were also used

to predict concentrations and were based on these assumptions: (1) no. of persons going to a given stairs is

proportional to the width of the stairs' entrance,

(2) each person will go to the nearest stair from his

starting point, and (3) a person's choice of stairs

can be affected by the visibility of the stairs' en- trance as well as its nearness. The third calculating

method gave the closest approximation to the results

of the experiment.

Key Words: Building fires; evacuation tests, stairways.

173
1 Foreword

In our research group , human behaviors in fire situations

have been studied by three types of methodology which are

(a) Analysis of investigations of real fires.

(b) Experiment of evacuation behavior.

(c) Dynamic evacuation by computer simulation.

This paper belongs to the methodology of (b) but the experiment itself was practiced several years ago by the 'Fire Prevention Section of Kobe-City Fire Department' and unfortunately

the data have not been published until we happened to find it.

This time, as I could obtain the full data of the experiment

by permission of authorities, I'll report it here by adding

some analytical considerations on it.

2 Purpose

If a fire breaks out in a large floor of a multistory building as a department store that has plural stairs and no partition on it, people will run to stairs all at once to escape

from the building. And if there are too many occupants on the

floor, it is known by experience that the concentration of

crowds is easy to occur at the entrances of stairs and it becomes very dangerous if the rate of concentration is too excessive.

In this study, we tried to find out key factors that affect

the concentration of escaping persons in order to prevent a

dangerous state of crowds so called a 'Panic' and also to obtain the data of reasonable width of stair for providing a

safety evacuation in fire situations.

3 Experiment

(a) Building and floor {

A department store with ten stories above and three under

the ground was used for the experiment. It was constructed

about forty years ago and extended several times. The experiment was practiced on the sixth floor whose area was 3,000

square meters. The floor is shown in Fig.l and it is divided

into eight sections.

174
1 ( ~ n in n i n n Im n

1 i 3ETi

. ; .

i

i

! 1 /f* ‘

/ \ t \

•

j Cj uyi

T 1 ! J • I

4

I

I

f

1,2, ,5 i Stair No.

'° m (D'® '

' C*) ! Section NO.

: Boundary lino of

S action

• . • • i Position of eac.*\ ub^oct ( ton poraono In oach

section )

II

«

*

*

i

i

d

d

d

i

Fig.l Plan of the sixth floor used for the experiment

(b) Stairs

The stairs available to use for the evacuation were five in

all and their positions are shown in Fig.l. Effective width of

these stairs are as follows.

Stair No.l 2.80m

, Stair No. 3 1.30m

, Stair No. 4 2.00m

Stair No. 2 2.20m

,

( Escalator ) stair No. 5 1.90m

Total width of five stairs is 10.20m

.

» (c) Subjects

As the subjects of this experiment, eighty persons had co-oprated. They were all members of Kobe-City Fire Department and

those people who were unfamiliar with the building had been

selected especially. In the experiment, they were divided into

eight groups of ten persons each and every group was supported

by two assistants.

9

9

175
(d) Date and time

The experiment was practiced from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

on the 11th of October.

(e) Procedure of experiment

At first, all subjects are bandaged on their eyes and lead

to the sixth floor by assistants. And they are distributed on

the floor with ten persons in each section holding equal distance each other as shown in Fig.l. Then, a fire outbreak point

is shown to them suddenly by means of a rotating red electric

lamp and an alarm whisle. For example, in the case of No.l of

Fig. 2, this point is placed in front of the entrance of No.l

stair. On indicating the fire outbreak point, every subject is

allowed to put off his bandage and escapes towards one of the

stairs according to his free choice. And the number of persons

running into each stair is counted by a staff who is stationed

at the entrance of the stair. After the first experiment is

over, all subjects are changed their positions at random and

then, next experiment is practiced by altering the fire outbreak point to the front of another stair's entrance. Thus,

five kinds of experiments from Case 1 to Case 5 each of which

has a different fire outbreak point are practiced.

4 Comparison between the result of experiment and the results

of analytical calculations

The results of five cases of experiments are shown from

Fig. 2 to Fig. 6 and also in Tab.l-(a).

176
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Fig. 2 Evacuation of Case 1 by experiment

Fig. 3 Evacuation of Case 2 by experiment

177
Fig. 4 Evacuation of Case 3 by experiment

\U

p

p

i

p

p

p

p

p

Fig. 5 Evacuation of Case 4 by experiment

178

Tab.l

Comparison

between

the

result

of

experiment

and

the

results

of

three

calculating

methods

mnaPPPPai
In addition to this, we have also calculated the number of

persons running into each stair analytically by means of the

following three types of calculating methods.

(1) 1st calculating method

The 1st calculating method is based on a rule that the

number of persons running into each stair is proportional to

the width of stair's entrance. And the result calculated by

this method is shown in Tab.l-(b).

(2) 2nd calculating method

The 2nd calculating method is based on a rule that each

person will run into the nearest stair from his starting point

And the result of this method is shown in Tab.l-(c).

(3) 3rd calculating method

The 3rd calculating method is based on a hypothesis that

the visibility of stair's entrance is affecting a person's

stair choice behavior in addition to the nearness which is

adopted in the rule of 2nd calculating method. That is, as

shown in Fig. 7, if a person (PI) is within the zone of B,

he runs to search another stairs because he can't recognize

the stair though it is nearest to him. And if a person ( P 2

is within the zone of A and the stair is nearest to him, he

runs into it directly.

The result calculated by this method is shown in Tab.l-(d).

181
By way of example# Fig. 8# Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 are the results

of evacuation of Case 1 which are calculated by the three types

of calculating methods explained above.

And Fig. 11 is a graphical expression of Tab.l, in which

the numbers of persons of each stair that are calculated by

four different kinds of methods are compared with by the ratio

of percent.

Fig. 8 Evacuation of Case 1 by 1st calculating method

182
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m

it

Fig. 9 Evacuation of Case 1 by 2nd calculating method

Fig. 10 Evacuation of Case 1 by 3rd calculating method

183
5 Conclusion and considerations

According to Fig. 11 in which the result of experiment and

the results of three types of calculating methods are compared

with, it can be said that the 3rd calculating method gives the

closest approximation to the result of experiment. That is,

the visibility of a stair's entrance is playing an important

role as well as its nearness in an exit choice behavior of

occupant in an evacuation.

And secondly, as is shown by the value of (A) / (B) in Tab . 1

,

the number of persons running into a particular stair in the

experiments is almost two times as large as the number calculated by the 1st calculating method. Therefore, if we are

going to design stairs for evacuation on the basis of the data

by the 1st calculating method (which is often adopted in Japan/

we'd better imagine about two times of amount of users

for safety. But, of course, it is necessary to practice more

experiments and researches in order to explain the exit choice

behavior and to decide the rules for designing the width of

stairs.

In future researches, following items, for example, have to

be taken into considerations.

(1) If there are any more effective factors than visibility,

distance and width of stair which dominate the exit choice

behavior.

(2) If there are any better experimental methods than the one

adopted here, or if it is necessary to use much larger number

of subjects and practice more times of experiments.

184
I

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a

i

& : Pire Outbreak Point

: Result of Experiaent

< Result of 1st Calculating Method

: Result of 2nd Calculating Method

: Result of 3rd Calculating Method

Fig. 11 Comparison between the result of experiment

and the results of three calculating methods

185
'
ANALYSIS OF OCCUPANT BEHAVIOR

IN AN OFFICE 3UILDING UNDER FIRE

Dr. Masami Kobavashi

Dr. Saburo Horiuchi

Department of Architecture

Kyoto University

Kyoto City, Japan

The occupant behavior which occurred during an office building fire is analyzed. Data

was obtained from a questionnaire distributed

to occupants of an insurance company building

in Osaka, Japan, in which a fire occurred on April 6, 1978. The building contained nine

stories above and five under ground. The fire

occurred at the kitcnen's ventilation duct in

the second basement, and smoke spread through

the building through the duct and a staircase.

Approximately 2000 occupants escaped from the

building without injury.

The interrelationships among three items —

occupation and sex, first action after perceiving fire, and evacuation behavior—were analyzed

to find characteristic behavior patterns. Two

types of behavior patterns were extracted. They

were: the behavior of those in the occupations

of store owner and male store clerk to take

responsible actions when they perceived a fire

and then to escape via the route that they had

previously decided to take in fire situations;

and the behavior of f*emale office clerks to wait

for superior officers' instructions and then to

escape by following instructions and guidance.

(The specific behaviors within these patterns

were not the most common behaviors.)

Key Words: Building fires; evacuation; human

behavior; smoke.

187
I Introduction

This paper deals with an analysis of occupant behavior in an

office building under fire. The data for this pursuit are drawn

from the questionnaire which was conducted on the occupants of

' Fukoku' insurance company building, Osaka, Japan, in wnrch a fire had occured on the afternoon of April 6th, 1973. And the

interrelationship between three items of a) individual attributes such as occupation and sex, b) first action after perceiving fire and c) evacuation behavior has been analyzed to find

out characteristic behavior patterns.

The 'Fukoku 1 insurance company is a steel framed reinforced

concrete structure building with nine stories above and five

under the ground. It is an ordinary type of office building and

from the 1st to the 9th floors are offices, the 1st and the 2nd

basements are shopping malls, the 3rd and the 4th basements are

parking places and the 5th basement is a machine room. The fire

had occured at the kitchen's venti ation duct of a tearoom in

the 2nd basement and the smoke had spread immediately all over

the building through the duct and a staircase. The occupants at

that time were estimated at about two thousands and all of them

could escape from the building without injury. Therefore it was

a successful evacuation in view of the results.

II Analysis

1. Method of analysis

As the method of analysis, the quantification theories of

case 2 and case 3 that are developed by Hayashi* are used in

this study.

The quantification theory of case 2 is mathematically in

accord with multiple discrimination analysis of which explanat ~ tory variables are nominal scale of dummy variables.

* Hayashi,C : On the predictions of phenomena from qualitative

data and quantifications of qualitative data from the matheraaticostatistical point of view. Annals of the Institute of Statistical Mathematics, 1952, vol.3, no. 2, 69-98.

188
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And this theory can discriminate each element's (or person's)

distribution to the classes of external criterion by its responses to explanatory variables which are qualitative attributes. And to enable this discrimination, it assigns value of X

to the categories of each explanatory variables so that it may

maximize the correlation ratio between external criterion's

groups and persons' scores which are given in a form of liniar

combination of responded Xs.

On the other hand, the method of case 3 can classify the

categories of qualitative attributes which are given by dummy

variables and have no external criterion on the basis of response patterns of persons. And to enable this classification

it assigns value of X to the categories and Y which is the

average value of responded Xs to the response pattern types of

persons so that it may maximize the correlation coefficient

between X and Y. And as the result, mutually related categories

that are simultaneously responded to by many persons come to

have similar values of Xs on the coordinate axis of each eigen

value.

2. Items used for analysis

The analysis of ocuupant behavior is made by using three

items in the questionnaire which are 'Occupation & Sex'

,

'First Action' and 'Evacuation Behavior'. Besides these three

items, there are such items in the questionnaire as 'Means of

Perceiving Fire', 'Psychology when Perceived Fire', 'Age',

'Experience of Fire' and 'Experience of Evacuation Drill'. But

by discrimination analysis of quantification theory the 2nd

case, these items are proved to have little influence on both

classifications of 'First Action' and 'Evacuation Behavior'

which are assigned as external criterions. So they. are excluded

from the items of this analysis.

Among the occupants, seven hundreds and four persons, who

were all workers of this building, did answer the three items

properly (i.e. the effective samples are 704) . The contents of each of the three items are as follows.

189
oc-

(1) 'Occupation & Sex'

By the distinction of occupation, position and sex, the

cupants are divided into six categories shown in Tab.l.

Tab.l 'Occupation & Sex' classification

category contents

01 female office clerk —

02 male office clerk offices

03 managerial officer —

04 female store clerk —

05 male store clerk restaurants

06 store owner — & stores

(2) 'First Action'

In the questionnaire, as the first actions after perceiving

fire, thirteen behaviors in Tab. 2 are presented under the condition of permitting plural choice.

Tab. 2 first actions (permitting plural choice)

code contents responded

persons

1 inform others loudly 57

2 call adminstration office

or fire department 31

3 go for a fire extinguisher 3

4 remove valuables 160

5 go to see fire origin 174

6 wait for instructions 164

7 waver in confusion 49

a lead people and evacuate them 61

9 turn off the gas 40

10 shut off the. power 32

11 put out kitchen fire 30

12 escape at once 96

13 call to others to escape together 247

190
And analyzing the occupants' response patterns by the quantification theory, these thirteen actions have been divided into

four categories that are shown in Tab. 3.

Tab. 3 'First Action’ classification

category contents belonging

actions

FI take responsible actions

1,2,3,

5,8,9,

10,11

F2 escape at once 12

F3

call to others to escape

together, remove valuables

or

waver in confusion i

i

i

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i

-4

-C- H*

Ul

F4 wait for instructions 6

This classification of Tab. 3 has been achieved through two

stages of analyses. Firstly, by the analysis of quantification

theory the 3rd case, the actions that are selected together by

many persons of their first actions are put together into one

group and they are (1,2,3,5,8,9,10,11) and (4,13). And at this

stage, the thirteen actions are divided into five groups which

are ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11) , ( 12 ) , (4 , 13 ) , (7) and (6). Secondly, by

the discrimination analysis of quantification theory the 2nd

case which takes the above five groups of first actions as the

external criterion, it is proved to be difficult to discriminate the persons of group (7) from the persons of group (4,13)

by the item of 'Occupation & Sex' which is adopted as an explanatory variable. So these two groups are put together into

one category of F3 and this makes the 'First Action' an item

of four categories.

Therefore as the item of 'First Action', the classification

of Tab. 3 is adopted.

191
(3) 'Evacuation Behavior'

This is an item which asks the occupant why he took the

route to escape from the building. And for the reasons, five

kinds of behaviors shown in Tab. 4 are presented.

Tab. 4 'Evacuation Behavior' classification

category contents

El take a predetermined route

E2 take a shorter route or

choose a route instantly

1 E3 take a previously indicated route

E4 run after others

E5 follow instructions and guidance

3. Interrelation between three items

In order to find out characteristic behavior patterns in an

office building under fire, mutually related categories between

the three items have been selected by using the quantification

theory the 3rd case.

(1) Relation between 'Occupation & Sex' and 'First Action’

Tab. 5 is a cross tabulation of 'Occupation & Sex' and

'First Action' and main selection patterns of each 'Occupation

& Sex' group are shown in Fig.l.

Tab. 5 'Occupation & Sex' and 'First Action'

FI F2 F3 F4 total

01 17 14 146 74 251

02 66 32 86 22 206

03 52 10 57 6 125

04 16 3 16 4 39

05 44 2 3 6 60

06 20 0 3 0 23

total 215 61 316 112 '704

192
(53.2%)

(29.5%)

(41.7%)

(32.0%)

(45.6%)

(41.6%)

(41.0%)

(41.0%)

(73.3%)

(87.0%)

01: female office clerk

02: male office clerk

03: managerial officer

04: female store clerk

05: male store clerk

06 : store owner

i FI: take responsible actions

F2 : escape at once

F3: call to others to escape

together, remove valuables

or waver in confusion

F4 : wait for instructions

Fig. 1 Main selection patterns

The result of analyzing ten categories of two items together

by the theory of quantification the 3rd case is shown in Fig.

» where the correlation coefficient of I axis (1st eigen value)

is 0.8658 and that of II axis (2nd eigen value) is 0.7723.

193
n

Fig. 2 Categories distribution

According to the distribution of Fig. 2, two pairs of categories of (01 ,F4 ) and (05,06) are located away from other categories. And it can be said that F4 (wait for instructions) is

peculiar to 01 (female office clerk) and both 05 (male store

clerk) and 06 (store owner) are strongly responding to FI ( take responsible actions) , and so these characteristic patterns

in Fig.l are marked with asterisk (*)

Besides this, the action

of F3 (call to others to escape together, remove valuables or

waver in confusion) is located near the origin of the coordinate

axes and it is considered to be a general first action to the

occupant.
(2) Relation between 'Occupation & Sex' and 'Evacuation Behavior'

The cross tabulation of 'Occupation & Sex' and 'Evacuation

Behavior' is shown in Tab. 6 and main selection patterns between

them are shown in Fig. 3.

Tab. 6 'Occupation & Sex' and 'Evacuation Behavior'

El E2 E3 E4 E5 total

01 8 71 29 81 62 251

02 25 96 33 33 19 206

03 32 44 t 21 22 6 125

04 3 18 3 7 8 39

05 18 33 2 2 5 60

06 9 11 2 . 0 1 23

total 95 273 90 145 101 704

(32.3%)

(28.3%)

(24.7%)

(46.6%)

E3<

E2 (35.2%)

El (25.6%)

(46.1%)

(55.0%)

(30.0%)

(47.8%)

(39.1%)

01: female office clerk

02: male office clerk

03: managerial officer

04

female store clerk

05: male store clerk

06 : store owner

El: take a predetermined route

E2 : take a shorter route or

choose a route instantly

E3 : take a previously

indicated route

E4 : run after others

E5 : follow instructions

and guidance

Fig. 3 Main selection patterns

195
According to these, most of the persons of each group nave

chosen E2 (take a shorter route or choose a route instantly)

and it is estimated that E2 is an ordinary behavior to the occupants . Analyzing two items together by the quantification theory

the 3rd case, correlation coefficients from I axis (1st eigen

value) to III axis (3ed eigen value) have shown the values of

rl=0 . 8416 , r2=0 . 7575 , and r3=0.7524, and when using the coordinates of I axis and III axis, the eleven categories have

been grouped as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 Categories distribution

By the distribution of the categories , it can be said that

E4 (run after others) and E5 (follow instructions and guidance)

are peculiar to 01 (female office clerk) and El (take a predetermined route) is strongly related to 06 (store owner) and

then 05 (male store clerk) , and so these patterns are marked

with asterisk in Fig. 3.

196
(3) Relation between 'First Action' and 'Evacuation Behavior'

The cross tabulation of 'First Action' and 'Evacuation Behavior' and main selection patterns between them are shown in

Tab. 7 and Fig. 5.

Tab. 7 'First Action' and 'Evacuation Behavior

El E2 E3 E4 E5

- total

FI 50 105 24 22 14 215

F2 3 31 14 12 1 61

F3 35 110 41 87 43 316

F4 7 27 11 24 43 112

total 95 273 90 145 101

. 704

(43.8%)

(23.3%)

(50.8%)

(34.8%)

(27.5%)'

(38.4%)

(24.1%)

Fig. 5 Main selection

patterns

FI: take responsible actions

F2 : escape at once

F3: call to others to escape

together/ remove valuables

or waver in confusion

F4 : wait for instructions

El: take a predetermined route

E2 : take a shorter route or

choose a route instantly

E3 : take a previously

indicated route

E4 : run after others

E5: follow instructions

and guidance

The result of quantification theory analysis is shown in

Fig. 6 where the correlation coefficient of I axis is 0.8241 and

that of II axis is 0.7745.

i According to the ten categories' distribution of Fig. 6 , there

can be seen distinct correspondence between F4 • (wait for instructions) and E5 (follow instructions and guidance) and between FI (take responsible actions) and El ( take a predetermined route) . Therefore these clearly related patterns are

marked with asterisk in Fig. 5.

197
Fig. 6 Categories distribution

(4) Relation between 'Occupation & Sex', 'First Action' and

'Evacuation Behavior'

By connecting the above mentioned results, it is possible to

presume the characteristic behavior patterns in an office building under fire, but in this section, the three items have been

analyzed together by the quantification theory the 3rd case and

mutually related categories between them are extracted.

The results of analysis are shown in Fig. 7 where the correlation coefficient of I axis is 0.7812 and that of II axis is

0.6748, and according to this, three pairs of categories of ( 05,06), (FI, El) and (F4,E5) are located away from others.

Therefore a behavior of 05 (male store clerk) . and 06 (store

owner) to take FI (take responsible actions) and El (take a

predetermined route) and a behavior of 01 (female office clerk)

that take F4 (wait for instructions) and E5 (follow instructios

and guidance) are picked out as characteristic patterns in this

evacuation

In addition, the cross tabulation of the three items is shown

in Tab. 8 and its main selection patterns are shown in Fig. 8 in

which the above mentioned characteristic patterns are marked

with asterisk.

198
(oq6 05

oj

1

^

i CT) \"£i/ 04o 1

-2 __ /•E5\

\«F4/

o 01 2

• E2

{

o03 ,f3 .£4

02

1 • E3

1

-2

F2 1

«

«

«

*

*

*

*

*

it

01 F3

03

F3 0

-0\

04 FI

05

\

06 FI

Fig .7 Categories distribution

01: female office clerk

e (19.5%) 02 : male office clerk

E (18.7%) 03 : managerial officer

HE! (14.3%)

04 : female store clerk

05 : male store clerk

(17.5%) 06 : store owner

E (17.0%)

FI: take responsible actions

F2

escape at once

E2 (16.0%) F3

call to others to escape

El (14.4%) together, remove valuables

or waver in confusion

E2 (25.6%) F4 : wait for instructions

E (38.3%) El: take a predetermined route

1. E2 : take a shorter route or E (23.3%)

choose a route instantly

E3: take a previously

El (39.1%)

indicated route

E4 : run after others

E2 (34 .8%) E5: follow instructions

and guidance

Fig. 8 Main selection patterns

199
Tab. 8 'Occupation & Sex', 'First Action' and

'Evacuation Behavior'

El E2 E3 E4 E5 total

FI 1 9 1 6 0 17

01 F2 0 3 4 7 0 14

F3 5 47 19 49 26 146

F4 2 12

i

' 5 19 36 74

total 8 71 29 81 . 62 251

FI 7 35 9 8 7 66

02 F2 3 18 8 2 1 32

F3 13 36 11 19 7 36

F4 2 7 5 4 4 22

total 25 96 33 33 19 206

FI 18 20 10 4 0 52

03

F2 0 7 1 2 0 10

F3 12 15 9 16 5 57

F4 2 2 1 0 1 6

total 32 44 21 22 6 125

FI 1 10 0 3

' 2 16

04 F2 0 1 1 1 0 3

F3 2 5 2 2 5 16

F4 0 2 0 1 1 4

total 3 18 3 7 8 39

FI 14 23 2 1 4 44

05 F2 0 2 0 0 0 2

F3 3 4 0 1 0 8

F4 1 4 0 0 .1 6

total 18 33 2 2 5 60

FI 9 3 2 0 1 20

06

F2 0 0 0 0 0 0

F3 0 3 0 6 0 3

F4 0 0 0 0 0 0

total 9 11 2 0 . 1 23

200
Ill Conclusion

By analyzing the evacuation in 'Fukoku' insurance company,

two types of behaviors which are considered to characterize the

occupant behavior in an office building under fire have been

extracted. They are the behavior of store owner (06) and male

store clerk (05) to take responsible actions (FI) when they

perceive a fire and then to escape via the route that they have

previously decided to take in fire situations (El) and the behavior of female office clerk (01) to wait for superior officers'

instructions (F4) and then escape by following instructions and

guidance. These two behaviors can be explained that the former

originates from the sense of occupational responsibilities and

the latter is based on the line of command in office organization. So it is pointed out that an office building has a grounding for systematized evacuation in its personnel organization

of itself. But as are shown in Tab. 4 and Tab. 5, since most of

the occupants took F3 (call to others to escape together, remove valuables or waver in confusion) as 'First Action' and E2

(take a shorter route or choose a route instantly) or E4 (run

after others) as 'Evacuation Behavior', it is more appropriate

to conclude that in a fire situation of an office building,

people take F3 and E2 or E4 behaviors latently and among them,

those who are in the position of feeling professional consciousness strongly will take peculiar behavior patterns as FI to El

and F4 to E5

Appendix

Standard floor

plan of 'Fukoku'

insurance company

building

201
*AROUSAL FROM SLEEP BY EMERGENCY ALARMS:

IMPLICATIONS FROM THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE

V.J. Pezoldt

H.P. Van Cott

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D.C. 20234

A review of the 3leep research and other scientific

literature pertaining to the arousal of sleeping individuals by external stimuli is reported. This effort was undertaken to provide information about the characteristics

of emergency alarms which will reliably awaken a sleeping

population, especially nursing home residents, in the

event of fire. The literature reviewed does not provide

an adequate basis for specifying signal characteristics

which will offer a high assurance of producing arousal.

Among the factors that influence the intensity of a signal which will produce arousal are the age and physical/

mental condition of the sleeper, drug use, sleep stage,

time of night, and meaningfulness or personal significance

of the signal. Data relevant to these variables are discussed as is the problem of performance following abrupt

arousal. Recommendations regarding stimulus characteristics, measures of arousal and the experimental environment

for future studies of arousal by emergency alarms are presented.

*0nly an abstract of the report is presented here. The

complete reference is:

V.J. Pezoldt and H.P. Van Cott "Arousal from Sleep by

Emergency Alarms: Implications fjcom the Scientific Literature."

National Bureau of Standards Report No. NBSIR 7-8-1484.

June 1978.

202
FIVE PAPERS FROM A PANEL SESSION ON PANIC

E. L. Quarancelli

Panel Chairman

Disaster Research Center

Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio 43210

On October 30-31, 1978 the Second International Conference on Behavior in Fire was held at the National Bureau of Standards Center for Fire Research near Washington, D.C.

At the request of Dr. Bernard Levint the chair of the meeting, a panel on panic behavior was organized. Participants included Corinne Black of Princeton University, John 3ryan of

the University of Maryland, A. R. Mawson of Loyola University in New Orleans, Jonathon

Sime of the University of Surrey, England and Dennis Wenger of the University of Delaware.

E. L. Quarantelli of the Disaster Research Center, Ohio State University, acted as organizer

and chair of the panel. Prior to the meeting, all panelists were asked to address themselves in some way to three questions: 1) Do you see the concept of panic as a useful one

for study purposes? 2) How do you conceptualize panic and what are the factors responsible

for the phenomena? and 3) What are both the research consequences and practical implications

of thinking about panic in the way you do?

The initial oral remarks of the panelists, only slightly edited, follow in alphabetical

order. 1

Key words: Affiliative behavior; attribution theory; contagion; disaster

research; fire emergencies; flight behavior; human behavior; panic.

1 The extended discussion which followed the initial remarks is not reproduced here. However,

interested persons can obtain at nominal cost, tapes of the remarks made by the panelists

and audience members from Dr. Bernard Levin, Center for Fire Research, Polymer 3uilding, , Room A363i National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. 20234 U.S.A.

203
PANIC: SOME ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSIGHTS

Corinne M. Black

Visiting Fellow

School of Architecture & Urban Planning

Princeton University

Panic is seen as a remnant of our evolutionary past, one which be- came maladaptive with the advent of civilization. Four distinctions

underlying panic are outlined: (1) between the subjective and objective

aspects of panic; (2) between the individual and the group in a state of

panic; (3) between the cooperative and the competitive aspects of panic,

and (4) between panic in organized as opposed to unorganized groups. In this presentation only the subjective and objective aspects of panic are explored with the aim of presenting a working definition. The subjective

aspects include: acute fear, perception of a crisis, loss of ties to others, confusion, extreme frustration, a sense of chaos and a feeling

of entrapment. The objective factors include: flight, contagion and

a variety of other behavioral responses. It is suggested that panic behavior develops in a number of stages. Areas where intensive work is

needed are noted. These include a need for the following: sophisticated

debriefing of people who engage in panic done by an interdisciplinary

team; work in the area of design; more knowledge about the role in panic

of the different components of a fire situation; and better understanding of the role of leadership in reducing a sense of chaos.

My work on panic can best be characterized as an exploratory conceptual study. I should say first of all that I take a long view of the behavioral phenomenon of panic. As an anthropologist, I look at any patterned behavior in its evolutionary context, trying to fathom why and how it originated. It appears from the evidence of nonhuman primates and

what we know about early man that panic behavior developed originally as adaptive behavior.

When nonhuman primates and early man were suddenly confronted by a predator, it is likely

that they engaged in a form of random dispersal, thus making it difficult for the predator

to predict their movements. Jane Lancaster, a specialist in the evolution of human behavior

writes that "Helter-skelter dispersal is very common in nonhuman primates as a predator

defense mechanism." It may well be that our ancestors responded to grave and sudden

threats with quick, random flight and that this behavior is part of our biological makeup.

One important aspect of this assumption is that at some point in human history, panic

behavior became in large part a maladaptive form of response. I suggest that this occurred

during the period when the first large towns and cities arose and people were for the

first time crowded together. They began to live in structures with limited egress, and

they assembled in the temples and large ceremonial centers which appeared in the early

stages of civilization. Under these conditions, any threat to their safety that was sufficiently serious to produce flight carried with it the possibility of body contact

with others and bodily harm. Thus, crowding and the development of complex structures

laid the foundation for panic as a problem rather than as an adaptive mechanism for saving

lives.

A number of distinctions underlying panic are potentially useful in its analysis.

Foremost among these is the distinction between the subjective and the objective aspects

of panic. Other distinctions of importance are those between the individual and the group in a 3tate of panic and between the cooperative and the competitive aspects of panic. Also

significant are the factors relating to the differences between panic occurring in organized

as opposed to unorganized groups.

I do not have time this morning to dwell in any depth on the implications of these

four distinctions. Let me simply explore some of the subjective and objective aspects of

panic and organize them into a working definition.

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I would like to suggest that the subjective aspects of panic are more numerous and

complex than has been stated heretofore, that feelings other than acute fear, a perception

of a crisis and the loss of ties to others are present. Another subjective aspect of panic,

for example, is confusion. In my opinion, without confusion there is no panic. People may

be greatly threatened and feel extreme fear, but if they have a clear sense of what is

happening and what to do, they probably will not panic. One can argue that a group of

people pressing toward an exit and doing damage to each other in the process know what they

are doing. However, there is most certainly an element of confusion in a situation in which

wildly excited people compete for a small escape outlet. This feeling lays the foundation

for a more destructive feeling which I shall deal with in a moment.

Another subjective aspect of panic is the feeling that one's ties to the others who are trapped in a fire are greatly weakened. In this urgent situation the norms which usually

govern behavior are suspended. Nearly all scholars of collective behavior note this

disintegration of ionnectedness and the concomitant feeling that one should concentrate

entirely on one's self.

Further associated with panic, I believe, is a sense of extreme frustration. The

usual solutions to problems fail in the crisis. The normal charted paths to the resolution

of difficulties run into a stone wall. Stated simply, nothing works.

However, underlying the feelings of frustration and confusion is a far more devastating

and important feeling, one which no analyst has more than alluded to. This is the feeling

of total chaos which quickly develops in a serious fire emergency. In the space of minutes

the established, dependable sense of order and control in life vanishes. The ordinary

parameters of social life which constantly guide and reassure us are demolished. That

which was routine, orderly and predictable a few minutes before suddenly becomes unpredictable and terrifyingly disorderly. The immediate world appears to be coming apart at the seams. An intolerable feeling of complete ambiguity is generated. The outlines of

everyaay reality as we know it disappear. To the human organism, dependent as it is on pattern and order as the foundation of all life, this feeling is one of the most threatening

that can be experienced. It rapidly produces a breakdown in behavior, notably in the form

of panic.

Another subjective feeling Involved in panic which has been much explored is that of

entrapment. The ramifications of this feeling are complex. Some theorists maintain that

panic occurs only when the victim feels that despite entrapment, there is some possibility

of escape while others feel that it is the sense of no escape that produces panic. Fires,

of course, represent a special type of entrapment from that of, say, a sealed mine disaster

because of the urgency of the situation. It seems likely that the possibility of escape

coexisting with entrapment sets the stage for oanic.

Turning from the subjective aspects of fire to the objective aspects, one can list

flight, surely the most dramatic factor, as well as contagion and a range of other behavior

relating to escape. Flight in its various forms and other behavioral responses range from

nonsocial to antisocial, from rational to nonrational to irrational, from adaptive to non- adaptive to maladaptive. Unlike some theorists I see panic as producing acts of varied

nature, the least likely being social in the sense of looking to the needs of others.

There is considerable discussion of flight in panic situations, revolving largely

around whether it happens Invariably, what its nature is, and whether if it does happen,. it

is indicative of real panic. Schultz, for example, states that flight per se is not an automatic indicator of panic, feeling that it is adaptive behavior. By making this

distinction, he raises the question of whether flight must be maladaptive to be called a symptom of panic. This and other problems require too many words to be dealt with here.

With regard to contagion, some writers take the position that it is rare and that if

it does occur, it does not include everyone. Professor Quarantelli, for example, suggests

that no more than a third of the people trapped in the Coconut Grove fire were caught up

.in panic. Most other analysts, however, feel that contagion is part of panic. Merloo,

a psychoanalyst, sees contagion as being triggered by flight.

A central idea in all discussion of behavioral contagion is whether there exists in a group one person who functions as a model for the others. This person reduces the restraint

felt by others by engaging in impulsive, unrestrained behavior. Others are encouraged to follow his example.

205
The question of contagion, which I can only briefly touch on, brings up another

important matter. I suggest that panic behavior develops in a number of stages. It is more than likely that there is something we can call a pre-panic condition in which people

feel "panicky" but do not actually panic. This then can lead to what I call partial panic,

a state in which some forms of social behavior may still occur. Finally, there comes total

panic during which there is complete loss of self-control and all sense of others is

obliterated.

Let me then try to put all this together into a working definition as follows: Panic

is a response to a major threat to survival which has both subjective and objective aspects.

Subjectively, it is felt as extreme fear, frustration and confusion in the face of a perceived major, threat of great urgency. It involves a situation in which a feeling of

entrapment is perceived in conjunction with the sense that escape is still somehow possible.

The sense exists that the immediate world is in chaos and that the basic order which holds

life together has collapsed. Its most common objective manifestation is flight. The

behavior is contagious. It produces a range of behavior from maladaptive to adaptive, from

irrational to rational, and from antisocial to nonsocial. The loss of social bonds between

those involved is typical of total panic and precludes behavior of a social nature.

Now what are the factors most responsible for panic under conditions of fire? It seems

to me that the central ones are the feeling of entrapment coupled with the urgent threat of

extinction compounded by a sense that chao3 reigns.

As for the implications of my thoughts, I would say that we need more experiments which

can reveal to us the psychic mechanisms at work during panic. We also need more sophisticated debriefing of people who have survived panic situations done preferably by interdisciplinary teams. This kind of investigation should seek to analyze on many levels

precisely what happened, both subjectively and objectively. Much work needs to be done in

the area of design, to develop physical ways in which people can best be oriented and helped

in a fire disaster. We need to investigate ways in which individuals respond to fire

disasters and the ways in which the presence of others changes this reaction. We need to know the detailed role of the various components of the fire situation. For example, fire

gases and smoke are known to produce certain kinds of disorientation, surely a factor in

panic. We need to know more about the preception of entrapment and most of all, how to maintain or restore, at least partially, the all-important sense of order and control

during a fire emergency. This is particularly crucial during the early stages of an emergency. In this respect, the development of better design features to orient and aid

escaping persons is critical, as is the further development of techniques to introduce

various forms of leadership into the chaos of an emergency, through trained staff behavior,

voice control and the like.

PANIC OR NON-ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE FIRE INCIDENT, AN EMPIRICAL CONCEPT

Dr. John L. Bryan

Department of Fire Protection Engineering

University of Maryland 20742

Panic as a term appears to have value in communicating with the

public and with obtaining support for investigations and studies. As

a basis for scientific study, it does not appear to be as useful as group or individual non-adaptive behavior. The observed and existing

physical evidence of human behavior following a fire incident when

carefully examined can provide indication of adaptive or non-adaptive

outcome of the behavioral actions. Obviously the operational definition of the term used to describe the concept of behavioral action is a scientific prerequisite for a valid or reliable study. The classical definitions of panic with the implication of animalistic or instinctive behavior appear to be obsolete.

Non-adaptive behavior should not be applied solely to flight behavior, since any behavioral action in a 'fire' incident may be adaptive or non-adaptive relative to the individual, the group, or the fire incident.

It would appear the examination of th'e pre-existing conditions in the

group, the physical conditions and structure of the fire incident en206
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vironment may be of critical value to identify favorable conditions for

adaptive or non-adaptive behavior.

The terminology or label we attach to the behavior is not critical

as long as the term is operationally defined.

The first question asked to us was whether ''panic" was a useful term. I would have to say that as far as I'm concerned I look at "panic" as it has been described in the literature

as occurring in the fire situation in buildings. I prefer not to use the term "panic" after

about twenty-five years of study at this time. I will admit I have used the term "panic" in

the past. I think the term may be useful when we define "panic" operationally. Thus, one

can use any term we may want in a study as long as we operationally define it as to how we

measure and observe the phenomenon. I do not impose my concept of "panic" on you, and you

do not impose you concept of "panic" on me. Thus, with an operational definition, I tell

you what I mean by the term. I now prefer to use the term "group or individual non-adaptive

behavior." Why "non-adaptive behavior?" Because, "non-adaptive behavior" can be determined

by physical evidence or by the participants observed accounts of the behavior that occurred

and I emphasize participants, not statements from one individual. Thus, you can obtain a measure of verification from a number of participants or you can obtain verification from

the physical evidence, and I want to stress the importance of the obtaining of physical

evidence.

I think the term "panic" might be useful regardless of what we decide, but I prefer the

term, "group or individual non-adaptive behavior." You have heard other concepts, however,

panic may be a useful term because it can be related to the public. Understandably, the

public misuses the term, "panic," in relation to our concepts since they do not operationally

define the term. I remind you, however, the concept of "panic" when it's attached to an incident as the Beverly Hills fire, where I agree with Joe Schwartz, it did not occur from

everything I've been able to collect and study, may be useful in the sense that it enables

the public to indicate concern about a problem. I would remind you that Dr. Quarantelli

indicated he had been studying human behavior for twenty-seven years and he started by

studying personnel in fires in Chicago. The question I now have is, how many of you

started and got interested in this area of study because of the "panic" phenomenon?

Secondly, the newspaper accounts of "panic" are often utilized because they sell papers. I would also indicate it would appear the term "panic" has been used to obtain research and

grant funds by social scientists as well as ocher researchers. Thus, the term "panic," may

serve a useful purpose although not scientifically and I repeat, if you use an operational

definition use whatever term you prefer, for your study. I personally do not prefer the

definitions that are found in the classical literature which imply animalistic or instinctive

behavior with an implied correlation with the herd, and I consider these definitions to be

both classical and obsolete. I think at the time these definitions were formulated they were probably as useful as my definitions are now and the definitions I use now will probably

also be as obsolete in time.

I would now like to emphasize two important aspects relative to "non-adaptive behavior"

in the fire situation. I do not believe it is restricted to, and do not apply it solely to flight behavior. You may have non-adaptive behavior in the alerting of other persons, you

may have non-adaptive behavior in the attacking of the fire, and you may find physical

evidence of extinguishers which are actually damaged by attempts by personnel to utilize

extinguishers. This is not necessarily defined "panic" behavior but it is recognized as "non-adaptive behavior," and thus may apply in other than the flight reaction. I would

agree, the group concept of non-adaptive behavior - or when the behavior is most mimicked and

utilized by more than one person appears to be in the flight situation. Relative to this

flight behavior I would like to emphasize one may find a great deal of agressive behavior,

and I would not call a concept like non-adaptive behavior one of serious concern unless you

have the component of agressive b.ehavior toward others in the occurrence. When you think

about it, the difference between evacuation, patient refuge performance, and flight actions

may be the aggressive behavior component toward others, and you can often find physical evidence

of this aggression in the types of injuries that occur to participants. Finally, I think*

you have to consider in the reconstruction of the fire incident the complexity of nonadaptive behavior. You will find causative factors in the literature, you've heard these

causative variables here, and they are not simple causes. Relative to research needs, we

have to look more at the pre-existing conditions of the environment, both the individual

and the groups. You have heard some of these concepts from others; Sime indicated that

familiarity with others in the group, whether group is a primary group, and. the length of

time in formation of the group is important. I would indicate time appears to be very

critical with the perception of the time by the individual. Latane and Darley pointed out

207
Che effect of time perception by the individual in assisting other persons. The perception

of time, how the individual perceives the time that is available for him to achieve the selected

action is a very critical frame of reference for the choice of action. Related to exit preference, you've heard some studies on this subject at this conference, the perception of the time

appears to be most important. The physical environment within a fire incident often does not

leave much time. You saw the film yesterday, you saw the flashover condition, thus, it is

not difficult to realize the time constraints and the time perception which may influence

behavior in this type of fire incident, i think, we need more study on exit preference in

relation to time. The re-entry behavior, both Wood and I have identified it, will occur,

and this behavior most often seems to occur in primary groups and roles. This behavior

often appears to be non-adaptive for the personnel within the situation that are trying to get out when others are trying to re-enter. However, this action may be very adaptive for

the individual. So what I'm pointing out is, whether you call the behavior "panic or non- adaptive behavior" in any 'fire situation, what may be non-adaptive for one individual nay

be very adaptive for another. So again this emphasizes the point brought out by Sime

about the observers' or the actors' perceptions and accounts of the behavior. I chink we need more study on the professional and cultural roles of people, and the roles they adopt in

the fire situations. I know Joe Schwartz has examined this behavior, and there may also

be a difference between the sexes and the age of the participants. I have found preliminary

evidence to indicate that age is a very critical determinant relative to individuals'

perception of their time context, not time to escape but their overall time in a context

of a life span.

To summarize, call behavior what you like, if we use operational definitions we can use the term, "Panic." I perfer not to now. I think "panic" may be useful to communicate

with the public and I think it's probably useful to communicate to obtain support and

personnel as long as you operationally define the term, use whatever term you want in your

research.

IS THE CONCEPT OF PANIC USEFUL FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES?

A. R. Mawson

City College

Loyola University

New Orleans, Louisiana 70118

The term "panic" refers to fear and/or flight behavior that is

either (a) inappropriate and maladaptive, or (b) highly intense. Both

senses of the term are unreliable as descriptions of actual events, and

the term "flight" is recommended as an evaluatively-neutral substitute.

Current explanations of flight emphasize the perception of imminent

danger and limited escape routes. However, whether or not flight occurs

in a situation of danger seems to depend largely on the whereabouts of

attachment objects. If attachment objects are present in the situation,

the likelihood of flight is reduced; if they are absent, the probability

of flight is increased. The implications of such observations are briefly discussed in relation to behavior in fires.

1. Conceptual Issues

According to dictionary definitions and lay usage, the term panic refers primarily to certain aspects of fear and flight behavior, and less commonly to immobility reactions,

together with a variety of other phenomena including aggression (viz. "panic" rage) and

attachment behavior (i.e., "separation panic"). The main referent in sociological writings,

however, is to flight, and it is* to this aspect of the term that my remarks will be addressed.

208
"Panic" flight is customarily distinguished from "normal" or orderly flight in two ways.

First, it refers to inappropriate, excessive, or maladaptive flight; and secondly, to highly

intense flight. While there is reasonable agreement about the definition of panic, the real

problem with both meanings of the term is to identify actual cases of "panic" in practice.

I contend that the term is unreliable as a description of actual events and should be

abandoned for scientific purposes. Before addressing this issue I would note in passing

that a persistent source of confusion in the literature is a failure to distinguish between

definitions and empirical generalizations. Very often, for instance, an author will state

that "panic involves behavior X," or "...consists of behavior Y," and it is unclear whether

an observation about panic is being reported or whether the author is simply offering his

own, possibly idiosyncratic, definition of panic.

In attempting to apply the term panic in practice, the question arises as to what

criteria are to be employed, and from whose point of view the behavior is to be judged - that of the participant or the observer? Most authors adopt what might be described as the

observer’s viewpoint, but the criteria of inappropriate and/or maladaptive flight (i.e.,

panic) are seldom made explicit. In the case of an individual who is literally about to be

engulfed by flames, flight would obviously be appropriate and would therefore fail to count

as panic. However, the degree of danger in most so-called panic situations is usually less

clear-cut and the exact probability of being harmed or killed if one remains in the vicinity

of the danger is uncertain. Granting, also, that it makes better evolutionary-adaptive sense

to flee a potential rather than an actual danger, the criteria for deciding whetherv flight

was appropriate or inappropriate - not to mention "excessive" - in relation to the hazard,

become all the more elusive as the imminence of the threat decreases. As for the manner of

flight - that is, its presumed adaptiveness or the lack thereof - studies of behavior in

fires have shown how arbitrary it is in practice to decide what the most adaptive course of

action should have been in a particular fire. ' (An added complication arises at this juncture

in that some authors contend chat panic can be rational and adaptive. But this is surely a contradiction in terms, since panic is, by definition, inappropriate or maladaptive.

Alternatively, it is possible that the authors in question are implicitly using the second

major definition of panic: namely, "highly intense" flight).

These conceptual problems are far from being resolved if we rely instead on the

participant (s) to tell us whether or not he "panicked." Not only would few individuals be

likely to admit voluntarily that their flight was inappropriate and maladaptive; but even

if they were prepared to do so their statements would be no less arbitrary and subjective

than those of the observer.

Turning, briefly, to the second definition of panic as "highly intense" flight, the

difficulty here is that no reliable measure of flight intensity exists at present, and the

decision to label particular cases of flight as panic in this sense is likewise arbitrary

and subjective. In my view, then, neither sense of the term panic can be reliably applied

in practice, and although the term is likely to continue being used loosely in everyday

speech, I would urge its abandonment for scientific purposes. My suggestion is that the

concept of flight should be adopted as an alternative to panic, recognizing that the

behavior can cake on varying degrees of intensity, but without making any assumptions as

to its presumed appropriateness or adaptiveness.

2. Causation

Many authors in fact use flight behavior as the referent of "panic," and the most

widely-accepted explanation Is that flight occurs when (a) some major physical danger is

believed to be present or imminent , and (b) escape routes are either limited or closing

rapidly. The data are, in general, insufficiently detailed to provide any definitive

evidence for or against the theory, the main difficulty being the lack of precise knowledge

of beliefs. Although the theory seems to account successfully for some of the classic,

theater-fire type "panics," what limited available evidence there is suggests that these

conditions are neither necessary nor sufficient for flight to occur. Flight sometimes

occurs in the absence of specific beliefs in danger and in the absence of limited or closing escape routes. Furthermore, two major studies of mass reactions to highly

threatening radio broadcasts, (Cantril in the U.S., and Rosengren in Sweden), suggest that

flight does not necessarily occur even when both conditions are present. Of those who

listened to the broadcasts, believed what they heard and were frightened, the vast majority

did not flee, but instead tended to contact relatives and friends in the neighborhood.

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The current theory of flight seems to me to have two main defects. First, it over- emphasizes physical danger in relation to other types of threats; secondly, it assumes that

the usual response to danger is self-preservative flight. To the contrary, much evidence

suggests that separation; or the threat of separation, from loved objects or companions has

a far more devastating effect, psychologically and behaviorally , than most natural threats

and disasters, and that affiliative behavior almost always takes precedence over escape in

threatening situations. To this it might be added that the presence of attachment objects

has a calming, "protective" effect in the fact of danger.

These points suggest that remaining close to attachment objects is more important to the individual than escaping from physical threats, even if this involves remaining in a situation of danger. While recognizing that a variety of additional factors deserve

mentioning, I would tentatively reformulate the theory of flight on the basis of the above

points as follows. Whether or not flight occurs in a situation of danger depends not only

on the perceived degree of danger but also on the whereabouts of attachment objects

(familiar persons and places). More specifically, (1) where the individual is in close

proximity with attachment objects, only the most severe environmental threats ordinarily

cause flight. Increased affiliative behavior tends to occur instead. When flight does

occur, individuals tend to move avay as a group, thereby maintaining proximity with attachment objects, and (2) where the individual is alone, or with strangers, even mild environmental threats may cause flight and, simultaneously, approach to familiar persons and

places. In short, according to this view, flight behavior is more usefully interpreted

not as an isolated response system in its own right, but as part of a more general

affiliative system that simultaneously involves movement away from danger and the

unfamiliar and movement toward familiar persons and places.

3. Research Consequences and Practical Implications

Detailed studies of behavior in fires have only been reported very recently, at least

in the English language, and these studies at once highlight the complexity of the interacting factors involved in fire escape and the need for caution in framing generalizations

about behavior in fires. Previous studies have consisted mostly of anecdotal descriptions,

simulation experiments, and models derived from game theory. Of the latter, the conepulling experiment by Mintz, and Roger Brown's "Entrapment Dilemma" (modeled after che

famous "Prisoners’ Dilemma"), are perhaps the most widely known. According to these

models, fire situations are defined by the participants as a competition for access to escape routes. Because of the "unstable reward structure" (Mintz) of the situation, each

individual rushes for the exits in the expectation that others will try to do the same - the net result being complete escape for a lucky few, and death for the remaining

majority - a situation supposedly resembling such classic disasters as the Iroquois

Theater fire.

Mintz and Brown claim that vigorous mass escape behavior is the result of the situation

being defined in competitive terms. But the question is, why are some entrapment situations

exclusively so defined, whilst others - in which similar escape contingencies appear to exist - are not? 3ased on the reformulated theory of flight just outlined, I would suggest

that a major variable omitted in these models is the factor of "human relationships" - that

is, the degree to which the individuals are either in the presence of attachment figures

or in a situation (or building) that is itself familiar. If this hypothesis is correct,

flight will be much less likely to occur in fires, or will be far less precipitous and

intense, if groups of attached persons are involved together and the situation is a familiar one, such as home or the workplace. The investigation of behavior in fires by

Wood in England provides some support for this view. He found that when fires broke out in

factories, or in the home, helpful and cooperative behavior was shown to a marked degree.

Many other reports similarly indicate that captains, crews, stewardesses, waiters, and

other employees tend to remain at their posts during disasters, calmly helping others to escape before attempting to escape themselves.

In conclusion, then, I suggest that future research on the nature and determinants of

behavior in fires should pay close attention to the affective quality of the relationship

between participants, as well as the extent to which the persons concerned are familiar

with, or attached to, the place in which the fire occurs. Whether or not these considerations can be translated into policy decisions aimed at minimizing the loss of human life

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in fires remains to be seen. But so far as understanding behavior in fires is concerned,

the affective quality of the relationship between participants has evidently been underemphasized as a determining factor in contrast to the relative over-emphasis that has been

placed up to now on the purely physical aspects of the hazard and the situation in which

fires have occurred.

(The preceding remarks are drawn from a more extended written paper which can be obtained

upon request from the author.)

TEE CONCEPT OF 'PANIC IN FIRES': A 3RIEF APPRAISAL

Jonathon D. Sime

Fire Research Unit

University of Surrey, England GU2 5XH

The aim of this paper is to examine the concept of 'panic in fires.'

It is argued that rather than considering panic as a definable phenomenon

that can be readily measured, more attention should be directed to the

way the concept is used. The concept figures prominently as a justification for certain fire safety measures. It is also used retrospectively to explain apparently inappropriate behaviour in fires. Basic weaknesses in the way the concept is used are considered, in particular the

differing perspectives of fire victim and observer of the outcome of a fire tragedy. The notion that 'panic' is a causal attribution is discussed in relation to points of contention about escape behaviour and

future research. Finally, reference is made to the practical implications of understanding the way the concept is used. The most important

of these concerns the information people in a public building on fire

are given about the potential danger.

The main problem in studying panic in fires has been an inability to agree on what

the concept of panic refers to and how to measure it as an objective phenomenon. This is

not simply a result of the practical difficulties in gaining systematic information on people's behaviour in fires. The concept of panic in the past has been used synonymously

with the psychological problems that are assumed to occur when the outcome of a fire is

unfortunate. I would argue that rather than increasing our understanding, the use of the

concept has actually delayed research of people's behaviour in fires.

The concept of panic a useful one for study purposes but not, in ray opinion,

because it readily helps us to explain or summarize what happens in some fire tragedies.

I am not going to direct my remarks primarily to a conceptualisation of panic as a form of

"irrational," "non-adaptive," "inappropriate" or "ineffective" behaviour. I think it is

important to establish what constitutes a break-down in an individual's ability to cope

in a fire. However, it is more important, at the present stage, to resolve the confusions

caused by the way the concept is used. The prominence of the concept in the wording of fire

precautions, building regulations and as a justification for aspects of building design

makes its study essential.

CONCEPTUALISATION OF PANIC

My conceptualisation of panic in broad terms is therefore as follows: Panic is a concept attributed in a retrospective, contemporary or anticipatory fashion, by and to different role groups (e.g., firemen, staff, public, journalists), with differing degrees

and kinds of involvement in t a fire (as participant, observer or commentator). It is used

as a description, explanation or evaluation of a state of anxiety or pattern of behaviour

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on the part of an individual, group or crowd. The anxiety or behaviour is assumed to be

irrational, since its outcome is likely to be unfortunate (e.g., jumping, crowd pressure

at an exit, escape without family members).

The wide variety of ways in which the concept is used results in ambiguities and

apparent contradictions. For example, it is often used to describe and explain behaviour

in fires. It is used to justify the introduction of features of building design intended

to ensure people's safety, (such as anti-panic bolts, lighting and alarm systems, exit

size and location) , and to explain their lack of use in a fire. The all-embracing way in

which it is used has, in fact, undermined its validity. Panic as a phenomenon is much more intangible than is popularly assumed. This is clear from the disaster research of

earthquakes, bombings, etc., carried out by social scientists and more recent fire research.

Yet the concept of panic is still used in newspapers to explain large-scale fire tragedies.

An illustration of this is the British Newspaper reports of the Beverly Hills Supper Club

fire, 1977, which included the headline "Panic Kills 300." In contrast, a much more systematic study of the fire has failed to find evidence for panic being a major determinant

of the deaths. Why, then, is there a problem in the way the concept is used?

PROBLEM IN THE USE OF THE CONCEPT

The major problem arises out of a failure to recognize or acknowledge the discrepancy

which often exists, between the perspective of people who use the term panic to refer to the behaviour of others in a fire and that of the people to whom panic is attributed.

What appears to an "observer" as tangible evidence for panic having occurred, may be

interpreted quite differently when an individual is referring to his own behaviour and

involvement in a fire.

The popular conception of panic is that of "irrational" flight behaviour. The

differences between this view of flight behaviour and the actual nature and determinants

of flight from a danger have been pointed out, in my opinion quite rightly, by some social

scientists. In a fire context, I would place an even greater emphasis on confusions

caused by the use of the concept. Any discussion of "panic" per se should consider both

the individual's subjective interpretation of what was happening and his behaviour; even

if the only way to do this is through retrospective accounts of a fire. The normal way in

which the concept is used to refer to other people's behaviour in a fire precludes a proper consideration of an individual's experience.

In clinical psychology the concept is often used primarily to refer to aspects of an individual's experience. While it is important to examine this experience in a fire, it

is not implied that an individual's acknowledgement in retrospect that he "panicked" is

clear evidence for its occurrence. The use of the concept may reflect both the anxiety or

fear experienced during an incident and a retrospective re-evaluaticn of what he or she

might have done. A re-evaluation of this kind should not be automatically equated with

the more serious impairment of an individual's ability to cope, which is normally implied

when the concept is used to refer to other people's behaviour in a fire.

PANIC AS AN ATTRIBUTION

In recent years a large body of research in social psychology has been concerned with

the differences between the perspective of the "actor," i.e., person who engages in a pattern of behaviour, and the observer of this behaviour in a variety of circumstances.

An underlying principle of attribution theory is that there is a tendency for people to attribute their own behaviour, if it ends in failure as opposed to success, to the circumstances; that other people's behaviour of the same kind is more likely to be attributed

by an observer to the efforts or disposition of the people engaged in the behaviour. Some

recent psychological experiments have shown a reversal of the first part of this principle

in some contexts. In these cases individuals may admit to failure because it is more socially acceptable to do so. There is evidence that other people's behaviour is con- sistently misinterpreted in the manner the principle suggests. I believe that the principle

applies when panic is attributed to people in a fire. The physical constraints of the

fire situation and the problems people face (e.g., unfamiliarity with exits) are seriously

under-estimated.

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Essentially, a confusion arises because the evidence for panic cited is usually based

on "external criteria," which define the most efficient pattern of behaviour in the

situation. The actual behaviour of people in a fire is mast likely to be misinterpreted

when the outcome is unfortunate. Options actually available in a fire situation at the

time may only be clear from someone else's perspective or in retrospect. The external

criteria which are adopted may be quite different from the "internal criteria" against

which the behaviour should be assessed. The internal criteria are the alternative courses

of actions which individuals could have been aware of at the time of their involvement in

a fire. The discrepancy between different people's perspectives is, in fact, the normal

basis for attributing "irrationality" to people in fires.

POINTS OF CONTENTION IN THE ACADEMIC LITERATURE

The title of this section is my attempt at paraphrasing one of the questions which I was asked to consider in this panel session, namely: What are the major factors responsible

for the appearance of panic? It is often the major area of disagreement in the academic

literature, but one in which the complications caused by the way the concept is used are consistently ignored.

Disagreement exists as to whether panic is an individual and/cr crowd phenomenon,

whether it is limited to situations in which avenues of escape are or are not available.

Using the concept primarily to refer to behaviour in fires puts an emphasis on crowd

behaviour, escape-oriented actions in which exits are still available although they may be

partially blocked, panic causing family ties to be broken and self-destructive actions.

Emphasis on use of the concept to refer to one's own experience, suggests that "anxieties"

labelled as panic could occur on an individual basis, when exits are or are not blocked

and because family ties in a fire have been broken. The problems in relying solely ‘on the

behaviour itself as an indication of panic have been pointed out. The concept of panic

has to be distinguished from terms such as "anxiety" or "fear," which do not necessarily

lead to an impairment of people's ability to cope in a fire. The idea that there are automatic animalistic or self-destructive panic responses to isolated stimuli such as smoke, or "a cry of fire," is not supported by recent fire research.

Disagreement as to whether panic can be adaptive or not (another point of contention

in the literature) , is dependent on the semantics involved. The concept is invariably

used when the outcome of a fire has been unfortunate. In this sense it cannot be adaptive.

In reality, however, the individual in the situation does not know with any certainty what

the outcome of his actions will. be. Panic as defined by "internal criteria" could be

adaptive in its outcome, even if this outcome is due more to the circumstances than the

efforts of the person. Paradoxically, a true break-down in an individual's ability to

cope may not be interpreted as such by other people. For the outcome may not be unfortunate.

Attention to the use of the concept enables one to understand why apparently irreconcilable

points of contention exist in the literature.

RESEARCH CONSEQUENCES AND PRACTICAL TRIPLICATIONS

Research of fire which begins with the assumption that panic occurred in a particular

instance and looks for confirmation of this, fails to differentiate panic from a variety

of escape-oriented behaviour which inevitably occurs in highly constrained circumstances.

One task of future research is to examine the use of the concept within the conceptual

framework outlined earlier. There is a need for more detailed examination of the sequences

of behaviour and interpretations by individuals of large-scale fire tragedies in which a "crowd" is involved. The most informative area of study could be one in which the validity

of people's assumptions about panic are systematically examined by cross-referencing

between different individual accounts of particular fires. In this way, the use of the

concept by particular role groups and people with different kinds of involvement in a fire

could be compared against the accounts of the people to whom panic was attributed. Cohpled

with a systematic analysis of the behaviour, one would hope to establish, both the internal

criteria by which behaviour in a fire should be assessed; and the external criteria which,

it has been argued, are normally adopted when the concept of panic is used. Attention

needs to be directed away from a priori assumptions that panic occurred in a particular

instance.

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A consideration of the way the concept is used has important practical implications.

The strategies adopted to deal with "panic" could be replaced by an emphasis on the more pertinent problems people face in a fire. An underlying strategy advocated in building

regulations, evacuation procedures and design of alarm systems, is one in which emphasis

is placed on keeping information about a fire away from people in the early stages "if

panic is to be avoided." This emphasis has unfortunate results when the objective danger

from a fire becomes serious.

Research of fires shows that people need sufficient information about a fire before

they can or are prepared to leave a building. There is growing evidence that the delay in

warning people in a number of major fires has been a primary reason why people have been

unable to escape in time. An emphasis on avoiding "panic" contributes to delays. The

kind of rapid flight behaviour associated retrospectively with panic then becomes necessary

if people are to have any chance of escape.

In conclusion, the concept of panic will remain limited in its utility unless confusions

in its use are resolved. An understanding of its use is necessary because the concept has

such an important part to play in decision-making. Less emphasis on panic is needed.

More attention should be directed towards giving people sufficient information about a fire's development in its early stages and the location of accessible building exits. In this way, the chances of people reaching safety in a potentially serious fire could be

greatly improved.

* This paper is elaborated further in J.D. Sime, "The Concept of Panic" in D.V. Canter (Ed.)

"Fires and Human Behaviour." Wiley: New York, (in press).

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE NATURE OF PANIC BEHAVIOR:

A NORMATIVE ORIENTATION

Dennis Wenger

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware 19711

The nature and preconditions of panic behavior are briefly

discussed. Furthermore, the utility of the concept for research

purposes and the implication of the formulation for theoretical

and practical investigation are noted. Toward these ends, it is

observed that the term, panic, has varied meanings. From a nominalist perspective, however, the concept has utility in the fields

of disaster research and collective behavior. Given an interest

in examining the social forms of panic, it is proposed that panic

be defined as mass behavior existent within a normatively competitive

situation that results in increasing the danger to self and others,

rather than reducing it. It is noted that individuals in the context of a social crisis engage in behavior that may be labelled as panic when the norms that emerge from their interaction define

competition, not cooperation, as appropriate activity. Panic is

neither irrational nor rational behavior. As opposed to rationality,

attention should be focused upon the process of social interaction

that results in a collective definition of the situation which proposes that competitive flight behavior is appropriate. Those conditions which produce panic in a given situation are discussed,

including the existence of a social crisis, inadequate crisis

management, and the milling process. It is noted that hope spurs

panic, not hopelessness. Finally, the research and practical

Implications of this perspective are observed.

It is understandable that some observers believe that panic is not a useful concept

for purposes of studying human behavior. The concept is plagued by a variety of diverse

and vague meanings. It is used to refer to phenomena ranging from the micro or personal

level to the macro or societal level. It has described everything from the fleeing of

humans during theater fires, to runs on banks and money markets, to non-adaptive behavior

of flight crews during bombing runs, to the behavior of isolated individuals in the face of

danger, and the evacuation of areas preceding hurricanes. Obviously the concept is not

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suffering from a premature closure of meaning! Granted, these various useages may be

appropriate and justified given the intent of the user. However, this disparity of meaning,

lack of conceptual rigor, and vague useage limit its utility as a concept for scientific

study.

Generally, however, there is value in the nominalist perspective. The utility of a concept must be evaluated in the context of the topic under study. As with any concept,

the two most important dimensions for assessing this utility are theoretical relevance and

empirical operationalization. Therefore, while "my panic" may not be your "panic," this

discrepancy should not automatically void the utility of either useage.

Within the fields of disaster research and collective behavior, panic is a very useful

concept. Within these areas the study of panic behavior has consumed considerable interest.

Panic has provided numerous disaster researchers with a marvelous myth to brandish upon

unsuspecting neophyte students, emergency planning officials, and the general public. From

the time of the early work of Janis and Fritz to the seminal work of Ouarantelli and its

elaboration at the Disaster Research Center, scholars have documented that panic flight is

a rare event in natural disaster situations; particularly in the cases of such geophysical,

events as hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes. On the basis of current research being undertaken by the Disaster Research Project at the University of Delaware, it is possible to report that the public continues to believe that panic is the major problem confronting

community officials in most disasters. However, there is some indication that the distribution of scholarly research findings with respect to panic has had some impact upon

emergency officials. Approximately fifty percent of the officials of emergency relevant

organizations in three communities with disaster experience are aware chat panic is a rare phenomenon.

Similarly, the extent and nature of panic have been of interest to students of

collective behavior. Mintz, Brown, Cantril, Foreman, Smelser, Blumer, Quarantelli,

Rosengren and others have examined panic as the prototype of unstructured, non-traditional

behavior. 3ecause of the impact of contagion theory upon the development of collective

behavior, the emphasis has often been upon the irrational, non-human, regressive nature

of panic behavior.

There are, however, certain components of my orientation toward disaster and collective

behavior chat would appear to remove panic as a central topic for investigation. First, I am

interested in studying the similarities in the behavior of crowds, disaster participants,

and ocher forms of "non-traditional or non-institutionalized behavior" with traditional,

organized behavior. The intrigue lies in examining the similarities and shared characteristics, not the differences and contrasts, between these forms of behavior. Second, as sociologists we must study these "rare, unusual and spontaneous" forms of behavior as we would any other form of behavior, whether it be the assembly line at Chrysler, the halls

of Congress, or a burning building. Furthermore, sociologists have an arsenal of structural

concepts, such as norms, power relationships, roles, division of labor, and ideology that

will allow us to study these non-traditional forms of behavior, including panic behavior,

as we would any other forms of human behavior. We do not need to bastardize explanations and

concepts — such as contagion and circular reaction — in order to examine panic. Third,

disaster researchers have emphasized the resourcefulness, adaptability, and reliance upon

positive action evidenced by groups of individuals in crisis situations. Obviously, this

perspective contrasts with many traditional views of panic which see it as highly atypical

behavior that cannot be explained by concepts used to explain traditional behavior, that

differs in essence from these forms of behavior, and that represents the irrational, non- adaptive behavior of individuals.

Given these interests, areas of study, and general theoretical orientation, how might

one conceptualize panic? Obviously, some areas of panic study are not central to these

concerns, such as economic panics or stampedes. Nor should panic be conceptualized in terms

of individual behavior. It is fruitful, however, to conceptualize panic in social terms.

More specifically, the concern is with a form of mass behavior that may be viewed as non- adaptive flight behavior. (The "non-adaptive" component of this perspective must be

emphasized, for it is obvious that not all flight behavior is non-adaptive. A great deal of

flight behavior is highly appropriate and functional in the face of danger.)

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Panic can be viewed as mass behavior in a normatively competitive situation that

results in increasing the danger to self and others, rather than reducing it. Obviously,

acknowledgements are due to Quarantelli, Janis and others Vho have influenced this con- ceptualization. This perspective considers panic as a social response to a social crisis

situation. (For the behavior of isolated individuals, it may be "nonsocial" as Quarantelli

proposes.) It is a behavioral process that results when individuals are thrust into a situation in which the traditional guidelines for behavior, i.e. , the normative, organizational, and ideological structures, have been destroyed, neutralized, or are no longer

collectively defined as appropriate or effective guides for behavior. In such settings a new, emergent structure for behavior arises. We may view this behavior as panic if It involves the parallel, similar flight behavior of individuals that is competitive in nature.

Furthermore, it is proposed that the behavior is normative in a competitive, not a cooperative, sense. Many or the conditions that produce coordinated crowd behavior during

crisis also create competitive panic behavior. The major difference in these two forms of

emergent action lies in the nature of the norms that emerge out of the interaction of the

participants during the milling process.

A perceived or actual threat to personal safety is an inherent element of this

conceptualization. Since this perspective is concerned with actual flight behavior, i.e.

,

motor behavior, the threat is perceived to be immediate , imperative, and beyond the control

of the individuals through concerted, collective, coordinated action. Therefore, individual

survival through non-random flight behavior becomes defined as normatively appropriate.

Panic, therefore, is not irrational or nonrational. Empirically, the attribution of

rationality or irrationality to panic participants presents substantial problems and

generally represents the ex post facto view of the observer. Although there may not be

a thoughtful examination of means-ends relationships among panic participants, this lack

of calculated, "rational" decision-making can also be found in many traditional settings,

such as the Executive Branch of the federal government and administrative offices on college

campuses

Nor should panic be viewed as rational behavior. Concern with the element of

rationality should be avoided. The concept is difficult to measure. Furthermore, it tends

to lead to the negative labeling of the participants and an attempt to "blame the victims"

for their plight. Instead of rationality, we should focus our attention upon the process

of social interaction that results in a collective definition of the situation which proposes

that competitive flight behavior is appropriate. Panic behavior represents a classic

illustration of the W. I. Thomas dictum concerning definitions of the situation and subsequent behavior.

Given this view of panic, what are the major factors responsible for producing panic

behavior in a given situation? In a multivariate world there are many factors. Some of

these are obviously of an individual, or more exactly, of a social psychological nature.

For example, perceptions of potential danger and preexisting expectations for panic in

certain settings, such as a crowded auditorium with few exits, may be contributory conditions.

However, let us examine additional factors of a structural nature.

Initially, fear is not a sufficient condition for panic. Probably no one on this panel

would disagree with this observation. Fear can result in coordinated, collective action to eliminate the threat or highly functional, heroic action by individuals. Furthermore, it

may be proposed that fear is not a necessary condition for panic. Mintz with his cones. Turner with his department store incident, and others have intimated that panic participants

may engage in the behavior without perceiving the direct threat. It can be argued that they

engage in panic behavior out of conformity to the emergent, competitive normative structure.

Obviously, fear is present in many panic participants and may be a contributory factor;'

however, it has been possibly over-rated as a causal dimension. (In the instance of

individual, non-adaptive behavior, fear is possibly more important.)

The first condition that is necessary for panic is that the individuals in a setting

perceive an immediate and severe danger. (From this perspective there must be more than

one individual .) This danger is perceived as a specific, not a general threat. The

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potentially precipitating event, however, will not necessarily result in a social crisis.

The existence of a social crisis is a necessary condition for panic. Whether or not a crisis occurs as a result of the perceived threat depends upon the existence and effectiveness of crisis management mechanisms which may function to control any form of emergent, or spontaneous behavior — including panic. If these crisis management mechanisms can neutralize the event, limit its effect, and provide an alternative, functional guide to behavior, panic will not occur. These mechanisms include, but are not limited to, such

devices as fire drills, clearly marked exits, ample escape routes, specific warning

messages, and emergency plans. If, however, it is collectively defined that the threat

cannot be abated or controlled by the individuals themselves, escape and flight behavior

are handsome alternatives.

These collective perceptions and definitions emerge from a process of interaction

termed the milling process. A key factor in this process is the activity of individuals

who perform in the role of keynoter. Keynoters offer suggestions for action, indicate

appropriate behavior, and serve to cue the behavior of others. Even the phrase, "Let's get

out of here before these people start panicking, 1 ' may serve as a guide to others that

competitive behavior is appropriate. If flight behavior is keynoted and receives support

from some of the participants, a general egress may result.

Panic, however, requires a number of other conditions. As has been noted by others,

it tends to occur when the participants perceive that there is only one or at best a limited number of escape routes from the danger. Where there are numerous escape routes,

flight behavior tends to be more adaptive.

Hope, therefore, spurs panic, not hopelessness. Panic is future-oriented behavior.

The participants will only engage in panic behavior when they perceive that escape is

possible. Where this hope is not present, resignation will result. Therefore, in the

panic situation it is perceived that the limited escape routes are closing (not closed)

and that escape must be made quickly.

In such a setting it becomes collectively defined that one must compete for escape

through the closing exit routes. Furthermore, counter-arguments that cooperation and

collective action are appropriate do not receive social support. Obviously, the influence

of the initial keynoters is critically important in this process.

Finally, the strength of primary group ties among the participants must be considered.

Panic is less likely to occur among "known others" and tightly integrated groups. For

example, family members find it difficult to accept the norms of competition. It is the

rare father who perceives that "I have to get out of here before my children, or I won't

make it!" The effect of these primary group ties indicates the normative character of

panic behavior.

What are the research and practical implications of thinking of panic in this manner?

With respect to research, this orientation implies that we must study panic behavior as we would study any other form of social behavior. Our attention should be focused upon the

nature of social interaction among individuals in the crisis situation. Our research

should be comparative. Certainly we need more information about actual panic situations.

However, we should also examine situations that are structurally conducive to panic, but in

which panic behavior does not emerge. Comparative analyses such as these should focus upon

differing degrees of social integration, cohesion, crisis conditions, and keynoting

activity. This perspective also suggests an examination of crisis management mechanisms

that can be utilized to neutralize the initial effect of social crisis.

Practically, we should cease being overly concerned with panic in natural disaster

situations. Given its infrequent occurrence, effort should be directed to other problem

areas. This suggestion includes a plea for an end to sensational media reports and the

labeling of adaptative flight behavior as panic. This practice results not only in the

perpetuation of the panic myth, but also in apprehension on the part of emergency officials.

Furthermore, greater concern with crisis management devices, including architectural and

space consideration should be undertaken. Conversely, less concern should be placed upon

"blaming the victims" for their plight through the attribution of irrationality.

217
I , III
*GROUP HOMES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED:

CASE HISTORIES OF DEMOGRAPHICS, HOUSEHOLD

ACTIVITIES, AND ROOM USE

A.M. Ramey-Smith

J.V. Fechter

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D.C. 20234

The major objective of the present study is to

provide data necessary for the development of life safety

codes appropriate for group hones for the developmentallv

disabled. Survey techniques were used to compile summary

data on residents' .room use and activities, characteristics of the group home facilities, and demographics of

the supervisors and residents. Data are presented for

room use and activities of developmental!1/ disabled

residents and these data are compared to results available for the normal population. Recommendations are presented regarding fire safety for developmentally disabled

residents of group homes.

*Only an abstract is presented here. The complete reference is

A.M. Ramey-Smith and J.V. Fechter "Group Homes for the Develop

mentally Disabled: Case Histories of Demographics, Household

Activities, and Room Use."' National Bureau of Standards R.eport

No. NBSIR 79-1727. April 1979.

The actual presentation at the Seminar emphasized one aspect

of this report and was entitled, "Fire Drill Performance of

the Handicapped."

219
* HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN A FATAL APARTMENT FIRE

J. Scanlon

Carleton University

Ottawa, Canada K1S 5B6

An examination of the Fort Garry Court Fire, (Winnipeg,

Manitoba, February 2nd, 1976), with emphasis upon the

gathering of data, (methodology) by the Emergency Communications Research Unit, (E.C.R.U.) of Carleton University,

Ottawa, Canada. The report notes the problems of tracing

persons in the building at the tine of the fire incident,

partially due to incomplete lists of building occupants.

The E.C.R.U. team managed to interview roughly 92% of the

total survey population. The author notes the irrational

behavior of some occupants within the fire crisis, and

emphasizes the need for secondary warning alarm systems.

The author cites problems with the conditioning effects of

frequent false fire alarms within the building, and concludes

that a single warning alarm system is insufficient for assuring the evacuation of all occupants at the time of a fire.

There were also problems of communication by language as a number of building occupants did not speak English. The

author notes that research into human behavior in fire situations requires substantial commitment by the research team;

(E.C.R.U. Team is constantly on stand-by to travel to

emergencies anywhere in Canada) , the need for preparation

and planning, and the need for development and maintenance

of relationships between researchers and various community

authorities

*Only an abstract of this study is printed here. For a complete account, see:

Joseph Scanlon "Human Behavior in a Fatal Apartment Fire"

Fire Journal . May, 1979, pp. 76-79, 122-123.

220
EVACUATION TESTS IN HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDINGS AND

IN LARGE 2-STORY SCHOOL 3UILDINGS

P_. G_._ Seeger and _R._ John . Forschungsstelle fur Brandschutztechnik

Universitat Karlsruhe

Germany

This study reports on real evacuation tests

carried out in three high-rise administration buildings and three large-area integrated schools in cooperation with the professional fire brigades in Koln,

Dusseldorf and Hamburg in October 1976. Video

cameras were used to record the movement flows of

people. From these video records, the factors of

density of people and rate of flow of people were

determined. In the evacuation tests in the three

administration buildings, only the flow of people

on staircases was studied; while in the three integrated

schools, the flow of people in corridors was investigated. Data showing rate of flow of people as a function of density of people for the various test

settings are presented graphically.

The results found in these evacuation tests are compared with the results predicted by three theoretical calculation methods. The calculated values, using

all three methods, were below the measured values.

This can partly be explained by the fact that none

of the calculation methods allows for a delay time

between the time of the alarm sounding and the beginning of the evacuation. • However, if an allowance for

reaction time is added to the values calculated using

the methods of Predtetschenski et al and Muller, then

the resultant values are in close agreement with the

real evacuation times obtained during the evacuation

tests in the three administration buildings.

Key Words: Evacuation tests; high-rise buildings;

schools.

221
INTRODUCTION

The number of multi-storied buildings, as office- and apartment

buildings on the one hand, and large-area buildings as shopping

centres and integrated schools (Gesamtschulen) on the other hand

which during the past decade has increased considerably, caused the

authorities responsible for the safety of people living in such

buildings to investigate in all details the problem of evacuating

these buildings in case of a fire or other emergency. This required

to include such considerations already in the preplanning of

buildings of this type with respect to the number, design and

arrangement of escape routes. A number of extensive fires in

high-rise buildings in other countries where - in some cases - hundreds of people died, roused echoes all over the world and

underlined the need to investigate this problem in order to find

adequate solutions. For this reason, the Bundesminister fur Raumordnung, Bauwesen und Stadtebau gave an order of research to the

Forschungsstelle fur Brandschutztechnik already at the end of

1973, to investigate, in cooperation with the fire brigade, the

various processes of evacuation in buildings as a basis for the

development of escape routes by means of theoretical formulae and

real evacuation tests, under his research program "Baulicher

Zivil- und Katastrophenschutz (Constructional protection of

civilians in emergencies) "

A thorough study of literature carried out on behalf of' the first

part of this research program (Establishment of reasonable

evacuation theories for specific uses of buildings based on

existing scientific and technical publications at home and

abroad) /I/ has shown that basic information and theoretical

222
calculation formulae have been developed in particular in the

USSR by Predtetschenski et al . , 72,3,4/, in Canada by Galbreath,/5/

and in the GDR by Muller, /6,7,3/, whereas no such studies have

been, so far, performed in the Federal Republic of Germany.

In the 2nd part of this research program (Theoretical study) / 9

/

the evacuation times for a lot of buildings where number of

floors, width of stairs and number of persons per floor had been

varied, were calculated on the basis of the mathematical methods

developed by the above mentioned authors. As shown by the calculation

results, evacuation times in buildings of the same height, same

number of stories and lengths of corridors decreased, normally,

according to the increasing width of stairs but increased with

the growing number of persons per floor. The longest evacuation

times were obtained when calculated with the method by Predtetschenski

On an average, these results were about 2 to 3 times higher than

with the methods by Galbreath and Muller. The shortest evacuation

times resulted from the calculation method developed by Galbreath.

The present study reports on evacuation tests accomplished as the

3rd part (Real evacuation tests) /10/ in three administration

buildings and three large-area integrated schools (Gesamtschulen)

in cooperation with the professional fire brigades in Koln,

Diisseldorf and Hamburg in October 1 976 .

REAL EVACUATION TESTS

To obtain information on the motion process of flows of people * in real evacuations as a function of type and geometry of a

building, and in order to find out whether and how far assumptions

in the theoretical formulae and calculation results obtained by

applying these formulae are in agreement with test results, real

evacuation tests were carried out. Planning of the first test

series of this kind was based on the following requirements:

223
1. The flow of people should, if possible, represent a

homogeneous crowd of people, i.e. for example, persons of

an age capable of working, pupils and students etc.

2. To estimate the motion process of flows of people on vertical

escape routes (staircases) tests should be carried out in

multi-storied buildings with short corridor-lengths.

3. To estimate the motion process of flows of people on horizontal

escape routes (corridors) tests should be carried out in largearea buildings with some floors only.

In order to fulfil these requirements, large administration

buildings and integrated schools (Gesamtschulen) were selected

for the evacuation tests to be carried out.

The following buildings were used for the evacuation tests:

High-rise Buildings

Administration building of the Mannesmann AG in Diisseldorf

Administration building of the Bayer AG in Leverkusen

Unileverhouse Administration GmbH in Hamburg

Integrated Schools (Gesamtschulen)

Integrated school in Koln-Holweide

Integrated school in Koln-Hohenhaus

Integrated school in Hamburg-Mummelmannsberg

The administration building of the Mannesmann AG in Diisseldorf

(see Fig. 1) finished in 1959, has a total height of 88.55 m above

street level. It includes 3 basements, one ground floor, 1 mezzanine,

22 upper floors and 1 attic. The safety measures specified for this

building, provide that in a case of emergency, all persons present

on floors with even numbers leave the building via the first staircase whereas the persons on floors with odd numbers leave the building

via the second staircase. In order to obtain during this evacuation

224
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test a density of people as high as possible on one staircase,

the general rule of keeping open all existing staircases had been

waived for the time of the evacuation test and one staircase was

barred so that about 500 people present at the time of the

evacuation test could leave the building via one staircase only.

The administration building of the Bayer AG in Leverkusen (see

Fig. 2), completed in 1962, with a total height of 122.12 m

above street level includes 9 basements, one ground floor and

32 upper stories. For the evacuation of this building, both

existing staircases were available as escape routes to approximately

1 500 persons staying in this building at the time of the evacuation

test.

The high-rise building of Unilever-Administration GmbH in Hamburg

(see Fig. 3) has a total height of 90.67 m above street level. It

consists of one ground floor, one mezzanine, 21 upper floors and

two tower stories. As shown on the ground plan illustrated on

Fig. 4, the building is arranged around a triangular core with

a staircase in each corner. Within these staircases also stairs

are arranged in a triangular form. To get from one floor to the

next one, people must walk up three stairs. Also during the

evacuation of this building, all three staircases were available

for about 1 400 persons present in this building at the time of the

4 evacuation test.

During the evacuation tests in the three integrated schools,

the evacuation process on the 1st floor of the two floors in these

buildings’, has been observed. t

A view of the integrated school (Gesamtschule) .in Koln-Holweide

is shown on Fig. 5. At the time of evacuation test, approximately

560 pupils and teachers were present on the 1st floor, distributed

over 20 classrooms.

225
Fig. 6 shows a view of the. integrated school (Gesamtschule) in

Koln-Hohenhaus . At the time of the evacuation test about 700

pupils and teachers were present on the 1st floor in 26 classrooms .

The integrated school (Gesamtschule) in Hamburg -Mummelmannsberg

,

the first building section of which has been fini'shed so far,

is illustrated on Fig. 7. Due to the extension of the building

complex, only one portion of the first floor could be observed

during the evacuation test. In this part which was the most

occupied one of this school, about 350 pupils and teachers were

distributed over 18 classrooms.

The evacuation tests were in each case performed in close cooperation with the competent experts of the firm and the local

professional fire brigade. Date and time of the beginning of the

evacuation and the executive program had been agreed upon with

the firms concerned. Evacuation was accomplished according to

the directions of the firms, as far as possible. The day of

evacuation was made known to all persons staying in the buildings

to be ' evacuated

To allow during these tests the determination of factors (like

density of people and rate of flow of people at various points

in the building to be evacuated) which characterize the motion

process, the course of movement of flows of people was recorded

by video cameras. This video system had been developed, particularly,

for the purpose of these tests by the Forschungsstelle fur 3ranaschutztechnik in cooperation with a television production firm.

The functional diagram of this system is illustrated on Fig. 8.

It operates as follows: *

The video cameras 1 to 20 are installed in corridors and staircases of the building underneath the ceiling in such a way that

all local conditions affecting the course of evacuation can be

recorded. Signals of these 20 video cameras are fed into the video

226
switching system 21 . This video switching system with a synchronous

alternator, synchronous distributor and change-over generator

switches automatically each time after 3 half-images in the V-gap

to the next video camera. With an image frequency of 50 halfimages per s, this switching system allows questioning of all 20

video cameras within 1.2 s which, more or less, means synchronous

observation of the entire process of evacuation. The distance

between the video cameras and the video switching system may be

as far as 50 m. The signal originating from the video switching

system is fed' into the video mixer 22 together with the signal of

the additional video camera 23. This additional video camera takes

up the indicator position of clock 24 which through the video

mixer is shown in one corner of the main image of the momentary

video camera so that the timely coordination of the various

images can be seen. The signal coming from the video mixer is

received by the 1/2 inch video recorder 25 and controlled by means

of the monitor 26. By activating microphone 27, all instructions

and announcements made during the evacuation test are, in

addition, recorded on the sound track of the video tape.

From the video records the' density of people present is determined

by counting up all persons taken by each video camera and then

relating this figure to the ground surface occupied by them.

The rate of flow of people is obtained by determining the distance

which people have covered within 1.2 s, by me.ans of the special

arrangement of the various video' cameras in connection with a

wide-angle lens and marks of length on the walls. Evaluations are

made by reproducing still-video images. In order to be able topursue the movement of various persons from their working place

to the exit of the building and to assess the encounter and mixing

of flows of peopl* coming from different rooms or floors, some

persons had been wearing headdresses with different signs.

In addition to this determination of the processes of motion,

observers accompanying persons on the escape routes reported their

observations into portable cassette recorders.

227
TEST RESULTS AND DISCUSSION I

Factors determining the evacuation or' time of evacuation of a

building, are the number of persons present in this building, ?,

and the flow of people, P, i.e. the number of persons able to

pass a definite cross section of the escape route per unit of

time. The extent of this flow of people depends on the rate of

this flow, v, on the density of people, D, which is the number

of persons related to the ground surface of the escape route, and

on the width of the route, b. With the evacuation tests in the

three administration buildings mentioned above where only the

motion process of flows of people on staircases was studied,

the values shown in Table 1 referring; to the number of persons

observed P, the mean flow of people P leaving the staircase on

the ground floor and the time for evacuating the building t„ have

ri been determined.

Table 1 . Determining factors of the motion process of flows

of people during the evacuation tests carried out

in three high-rise administration buildings

Mannesmann AG Bayer AG Unileverhouse

p 427 502 567

p Pers . /min 54.7 52.0 59 .

V

T m /min 40.0 37.0 46.0

VrPT? m /min 40.0 34.8 37.5

H 1 4

EH

IQ Pers ./m2

1 .35 1 .38 1 .30 . ^TR Pers . /m2

1 .21 1 .36 1 .43

°Tf Pers . /m . 1 .34 1 .36 2.67

°TRf Pers . /m2

1 .22 1 .38 2.91

v

T at dt£ m /min 40.0 37.0 35.8

<*-3 P) ft °TRf m /min 40.0 35.0 28 „2

P

T

at DTf Pers . /min 55.0 52.3 91 .3

P

Tr

at °TRf Pers . /min 55.0 53.0 92.0

t h min 8.78 10.47 10.43

J

228
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Since the analysis of the video tape records has shown that

between the persons following each other on the stairs, a

distance of one step was left in each case between two persons,

the reference value for the density of people, D, was based on

one step (Dg

t

) or its surface (D^) respectively. The pattern

of the rate of flow of people v as a function of the density

of people D

st

as determined according to the motion processes

of flows of people observed at various points of the staircases

during the evacuation tests of the three high-rise administration

buildings is shown on Figs. 9 to 11. Thereat, curve v

T represents

the rate of flow of people on the stairs between two landings,

curve v the rate of flow of people required to walk from one

floor to the next one, downstairs. The frequency distribution

of the density of people is also shown on Figs. 9 to 1 1 as curve f.

With the evacuation tests in the three integrated schools mentioned

above, where only the motion process of flows of people in corridors

was investigated, the values compiled in Table 2 have been determined

for the number of persons observed ?, for the mean rate of flow of

people v

F

, for the mean density of people Dp, and for the time

required to evacuate the floor concerned or parts of it Tp

and for the entire building t„.

ri

Table 2. Determining factors of the motion process of flows of

people during evacuation tests carried out in three

integrated schools

KolnHolweideKolnHohenhaus

HamburgMummelmannsberg

p 560 700 3 50

m/min 79 91 79

5

f

2 Pers . /m 0.47 0.18 0.47

t f min 2.1 1 .95 1 .55

t h min 3.8 4 .0 2.7

229
During these three evacuation tests, the reference value for the

density of people, D_ , was the ground surface of corridors. The

r pattern of the rate of flow of people, v

?

, as a function of the

density of people D„ which was determined according to the motion

processes of flows of people observed at various points on the

corridors of the 1st floor in the three integrated schools

during the evacuation tests, can be seen on Fig. 12.

The motion process of a flow of people on a staircase is subdivided into the vertical movement leading downstairs on stairs

and the horizontal movement on landings. In order to be able to

compare the rates of flow of people on stairs between two landings,

v

T

, or on the staircase between two floors, v^, the pattern of

the rates of flow of people v and v__ as a function of the

density of people D and D__ respectively is recresented on

1 1 K . Figs. 13 and 14. The flows of people P_ and ? calculated by

means of the rates of flow of people and densities of people,

are also shown on Figs. 13 and 1 4 as a function of the density of

people. Values taken from these graphs which refer to the mean

rate of flow of people v^ and v^

R and to the_mean density of

people 5

t

and at the mean flow of people P measured, and

values for the rates of flow of people v and v and for the

. . T TR

flows of people P^ and PTR at the most frequent density of

people DT£and respectively, measured during these tests

are also included in Table 1

As values in Table 1 show, the rates of flow of people on the

stairs between two landings and on the staircase between two

floors were nearly the same in evacuation tests 1 and 2. On the

other hand, evacuation test 3 proved that the rate of flew of

people in the staircase was considerably lower than on the stairs.

This means that persons walked down the 5 steps of the stairs

between two landings quickly whereas on landings people crowded,

consequently resulted in a lower rate of flow related to the

total walking length between two floors. This walking behavior of

230
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*

*

*

*

*

*

the persons can be traced back on the one side to the arrangement

of the stairs, on the other side, however, also to the slight

lighting on the staircase which may have an adverse effect on the

rate of flow when people turn round on landings. In the Unileverhouse, the intensity of illumination was only 1 5 lx compared with

100 lx to 300 lx in the other two high-rise administration buildings.

In spite of the different rates of flow of people on the stairs

and in the staircase_during the evacuation test 3, however, the

mean flow of people P leaving the stairway on the ground, floor

was about the same as those determined in the evacuations tests

1 and 2

The time recuired for the evacuation of one floor, x_, consists

• r of the following single periods:

1 . Time up to the beginning of evacuation of various rooms Xp^

2. Time for evacuating various rooms x„ 0 F2

3 . Time for walking up to the doer opening to staircase

or exit x_-. and

r 3

4. Time for walking through this door Xp^.

For above periods, the following assumptions can be made according

to the results obtained from the evacuation tests in the three

integrated schools:

Tp

^ =0 min to 1 min.

Tp

2 = 0.1 min to 0.7 min.

Values for Tp^ refer to rooms with a ground surface of 8 m x 8 m

• • and mean occupancy of approximately 25 pupils per classroom.

= 0.33 min to 0.38 min. r 3

These values for Xp^ were obtained from the mean rates of flow of

people Vp (see Table 2) determined during evacuation tests, based

on a maximum length of escape route of 30 m as being existent in

the integrated schools tested.

231
=0.43 min.

The maximum flow passing through a door of 1.1 m width, determined

during the evacuation tests in the integrated schools amounted to

233 pupils per min. The value for Tp^ is based on the assumption

that in schools, in general, 100 pupils may pass each time through

a door of 1.1 m width.

To assess the total time necessary to evacuate one floor, it must

be checked whether the walking time on the corridor, t_,-, or time

to pass through the door to the stairway, x? ^ , is longer. The

higher one of both values must be added to x^ and t^- If Tp^

is less than Xp ^the flow may pass the door without obstruction,

if, however, Xp^ is greater than Xp ^

there will be an obstruction

in front of the door which determined the time required for leaving

the floor.

Therefore, the evacuation of one floor requires the following

time

x_ = 0.53 min to 2.13 min.

r

From values for the single periods it can be seen that the total

time necessary to evacuate one floor depends on how quickly the

individuals react to alarm signal for evacuating the building

( tp ^ ) and how quickly they leave the room where they are staying

at the time being (x„~)

F2

Since the evacuation tests in the high-rise administration buildings

were limited to the investigation of the motion process of flows , of people on stairways, values for times required to evacuate

single floors of a high-rise administration building are not

available. However, by the application of conclusions from analogy

it can be shown that the evacuation of floors in a high-rise

administration building requires approximately the same times as

in integrated schools.

232
Finally/ times for evacuating the three high-rise administration

buildings were calculated with the methods according to

Predtetschenski etal. 72,3,4/, Galbreath / 5/ and Muller /6,7,8/

and compared with measured evacuation times. Due to the limitation

of time, the calculation merhoas cannot be described here. It is

recommended, instead, to study the papers listed in the bibliography.

Values for evacuation times in the three high-rise administration

buildings calculated with the mentioned methods are listed in

Table 3 together with values measured during the evacuation tests.

As shown by comparison, the calculated values according to all three

methods are below the measured values. This can partly be explained

by the fact that none of the three calculation methods allows for

a delay time between the time of alarm to evacuate the building and

the beginning of evacuation. As can be seen, however, from the

evacuation tests in the integrated schools, this so-called

"reaction time", tp.is about 0.5 min to 1 min. Therefore, if

0.8 min for the mean "reaction time" are added to the calculated

values, values are obtained which are also included in Table 3.

Comparing these values with the measured values reveals that the

calculation methods according to Predtetschenski et al. and Muller

are in good agreement with the real evacuation times obtained

during the evacuation tests in the three administration buildings.

233
Table 3. Comparison of evacuation times calculated with the

methods according to Predtetschenski et al . /2,3,4/,Tp

?

, Galbreath /5/, t„_, and Muller 76,7,8/, xm.

,

rlvj rirl with those obtained by measuring during the evacuation

tests in the three high-rise administration buildings, t„

ri

Mannesmann AG 3ayer AG Unileverhcuse

t hp (f = 0.1 2 , x m /Pers.) mm

t hg min

t hm min

t hp + oo o • min

t hg

+ o •

CD min

t hm + 0.8 min

t h min

7.89 9.79 3.33

5.86 8 . 62 6.89

7.68 8.63 9.67

8.69 10.59 9.13

6.66 9.42 7.69

8.48 9.43 10.47

8.78 10.47 10.43

»

234
REFERENCES

/I/ Ahrens, H. , Karlsch, D., PreuS, G., and Seeger, P.G.:

Untersuchung der Raumungsablauf e in Gebauden als Grundlage fur die Ausbildung von Rettungswegen

Part IrAufstellen sinnvoller Raumungstheorien fur bestimmte Gebaudenutzungen unter Auswertung des vorhandenen

wissenschaf tlichen und technischen Schrif ttums des Inund Auslandes (unpublished)

/ 2 / Predtetschenski, W.M. , and Milinski, A. I.:

Personenstrome in Gebauden - Berechnungsmethoden fiir

die Proj ektierung - 1st edition.

Koln-Braunsf eld : Verlagsgesellschaft Rudolf Muller 1971.

/ 3 / Predtetschenski , W.M. , Cholschewnikow, W.W. , and Volkel, H

Personenstrome in Gebauden - Gesetzmafligkeiten ihrer

Bewegung - Unser Brandschutz 21 (1971) No. 1, Wissenschaf tl . -techn

Beilage No. 1, pp. 1-10.

/4/ Predtetschenski, W.M. , Cholschewnikow, W.W. , and Volkel, H

Vereinfachte Berechnung der Umformung von Per sonenstromen

auf Wegabschnitten mit begrenzter Lange.

Unser Brandschutz 22 (1972) No. 9, Wissenschaf tl . -techn

Beilage No. 6, pp. 90-94.

/ 5 / Galbreath, M.

Time of evacuation by stairs in high buildings.

National Research Council of Canada, Division of

Building Research, Fire Research Note No. 8, May 1969.

/6/ Muller, W.L.:

Die Beurteilung von Treppen als Riickzugsweg in mehrgeschossigen Gebauden.

Unser Brandschutz 16 (1966) No. 8, Wissenschaf tl . -techn

Beilage No. 3, pp. 65-70, and 16 (1966) No. 11,

Wissenschaf tl . -techn. Beilage No. 4, pp . 93-96.

235
/7/ Muller, W.L.

Die Uberschneidung der Verkehrsstrome bei dem

Berechnen der Raumungszeit von Gebauden.

Unser Brandschutz 18 (1968) No. 11, Wissenschaf tl . -techn

Beilage^No. 4, pp. 87-92.

/ 8

/

Muller, W. L.

Die Darstellung des zeitlichen Ablaufs bei dem

Raumen eines Gebaudes.

Unser Brandschutz 19 (1969) No. 1, Wissenschaf tl . -techn

Beilage No. 1, pp. 6-9.

/ 9

/

Steuer, W. , Karlsch, D., and Seeger, P.G.:

Untersuchung der Raumungsablauf e in Gebauden als

Grundlage fur die Ausbildung von Rettungswegen.

Part II: Theor iestudie (unpublished).

/10/ John, R. , and Seeger, P.G.:

Untersuchung der Raumungsablauf e in Gebauden als

Grundlage fur die Ausbildung von Rettungswegen.

Part III: Reale Raumungsver suche (unpublished).

236
Fig. 1. Administration building of the Mannesmann AG in Diisseldorf

Fig. 2. Administration building of the Bayer AG in Leverkusen

237
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240
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of people D st

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242
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243
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244
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246
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247
FIRES DT DWELLDIGS

Alan Silcock, Nigel Savage, David Robinson

Field Investigations Section

Fire Research Station

Borehamwood, Herts

ENGLAND

Over the past few decades new fire problems have arisen as a result of cnanges

in the planning, construction and contents of dwellings. There has been a number of fires in houses of both modern and traditional construction which

have caused multiple deaths, creating considerable national concern and

a demand for remedial treatment, particularly where modern construction is

concerned. However there is no agreement about the nature of the new

hazards, partly because, there has been very little feedback of detailed

information from real fires.

To help fill this gap, the Field Investigation Section of the Fire Research

Station undertook a detailed study of over 50 fires in dwellings, mainly houses

and bungalows. They concentrated on cases involving seme fire spread beyond

the item first ignited so that the hazards due to the nature of the building

and its contents could be assessed.

The first part of the report deals with hazards due to cei_irg ana rocf

constructions. Part 2^ deals with fire growth and spread in kitchens and

living rooms, and the life hazards to occupants in other parts of the dwelling.

Part 3^ summarises the physiological effects of fire and gives some details

from post-mortem examination reports of the 58 fatal casualties. Further

parts of the report will deal with aspects of building construction, the use

of detectors, and people’s behaviour in fire. A final paper will summarise

the findings of the investigation and the hazards it identified, and discuss

some possible remedies.

fceyWords: Fires; dwellings; multiple-deaths; construction; contents;

physiological effects; behaviour.

References

1 A Silcock, N P Savage and D Robinson. Fires in dwellings - an investigation of actual fires. Part 1: Hazards due to ceiling and

roof construction . Building Research Establishment Current Paper

CP 51 /77« Borehamwood, 1^77*

2 Ibid. Part 2: Hazards from ground-floor fires. Part '3: "Physiological

effects of fire . Building Research Establishment Current Pater

CP 80/78 . Borehamwood, 1978.

248
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS CONCERNING THE VALIDITY OF "BFIRES”

A COMPARISON OF SIMULATED WITH ACTUAL FIRE EVENTS

Fred I. Stahl

Environmental Design Research Division

Center for Building Technology

National Engineering Laboratory

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D.C. 20234

This report presents preliminary findings regarding the validity of

3F IRES /VERSION 1, a computer program developed at the National Bureau of

Standards to simulate egress movement by building occupants during fires.

A computer simulation experiment was conducted in order to compare outcomes from BFIRES runs with data selected from an archival file summarizing actual fire results. Findings from this experiment suggest that BFIRES

is capable of reproducing such important fire outcomes as loss-of-life and

numbers of persons ultimately escaping. In addition, patterns of egress

behavior produced by 3FIRES were compared with those found in the literature, with professional opinions, and with impressions gathered from

anecdotal accounts. With few exceptions, these comparisons illustrate

agreement between simulations and other data sources.

Keywords: Architectural research; building fires; computer-aided design;

computer simulation; environmental psychology; fire research;

fire safety; human performance; modeling technique; simulation.

1. Introduction

1.1 Problem and Objective

Numerous attempts to simulate pedestrian movement in buildings appear in the literature

[1, 2, 3, 4]*-. In addition, several investigators addressed the specific problem of emergency egress during fire conditions, using computer simulation techniques [5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10].

These studies represent a wide variety of approaches to conceptualizing pedestrian movement behavior. For example, the discrimination learning model employed by Studer and Hobson

contrasts with the information processing approach used by Wolpert and Zillmann, and by

Stahl. Similarly, a broad spectrum of simulation techniques have been employed. Almost the

entire range from deterministic input/deterministic simulation, through stochastic input/

stochastic simulation, is represented in the literature.

1 Figures in brackets indicate the literature references at the end of this paper.

249
None of the investigators discussed above, however, has published results of research

illustrating the predictive validity 1 of a simulation program. As a result, it -s not yet

possible to make specific statements regarding the usefulness of these programs to building

design, regulation, and evaluation. The objective of this report, therefore, to report

preliminary findings concerning the external validity of 3FIRES/ VERSION 1. This computer

program was designed to simulate egress movement behavior by building occupants, and was developed at the National Bureau of Standards [9, 10J.

1.2 Overview of BF IRES/ VERSION 1: State-of -the -Art

The conceptual development, structure, and function of the BFIRES computer simulation

program was presented in detail by Stahl [9]. In brief, the model underlying chis program

was derived from a nonstationary, discrete time Markovian analysis of the ^uij.ding -ire

problem. The model postulates that occupants formulate strategies, make decisions, and

take actions dynamically, in response to social and environmental information iields «/nich

change over time. The model recognizes the transactional relationship between occupants

and their environment, which results when the responses of humans are int-uenced by -eatures

of the environment which the occupants themselves change or control. The computer simulation

of these processes is accommodated through BFIRES, a library of FORTRn-* ' routines. This

report presents an analysis of outputs from BFIRES/ VERSION 1. A second generation of this

program is currently under development at the National 3ureau of Standards.

Stahl [10] documented results of experiments designed to calibrate BFIRES, to determine

its range of applicability, and to assess the program's sensivity to important parameters.

That study illustrated a number of important findings. Namely:

(1) a variety of general egress situations could be simulated by BFIRES;

(2) every such event is unique, and is defined by the set of user-supplied parameter values which describe the building, the fire threat, and the occupants;

(3) BFIRES is useful in simulating environments of known (or desired) spatial

dimension, and events of known (or anticipated) temporal duration; and

(4) BFIRES outcomes are sensitive to variations in a number of parameters of immediate interest to the building designers (e.g., floorplan configuration, exit

arrangment, occupants' locations).

2. An Examination of the External Validity of 3FIRES

2.1 Levels of External Validity, and General Approach

Two criteria are essential to the validation of computer simulation models. These

involve questions of predictability and plausibility : Does the computer program generate

outcomes predictive of those found in the real-world under the conditions allegedly simulated? Are behavioral scenarios and outcomes produced by the program reasonable, or likely

to occur in the real world (i.e. , do they exhibit face validity)?

The predictive validity of BFIRES outcomes was tested indirectly, not by attempting to predict results of future fires, but rather by measuring the deg’ree to which the program

could replicate actual historical fire events for which appropriate data was available. The

plausibility criterion was examined by comparing simulation outcomes with conclusions drawn

by other investigators.

2.2 Test of Predictive Validity: A Case Study

The objective of this case study was to determine whether data describing simulated

fire outcomes conformed with those found for real events. Meyers [11] reviewed the

1 Predictive validity concerns the ability of a simulation to predict future real-world

events.

250
NFPA-FIDO* data base in order to determine whether certain* trends were strong enough to

justify various design recommendations. Data in the FIDO files are derived from news media,

reviews of accounts published in trade and technical journals, NFPA investigative reports,

fire department reports, and insurance company reports.

This data base contains information in a number of categories, primarily: (a) property

identification; (b) fire origin; (c) fire spread; (d) casualties; and (e) physical losses.

For some incidents, floor plans of residential units are also provided. Three types of data were of particular interest in this study:

(1) dwelling unit floor plan;

(2) dwelling unit loss-of-life index;

(3) adjacency of dwelling unit exit to room-of-origin entry.

These are explained below.

Meyers reviewed the FIDO files, and selected those incidents in which residential fires

originated in kitchens. AJ 1 dwelling units chosen had substantially similar floor plans and

numbers of occupants, and varied primarily in the degree of exit adjacency. For such cases,

he recorded loss-of-life index data reported in the files. For this study of predictive

validity, the floor plans reported in the FIDO files were idealized for input into BFIRES,

and to as great a degree as possible, the fire events were recreated.

All simulated fire events were run for several variations of a basic floor plan. These

variations were constructed to simulate those found in the FIDO files. In all cases, four

occupants were assumed to inhabit the dwelling units. It was also assumed that the events

occurred during the night hours, and that the occupants were located in the bedrooms. The

floor plans varied across classes of events, in order to reflect: (a) adjacency of dwelling

unit exit to kitchen entry; and (b) number of exits from the dwelling unit. The floor plans are exhibited in Figure 1.

Two levels of the adjacency variable were studied. In the adjacent condition (Condition

A), an occupant would be forced to pass within a single "step" (in BFIRES terms )“ of the

kitchen entry in order to reach the dwelling unit exit. In the non-ad jacent condition (Condition B), an occupant could reach the dwelling unit exit without even entering a space

adjacent to the kitchen entry.

Floor plans with both one and two dwelling unit exits were studied. In the two-exit

case (Condition C), one exit was relatively near the kitchen entry, while remote from the

sleeping areas. The second exit was located within one of the bedrooms, and was remote

from the room of fire origin (the kitchen).

In order to make direct comparisons with data reported in the FIDO files, dwelling

unit loss-of-life (D. U. LOL) indices were computed from simulated fire outcome data. The

loss-of-life index was intended by NFPA as an indicator of the number of fire fatalities

relative to the total number possible for a given dwelling unit. Since the actual number

of occupants must be expected to vary from time to mime for any dwelling, the index was defined in terms of average potential occupancy (determined by the number of bedrooms

present). Thus:

LOL - i b + 1 ( 1 )

^ National Fire Protection Association Fire Incident Data Organization.

2 BFIRES simulates pedestrian movement as a sequence of discrete spatial relocations, or "steps." In the current experiment, such a step is equivalent to 30 inches (0.76 m).

251
Legend: (A)

I>

(B) (C)

»

i

(A) Optional alternative d.u. exit

(B) Primary d.u. exit

(C) Alternative kitchen entry

locations

Figure 1. Schematic Plan of Dwelling Unit Showing Variations in D.U. Exit and Kitchen

Entry Locations

where:

LOL = dwelling unit loss-of-life index;

f =» number of fatalities in the dwelling unit;

b = number of bedrooms in the dwelling unit.

Simulated events were run for 200 time frames, corresponding to approximately four

minutes of real time. Most fire professionals agree that, in general, a person who has not

been removed from a fire in a small area (such as an apartment) within four minutes has a very low chance of survival at all. Thus, the simulated D.U. LOL index was computed as:

LOL' =* JL!

b + 1

( 2 )

where:

LOL' » simulated dwelling unit loss-of-life index;

f' number of simulated occupants in the dwelling unit at the 200th time frame;

b » number of bedrooms in the dwelling unit.

Comparisons between simulated events, and those reported in the UFPA-FIDO files were studied through the examination of three of hypotheses:

(1) In simulated one-exit dwelling units, LOL' is greater in cases where there is

kitchen entry/d.u. exit adjacency, and lower in cases where no adjacency exists.

(2) In simulated cases where there is kitchen entry/d.u. exit adjacency, LOL' is

lower when an alternative d.u. exit is provided, and higher when no alternative

is available.

(3) For all exit and floor plan arrangements, simulated data does not differ significantly from actual fire data reported in the NFPA-FIDO files.

252
As mentioned above, LOL data for cases corresponding to the experimental design were

extracted from the FIDO files [11]. Data from simulated cases were obtained by establishing

computer input files corresponding to each hypothetical condition, and then by replicating

each condition ten times . Because the FIDO sample was quite small, comparisons were made

using only five of the original ten computer replications, and in particular, zero values

of LOL' were selectively omitted. This was done to bring the balance between cases having

fatalities and those having no fatalities more closely in line, beteween the simulated and

real situations. It is recognized, however, that the selective omission of cases may have

biased results reported below. The hypotheses enumerated above were examined by means of

one-tailed t-tests for independent groups.

2.3 Findings and Discussion

Simulated data are reported in Table 1. Comparisons between simulated and FIDO data

are shown in Table 2. When comparing differences between simulated fire conditions, it was found that: (a) the dwelling unit loss-of-life index was significantly greater for the plan

exhibiting kitchen entry/d. u. exit adjacency, than for the plan in which no such adjacency

was present (t=16.00, 18 degrees of freedom (d.f.), significant at the .01 level); and

(b) the loss-of-life index was significantly lower for the floor plan which provided a second means of egress from the dwelling unit, chan for the plan containing only a single

exit adjacent to the kitchen entry (t=10.00, 18 d.f., significant at the .01 level).

Table 1. Loss-of-Life Indices for Simulated Residential Fires

Replication Condition A

' Condition B Condition C

1 .00 .33 .33

2 .00 o o .33

3 .00 oo .00

4 .67 .33 .00

5 • oo .00 • o o

6 .33 • o o .33

7 .33 • oo • o o

8 • oo .00 • o o

9 .33 .00 .00

10 .67 .00 .33

Means .23 .07 .13

Std. Devs. CM 00 • .14 .16

Note: Condition A: kitchen entry/d. u. exit adjacency

Condition B: no adjacency

Condition C: two d.u. exits

BFIRES generates stochastic

starting conditions result

simulations. Thus,

in a distribution of. numerous runs outcomes

.

conducted under identical

253
Table 2 Comparisons of Loss-of-Life Indices Between Real and

Simulated Residential Fires

Condition A Condition B Condition C

Replication Simul. Real Simul. Real Simul. Real

1 .67 .67 .33 .00 .33 .00

2 .33 1.00 .33 .00 .33 1.00

3 .33 .67 .00 .00 .33 .00

4 .33 .00 .33 .33

5 .67 .00 .00

Means .47 .78 .13 .00 .26 .33

Std. Devs. .20 1.10 .14 .00 .10 .47

When simulated data were compared with those obtained from the FIDO files , the following

results were found: (a) no significant difference in D.U. LOL was nocea for the one exit/

adjacency condition (t=-l.29, 6 d.f., n.s.); (b) D.U. LOL was significantly higher in simulated fires than in the actual events, for the one exit/non-ad jacent condition (t=13.C0,

6 d.f., significant at the .01 level); and (c) no significant difference in LOL was noted

for the two exit condition (t=-1.40, 7 d.f.).

The analyses of comparisons between the simulated conditions support hypotheses (1)

and (2), and indicate that, for the environmental and occupancy situations specified, 3FIRES

produces trends conforming to those found in an actual historical data base. For two of the

three conditions studied, analyses of comparisons between simulated and historical data support hypothesis (3), and suggest that BFIRES is capable of reproducing certain kinds of

event outcomes.

These comparisons with the NFPA-FIDO data reinforce the possibility that 3FIRES is sensitive to certain important parameters, as illustrated earlier by Stahl [10]. In particular,

variations in factors under the direct control of building designers and regulators (floor

plan and exit arrangement, and numbers of exits) seemed to have a substantial impact upon

the likelihood of escape.

The study illustrating the sensitivity of BFIRES also suggested that this effect should

be especially pronounced in cases where occupants could be assumed not to vary in such

factors as exit knowledge (familiarity with the building's layout) and mobility. In the

comparisons described here, occupants were assumed not to vary in both the simulated and

historical cases. A test of the hypothesis that occupant factors interact with environmental,

variables, such that under certain conditions variation in occupant factors wash out environmental effects, is left for future study.

Finally, it must be noted that while simulated fire outcomes (i.e. , loss-of-life

indices) generally conformed to those found in an actual historical data base, these findings

offer only indirect evidence of the correctness of the behavioral processes simulated by

BFIRES. Important tasks for future research will be, therefore, to examine BFIRES-simulated

behavior under a very wide spectrum of cases, and similarly to examine alternative models

and explanations of emergency egress behavior.

254
2.4 An Examination of Face Validity

Comparisons such as the one discussed above provide primary evidence concerning the

validity of a computer simulation program, and help to delineate the boundaries and conditions of its application. Of somewhat less obvious value are analyses of a simulation's

"face validity," in which correspondence between simulated events and results reported in

the literature is sought, and in which comparisons between simulations and conventional and

professional wisdom are considered.

Comparisons between BFIRES outcomes and phenomena reported independently by other

investigators may be of value in determining (at least on some qualitative level) the

external validity of the simulation model. Moreover, such comparisons should further illuminate the boundaries within which BFIRES is applicable.

Perhaps the most important contribution by the London Transport Board researchers [12] was their realization that complex pedestrian systems must be studied in their entirety,

since various segments of such systems tend to vary in terms of their carrying capacities

and other characteristics. BFIRES sensitivity analyses reported by Stahl [10] appear to conform with the overall opinions of the former investigators. That is, BFIRES data suggest

that varying degrees of route "constriction" produce differences in movement behavior, and

variation in such important outcomes as egress time. These simulated data indicate that,

to a point, increased constriction results in more direct movement toward the exit goal,

and thus shorter egress time.

Appleton and Quiggen [13] reported that stress, fatigue, and indecision all had negative

effects on rescue performance during a mock evacuation on an actual hospital ward. Although

rescue activities are not accommodated by BFIRES, sensitivity tests reported by Stahl [10]

suggest that, in general, indecision and mobility impairments act to increase occupants'

egress times, and reduce their overall performance during computer-simulated fire events.

Finally, Wood [14] and 3ryan [15] reported that evacuation often is not the first

action taken during residential fires, and chat it often occurs in conjunction with such

other actions as alerting other occupants, rescuing others, and calling the fire department.

BFIRES directly simulates pedestrian movement only, and on the assumption that the decision

to evacuate has already been made prior to the onset of a simulation run , such movement may

be construed as “evacuation." However, the movement of occupants during the simulated

events frequently deviated from an optimal path toward a safe exit, even when simulated

individuals were "familiar" with the building (i.e., knew the location of the safe exit), were mobile, and were making decisions on the basis of unambiguous and correct information.

Although simulated occupants did not "investigate the fire," "alert others," etc., per se , each of these activities has the effect of using up potentially valuable time . It is this

characteristic of the Wood and 3ryan findings which appears to be simulated by the deviations

and detours generated by BFIRES. Thus, both the Wood and Bryan surveys, and BFIRES simulations all agree that uni-directed exiting behavior is not necessarily an outcome of a fire

alert. Occupants may choose to traverse a less direct—but equally purposeful—route to that final exit goal.

Bryan and Wood also reported that, on the basis of their findings, familiarity with the

building layout correlated with neither evacuation speed nor the directness of the egress

route. These findings do not support BFIRES results which indicate that, despite the deviations and detours described above, familiarity is a necessary component of rapid and direct

evacuation.

Over the years, professional architects, fire protection engineers, and building regulatory officials have developed a body of opinion concerning various aspects of occupants’

emergency egress behavior patterns. Much of this conventional/professional wisdom has been

built into design and regulatory practice, and concerns: (a) the provision of appropriate

numbers of exits; (b) the problem of blocked egress ways; (c) the clarity and simplicity

of egress system design; (d) dead-end corridors; (e) occupant density; (f) familiarity and

emergency training; and (g) the effects of special occupant capabilities (e.g., those of

elderly or handicapped populations). In many ways, independently derived outcomes from

BFIRES simulations concur with professionals' opinions and beliefs about many of these

issues.

255
Design professionals have long agreed that no building occupant should ever be trapped

in a situation where the only egress path was blocked. As a rule, a minimum of two exits

are therefore provided in buildings larger than two-famil/ dwellings. The possibility that

a single exit could, if blocked, easily entrap occupants, and the notion that this problem

is readily mitigated by the provision of an alternative exit, are amply demonstrated by the

simulated data presented in Section 2.3 of this report.

Professionals have also believed that in general, shorter and more direct pedestrian

circulation paths reduce ambiguity and increase the likelihood of safe emergency escape,

especially where occupants are unfamiliar with the building layout and exit locations. This

belief was partially replicated by BFIRES simulations, which suggest that well-defined paths

result in short egress times when people are familiar with exit locations. However, simulated occupants who are not familiar with exit locations are not likely to escape, regardless

of the clarity with which the circulation system was designed.

Finally, building professionals generally agree that: (a) persons familiar with exits

and egress routes (whether through continual use or through training) are more likely to escape in a reasonable period of time; and (b) mobility impaired occupants will require more

time for evacuation than will their unimpaired counterparts. Both of these expectations are amply supported by BFIRES data presented earlier by Stahl [10].

Fire reports published by the National Fire Protection Association in the last five

years were reviewed during the course of this investigation. Fires in various types of

residential facilities were selected for content analysis. These included: (a) multi-family

dwellings; (b) hotels; (c) dormitories; and (d) nursing homes. A number of general patterns were recorded, and BFIRESrproduced behaviors appear to conform with these:

(1) After being alerted to the fire danger, occupants frequently took time to dress

and collect their belongings. In these cases, evacuation was neither immediate nor direct.

(2) Where dead-end corridors were present, some occupants reported overshooting

emergency exit doors.

(3) Walking toward the fire was occasionally reported by persons specifically seeking the exit, even in cases where the safe exit was in the opposite direction.

(4) Evacuees tended to move toward the most familiar exit.

(5) Mid-stream direction changing was often reported, even in cases where such

behavior could not be traced to any sudden change in environmental circumstances.

(6) Indecision was frequently reported.

3. Summary and Conclusions

The external validity of the BFIRES simulation program was evaluated. An analysis comparing outcomes from BFIRES simulation runs with data selected from an archival file was discussed. Results of this analysis suggest that, within the boundaries established by the

sample, BFIRES is capable of reproducing certain important fire outcomes, such as numbers

of persons ultimately escaping, and loss-of-life.

In addition, the general patterns of emergency egress behavior produced by BFIRES were

compared with those found in the earlier research literature, with professional opinions

about such behavioral patterns, and with general impressions gathered from anecdotal

accounts. In general, these comparisons illustrate agreement between simulation results and

various independent sources, and suggest that convergence is possible. Two important exceptions are: (1) BFIRES results exhibit a positive correlation between occupants' familiarity

with the building layout, and the speediness and directness of their escape, although no such correlation was found during the field surveys by Wood [14] and Bryan [15]; and

(2) BFIRES results suggest that occupants unfamiliar with the physical layout of the building

256
will not be helped by designs providing shorter and more direct egress routes, while conventional wisdom suggests that short, direct, and unambiguous routes should be especially helpful

to unfamiliar occupants.

In view of the findings discussed above, several directions for future research are anticipated. First, additional simulation studies of the type presented in Section 2.2 will

be conducted over as broad a range as permitted by available data bases. These studies will

provide BFIRES users with much needed empirical evidence concerning the boundaries within

which the simulation program may be considered valid and applicable. Further, as the program is validated against a broader range of occupancy categories, the boundaries will

themselves be expanded. Second, other methods of validating BFIRES will be examined and

applied, in order to demonstrate convergence more analytically than has been attempted thus

far. One candidate method is a variation of "Turing's Test", in which experts in the fire

field would be asked to distinguish real fire scenarios from those generated by the computer.

Finally, it is expected that future validation efforts will illuminate important aspects of

emergency egress behavior that either have not been accommodated by BFIRES, or have been

treated incorrectly within the program. Thus, future research concerned with validating

BFIRES will be simultaneously directed toward modifying and improving the capabilities of

the computer simulation program.

Funds for this study were provided by the Center for Building Technology, National

3ureau of Standards (NBS). The research was partially supported by the Center for Fire

Research, through the NBS-HEW Fire/Life Safety Program.

REFERENCES

1. Krystiniak, J. A. A Stochastic Simulation of Horizontal Pedestrian Circulation in

Buildings. The Pennsylvania State Univ. , State College, PA, Unpubl. masters thesis,

Sept. , 1972.

2. Studer, R. G. and Hobson, R. H. Simulation of Human Learning in Urban Movement Systems.

In Preiser, W. (ed.). Environmental Design Research, Vol. 2 ., Dowden, Hutchinson and

Ross, Stroudsburg, PA, 1973.

3. Baer, A. E. A Simulation Model of Multidirectional Pedestrian Movement Within Physically Bounded Environments, Camegie-Mellon University, Inst, of Physical Planning,

Report No. 47, Pittsburg, PA, June, 1974.

4. Lozar, R. C. A Methodology for the Computer Simulation of Behavior-environment

Interactions in Dining Halls. In Carson, D. (gen. ed. ) and 3azjanac, V. (ed. ), Manenvironment Interactions, Computers and Architecture , Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross,

Stroudsburg, PA, 1974, 211-1234.

5. Wolpert, J. and Zillmann, D. The Sequential Expansion of a Decision Model in a Spatial

Context, Environment and Planning , 1969, _1_, 91-104.

6. Edmondo, P. M. , Hahin, R. and Sinary, J. P. Emergency Egress from Ships Compartments;

Phase II: A Systems Analysis, Naval Ship R&D Laboratory, Report No. 3203, Annapolis,

MD, November, 1969.

7. Korkemaz, P. N. A Discrete Event Simulation of a Burning Occupied Building, University

of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, Unpubl. masters thesis. May, 1977.

8. Stahl, F. I. Some Prospects of Simulating Human 3ehavior in High-Rise Building Fires.

In Suedfeld, P. and Russell, J. (eds.). The Behavioral Basis of Design, Book 1 , Dowden,

Hutchinson and Ross, Stroudsburg, PA, 1976, 211-218.

257
9.

Stahl, F. I. A Computer Simulation of Human Behavior in Building Fires: Interim

Report, NBSIR 78-1514, National Bureau of Standards, 1978.

10. Stahl, F. I. Final Report on the BFIRES/VERSION 1 Computer Simulation of Emergency

Egress Behavior During Fires: Calibration and Analysis. NBSIR 79-1713, National 3ureau

of Standards, 1979.

11. Meyers, W. T. Room Arrangements and Fire Safety: An Analysis of Relationships Between

Dwelling Unit Spatial Characteristics and Fire Losses in Multifamily Residential Occupancies. School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Princeton Univ. , Princeton, NJ,

Unpubl. ms, 1977.

12. London Transport Board. Second Report of the Operational Research Team on the Capacity

of Footways , London Transport Board, Research Report No. 95, London, August, 1958.

13. Appleton, I. and Quiggen, P. Hackney Hospital Fire Precautions Project1 : An Evacuation

Model , Building Research Establishment, Fire Research Station, Operations Research and

Systems Study Section, Boreham Wood, UK, 1976.

14. Wood, P. G. The Behavior of People in Fires , Dept, of the Environment and Fire

Officers' Committee, Joint Fire Research Organization, London, November, 1972.

9 15. Bryan, J. L. Smoke As a Determinant of Human Behavior in Fire Situations: "Project

People," NBS GCR 77-94/ National Bureau, of Standards, 1977.
* The Importance of Role Assumption

in the Behavior of People in Fires

Joseph A. Swartz

Chief of Technology Applications

The National Fire Protection Association

A tragic fire in the Beverly Hills Supper Club—^ caused the deaths

of 165 people; yet, close to 2400 escaped under the most adverse fire conditions.

An investigation was undertaken to identify what factors may have contributed to,

what proved to be, a very orderly and cooperative egress. Two sources of data

were utilized. They were (1) 1100 questionnaires, completed by patrons who

were at the club this fatal evening, and (2) 131 interviews by police and arson

investigators with patrons and staff. From a study of these data sources it

became apparent that a very consistent pattern of leader-follower behavior,

which was termed role assumption, took place. Further, it was hypothesized

that staff actions were predominantly "other" serving while patron actions

were predominantly "self" serving. This hypothesis was formally tested

and shown to be true to a very high level of statistical confidence (oC= .001).

The behavioral climate which apparently produced this phenomenon were:

0 (1) The staff respected the owners as capable, even if tough, leaders.

(2) Staff took care of the patrons at the tables, rooms or stations

assigned to them before and during the fire emergency.

(3) Patrons looked to the staff for guidance.

A number of behavioral research questions were posed relative to the

conditions under which this altruistic behavior in fire emergencies might be

expected.

- R. L. Best, "Reconstruction of a Tragedy; the Beverly Hills

Supper Club Fire," The National Fire Protection Association

Boston, MA, May 28, 1977

* Only an abstract of the talk is printed here. For the complete reference, see:

Joseph Swartz "Human Behavior in the Beverly Hills Fire" Fire Journal.

May, 1979, pp. 73-74, 108.

259
.

'

I

I

n

i

i

«

«

p
FIRE PREVENTION IN SCHOOLS AND BOARDING SCHOOLS

FOR HANDICAPPED

A.F. Van Bogaert

Gebouwenfonds voor de Rijksscholen

Minister ie van Nationale Opvoeding

(State School Building Fund)

(Department of national Education)

3-1040 Brussel Belgium

This study was designed to assist in developing new safety

requirements for schools and boarding schools for handicapped

children and adolescents. Existing requirements did not satisfy

the Belgian School Building Fund (SBF) .

The deficiencies of the handicapped fall into the areas of

perception, response, and mobility. Eight general categories of

disabled—children with' mental handicaps or with emotional disturbance, children with physical handicaps only, children with

auditive deficiencies, and children with visual deficiencies

are described in terms of these areas and recommendations are made with regard to building design, construction, equipment and

staffing. Under existing classifications of the handicapped,

children who are both bodily and mentally handicapped are classified according to their mental impairments. Hence the SBF

organized an investigation (December 1977) to get information

on the number of pupils in mentally handicapped groupings who

also had mobility problems. Data are given for schools and

boarding schools on percentage of nonambulatory among mentally,

emotionally, or functionally handicapped students and on the

percentage of nonambulatory among the physically handicapped.

This paper considers the problem of evacuation in schools

for the handicapped. It describes a hypothetical egress pattern

for schools for mentally or physically handicapped housing a mixture of ambulatory and nonambulatory students; discusses

existing and desirable personnel/pupil ratios; gives data on two

nighttime fire drills from special boarding schools; discusses

limited versus complete evacuation, and recommends those building levels on which children with various types of handicaps

might be placed

.

Key Words : Ambulatory people; boarding schools; children;

egress; evacuation; fire drills; fire prevention; fire safety;

handicapped; mental retardation; mobility; schools.

Science and technology are soaring so boldly, that our industrial capabilities are constantly being expanded. Overwhelmed by these brilliant achievements, we are insufficiently aware of the greater risks sometimes inherent in such advances. Our very

existence has been entwined by the wires and pipes of a treacherous energy-web. The

potential for disaster is sitting at our morning table; it is hiding in our daily avocations; it is slinking around our nightly bed. Living safely is getting more difficult.

261
Major fire disasters of the last decade in all industrialized countries have

underlined the need to devise adequate protection measures against traditional and

especially against new hazards. In this extensive field, the Belgian Institute for

Normalization (BIN) and the Belgian Commission of Fire Technology have been active

for several years in setting up norms ( NBN) relating to fire prevention in buildings.

2. Adequate fire protection is built up through ongoing consideration of some constant and many alterable factors. Safety in a building is a complex notion indeed,

depending on

- the design and construction of the building (constant factor) ; - the contents of the building (variable factor) ; - the occupants' behaviour (highly variable factor) .

2.1 The building , as a solid environment, holds and protects its contents and the

human activities inside. In its design and structure it should closely match all the

dimensions of these functions, including those which aim at fire safety.

2.2 The contents , in their turn, are relative to the occupants' activities and to

their mental and physical abilities. These activities often require apparatus , machines,

equipment, furniture and stocks that may hide unsuspected fires and associated risks

such as smoke and toxic gas generation.

2.3 Finally, the users' daily avocations breed a multicellular mosaic of hazards

which are constantly challenging safety in the building. Prospect and cauticn, prevention habits, self discipline, regular checking and maintenance are the positive poles

of sound safety behavior. Age, mental and physical condition, education, assimilared

information and applied experience together draw the daily safety diagram of a community.

Diagram 1: Components of the SAFETY notion; logical

growth philosophy of fire prevention norms.

262
But above and beyond this dav to day preventive consciousness stands the over- whelming question of the human response to imminent disaster situations : what do the

occupants know, how do they judge, what are they able to do and how do they actually

respond ? Only well trained readiness of mind, quick decision making and drilled co- operation may, together, shape an adaptive behavior pattern in stressful conditions.

3. This analysis shows that fire prevention norms and standards should actually

take their roots in research on human behavior and activities. The respective tasks

are clearly defined : the users of buildings should prevent a fire from breaking out;

the architect , by his design, must^prevent a fire, once started, from expanding so rapidly that lives are endangered (1)^.

Thus the draft of building safety regulations should start with measuring hazards

originated by daily activities in the premises and with the prospect of human abilities

and failures on the threshold of disaster. The risks do not stem from the contents

only, but more importantly in the way people act, with or without manipulation of these

contents

.

According to these risks, fire preventive . fire protective and fire r estrictive

settings' should be included in the building at the start. When planning a building,

one should study the fire resistance of structural elements; the fire reaction of the

building materials; the fire and smoke compartment at ion ; the alternative exit ways,

horizontal and vertical, with their emergency lighting; the systems of detection,

warning and alarm; the firefighting equipment (cf. diagram 1).

4. Although a code relating to fire prevention in buildings only deals with their

design, structure and equipment, it has now become evident that such a code cannot be

set up without primary reference to the human factor, i.e. the analytic research on what people might do in normal and in emergency conditions.

Throughout the scientific formulation of prescriptions and regulations, this human

factor must always be the first and most important criterion, because the physical

setting must match the users 1 abilities and short comings .

5. This is the predominant philosophy in the following considerations on safety

in schools and homes for handicapped children and adolescents.

6. Motivation of the study : the publication, for critics, of a draft norm (2) on safety requirements for school and boarding-school buildings. Three chapters of the

draft norm deal with institutes for handicapped children and adolescents in a way that

did not satisfy the School Building Fund (= the office responsible for school construction in Belgium : SBF) . Obviously the amendments SBF wanted to introduce needed a solid

base of real facts and actual situations, and that is what originated the study.

7. For educational purposes, handicapped children and adolescents are organised

in 8 types, according to their deficiencies : 1. light mental handicap

2 . moderate and severe mental handicap

3. troubled character (emotional handicap)

4. physical handicap

5 . chronic illness

6. auditive deficiency

7. visual deficiency

8. functional or learning deficiencies. •

8. These groups can be consolidated into mental or psychological (1, 2, 3 and 8),

physical (4 and 5) and sensorial (6 and 7) deficiencies, or finally into mental and

physical handicaps. This however is a dangerous generalization stemming from the fact

that nearly all schools for the handicapped provide education for types 1, 2, 3 and 8

and also, in most cases, type 4. Children of types 6 and 7 respectively attend specific

schools

.

Figures in brackets indicate the literature references at the end of the paper.

263

1
9. Logical research for safety in these special schools and homes calls for a fundamental analysis of the pupils ’ shortcomings as to percept ion . response and mobili- ty, the negative results of which should be met by special arrangements in

- the design of the building layout (number of levels; nature, length, width, number

and situation of exitways? compartmentation) . - the construction of the building (fire resistance of structural elements? fire reaction of materials)

- the equipment of the building (detection, warning, alarm)

,

10. Such analysis, in comparison to normal childrens ' capacit les , results in the

following findings :

10.1 Children with mental handicaps or with emotional disturbance suffer from

slower and sometimes confused perception, hence their slower and often wrong reac- tions :

a. longer exposure to growing danger, owing to delayed egress :

longer fire resistance (Rf) of structural building

elements ? more favourable fire reaction of building and

equipment materials.

b. faulty control of movements, resulting in slower progress on stairs :

as few levels as possible and/or

horizontal proceeding to safety.

c. panic readily occurring, 30 crowding should be avoided :

more and smaller compartments

d. closer guidance by staff (the teacher/pupil ratio being higher) :

intense and frequent fire-drill of staff.

10.2 Children with physical handicaps only : have normal perception capacities

and are able to deduce normal reactions which however they are not able to perform,

owing to lack of mobility :

a. most of these children cannot evacuate without help, nor can they proceed on stairs

need of more fire trained staff;

horizontal proceeding to safety;

if possible, avoid location on levels other than ground floor; no stairs in evacuation routes.

b. if pupils stay on levels above or beneath the ground floor :

fewer stairs and more protected elevators;

dimensions of elevator cabs should allow

several wheel chairs or stretchers.

• 264
c. panic is likely to occur, owing to helpless condition; so crowding should be

avoided :

more and smaller compartments.

d. waiting in wheelchairs or on stretchers needs time and space :

more shelter area in protected compartments;

stronger Rf of structural building elements.

10.3 Children with auditive deficiencies :

alarm should be adequately transmitted by staff,

or ; by day visual alarm;

by night : electronic alarm.

10.4 Children with visual deficiencies : no visual perception of fire outbreak,

but other sensorial faculties may be developed more intensely than normal.

a. emergency egress needs assistance; stairs are unsuitable ;

need of more attending staff;

horizontal proceeding to safety;

sojourn on evacuation level only; no stairs in evacuation routes.

b. panic is more likely, owing to helplessness in unseen danger; therefore avoid

crowding :

smaller and more compartments.

11. If separate schools and homes were to be built for each type of handicap, the

framed insights stated in § 10 might well generate thr specific prevention philosophy

on which should be founded building and organization norms and regulations. But as already mentioned (§ 8), school structures (apart from deaf and blind institutions) always contain several different sections for specific handicaps.

12. Moreover, the classification (§ 7) seems to ignore the multiple handicap of

the bodily and mentally disabled, because these most unfortunate children are classified according to their mental or emotional impairments. Still, in the study of

security measures for this kind of schools and homes, it is obviously important to

know whether there are bodily handicapped among the mentally or emotionally disturbed.

13. For this purpose, the SBF organized an investigation (December 1977) in the

special schools and boarding schools of the Flemish community in Belgium. The aim was

to get information ;

- on one hand ; on the number of pupils in sections 1, 2, 3 and 8 (refer to § 7) and

among these, on the number of pupils who would not be able to escape

from a building under fire, without help, owing to shortcomings in

mobility;

- on the other hand : on the number of pupils in category 4 (physically handicapped)

and among these, on the number of pupils unable to escape without

help, on account of mobility shortcomings.

265
13.1 Schools : it was established that in 38 schools

- the total total number of mentally , emotionally and learning handicapped children

and adolescents is 4316

- among these, the no. with impaired mobility is : 529 or 12,37 % . Considering the schools separately, this average percentage varied from 0 to

57 % (cf diagram 2)

- number of physically handicapped : 503

- among these, the no. with impaired mobility is : 295 or 58,54 % . Considering the schools separately, this average percentage varied from 20 to

100 % (cf diagram 2)
Non-ambulatory among SCHOOLS

mentally, emotionally or functionally handicapped:

E3 %

Non -ambulatory among

physically handicapped:

E3 %

10 30 50 70 90

I

0 20 40 60 80 100

10 30 50 70 90

0 20 40 60 80 100

ANTWERPEN

DESSEL

KALMTHOUT

KASTERLEE

KASTERLEE

REET

TURNHOUT

BRABANT

N.O. HEEMBEEK

HEVERLEE

SCHERPENHEUVEL

S-K- LENNIK

WEMMEL

ZOUTLEEUW

LI MBURG

GENK

GENK

KORTESSEM

LOMMEL

MAA^SMECHELEN

ZOLDER

Q-VLAANDEREN

AALST

ERPE-MERE

EVERGEM

EVERGEM

GENT

GERAARDSBERG

LOKEREN

OUDENAARDE

ST. Nl KLAAS

ST. NIKLAAS

W-VLAANOEREN

01 KSMUIOE

KOKSIJDE

MARKE

MENEN

OEDELEM

OOSTENDE

ROESELARE

ST. ANDRIES

10 30 50 70 90

AVERAGE

0 20 40 60 80 100

Diagram 2: Percentage of non-ambulatory among pupils in State Schools

tor Special Education. P : Special Primary School

M Medical- Educational Institute T Special Technical School non existing section

267
13.2 Boarding-schools : in 13 homes there appeared to be

- mentally , emotionally or learning handicapped

- among whom with impaired mobility : 382

47 or 12,30 %

As to this average percentage,

(cf diagram 3)

separate boarding-schools number 0 to 39,4 %

- number of physically handicapped : “9

- among whom with mobility impairment : 83 or 83,8 %

Considered in separate boarding-schools, this percentage varies rrom 60 to ICC %

of the physically handicapped (cf diagram 3) .

Non-ambulatory among BOARDING

mentally . emotionally or SCHOOLS

functional! y handicapped: ~ Q %

Nor-ambulatory among

physically handicappea

%

0 20 40 60 80 100 ANTWERPEN 0 20 40 60 80 100

D

10 30 50 70 90

10 30 50 70 90

L0 20 40 60 80 100

KASTERLEE

BRABANT

N.0. HEEMBEEK

LIMBURG

GENK

0-VLAAN0EREN

AALST

EVERGEM

GENT

0UDENAARDE

ST. NIKLAAS

W-VLAANDEREN

K0KSIJDE

MARKE

R0ESELARE

ST. AN DRIES

AVERAGE

Diagram 3 : Percentage of non-ambulatory among the pupils of State Boarding Schools for Special Education non existing section

268
14. For normmaking bodies, special schools and homes management, school building

authorities and architects, this statistical approach contains some important information :

14.1 In special schools it appears that a 12 % average of the mental, emotional

and learning handicapped have also mobility impairments. But this proportion may well

go up to 60 %. In special boarding-schools this average also numbers 12 %, but it

might well reach up to 40 %.

14.2 Not all physically handicapped in special schools have mobility impairments;

the average is nearly 60 %, but in some schools 100 % was stated. In special boardingschools 84 % of the physically handicapped suffer from mobility impairment, but this

proportion sometimes rises to 100 %.

14.3 This outcome needs to be considered in the organic structure of schools and

homes for handicapped, in building design and construction , in number and qualification of educational and medical staff.

15. Beyond all doubt the non-ambulatory handicapped raise substantial problems in

the emergency egress procedures

.

15.1 In normal social patterns handicapped individuals occur sporadically among

the normal building occupancy. In case of fire they may rely on their fellowman's

moral sense to assure assistance in getting out of danger in due time. This consideration also applies to the rare cases of physically handicapped pupils who attend schools

with normal occupancy ; for only one handicapped person, there are many helping hands.

15.2 Quite different is the situation in communities where the non-ambulatory

make up a considerable minority, a big majority or even the entirety of a school or home occupancy. Here, many fewer hands are able and ready to help any one individual

in case of disaster.

15.3 When a fire occurs in a school building with normal occupancy , the emergency

egress proceeds according to a fixed and relatively simple pattern : the teacher (or

the ward tutor at night) takes his group to the outdoors, or if such appears impossible,

to another unthreatened building compartment from where, if need be, the fire brigade

can rescue them.

15.4 But in a special school or home housing a considerable number of non-ambulatory handicapped, the egress pattern is quite different ;
€> ©

Diagram 4: Evacuation pattern of handicapped pupils.

'- The ambulatory pupils (A) can be evacuated (E]_) in a group by the teacher or tutor

to a place of safety, where they are guarded (G]_) .

- To comfort, to guard (

2

) and to prepare the waiting non-ambulatory pupils (N-A) are combined actions that require a second teacher or tutor.

- Evacuation (E 2

) of the non-ambulatory (N-A) pupils must be done individually and

successively. They need to be escorted in wheelchairs, on stretchers etc. Even if one staff member can evacuate the pupils, it is better done by two or more, and

preferable by as many staff members as possible. Once brought to the outdoors, these

pupils must also be guarded (G 3 ) and comforted but this may be combined with G]_

Even on combining Gi + G 3

, it appears that in cases of fire at least 3, preferably 4 or more supervisors are needed to lead a heterogeneous group of mentally and

physically handicapped pupils to security.

On the other hand slightly and moderately handicapped children and adolescents

have been reported (in daily life and in fire-drills) to drive away their non-ambulatory companions in wheelchairs : touching confirmation of the fact that most mentally

handicapped children (especially those with Down’s syndrome) are so affectionate.

Yet it remains highly questionable whether one can count on this kind of help in real

fire circumstances. Stress and fear situations (think of epilepsy patients) may engender incalculable reactions. On this account, most interrogated educators (- 80 %)

responded negatively to reliance on children assisting one another.

The above fictitious case (diagram 4) represents the egress scheme of a group of

20 pupils ( 8A + 12N-A) ; in phase E2 two staff members are operating; they each evacuate

one non-ambulatory pupil, in six repetitions. If only one educator were available he

would travel twelve times, which would require twice as much time, assuming that there

are no corpulent adolescents who need two persons to evacuate them.

15.5 It is obvious that the time spent for egress of N-A pupils is proportional

to the number of staff members who can assist them.

Evidently the second important factor in egress duration is to be found in nature

and length of the evacuation path; § 17 will be dealing with this aspect.

15 .6 In daytime , the presence of more numerous personnel offers fair chances of

performing emergency evacuation in due time,, since besides teachers, other staff

members (administrative, medical, social) and even manual service workers are expected

270
to take part in the egress operation. Its mechanism however requires precise arrangements, accurate emergency provisions and practical drill of readiness to concentrate

and co-ordinate activities in the most critical spot where the largest number of non- ambulatory pupils are located.

Counting all normally available staff and service and maintenance personnel, the

ratio of personnel/pupils in special schools appears to attain an average of 1 to 3.6

in day time

.

15.7 At n icrht , conditions prove to be substantially worse. Each tutor is in charge

of a number of pupils. In his permanent affection, devotedness and protection he can hardly take care of more than 10 children or adolescents while fostering the homelike

atmosphere which is part of the proper therapy. For security's sake also, the number

of 10 pupils entrusted to one tutor should not be overstepped. All of them might indeed be non-ambulant and in case of danger entirely dependent on help. As a rule, a night tutor does not leave his pupils, surely not when they are threatened by smoke

or flames. Being quite alone, he faces an impossible task with discordant duties : global action in charge of the group and individual action in charge of the nonambulatory whom he mu<st help to escaDe one by one. Theoretically he may reckon on the

assistance of a colleague whose group is not in immediate danger. But in practice (e.g

in case of extended smoke spread) he should not reiy on this questionable help. In addition we already know from diagram 4 that even two staff members cannot clear the

situation without serious difficulty.

The average ratio of actually present personnel/pupils in special boardingschools over night proved to be, at present : 1 to 13 (cf day-time ratio 1 to 3.6 -

§ 15.6) .

In ordinary homes and boarding-schools one tutor is in charge of 21 pupils. We

may assume, and experts confirm, that a handicapped child requires three times more

care than a normal pupil, which already gave rise to claims for limiting to 7 or 8 the

number of handicapped children and adolescents trusted to one night tutor. To be sure,

such a criterion would engender more and smaller groups, but it would not do away with

the problem of the conflicting tasks : to stay and to leave.

15.8 Combining the needs of medical care on one hand (night medication, indisposition, attacks, etc., which the tutor cannot face in full competence) and the security

needs on the other hand, a solution might come from a ratio of one night tutor per 10

pupils and an infant nurse per 30 pupils who can assist in cases of emergency egress.

This arrangement would result in a ratio of 1 to 7.5.

16. A school with normal occupants should be evacuated in 4 1/2 to 5 minutes, a boarding-school ir. '> 1/2 to 7 minutes after the alarm. A similar performance seems hardly possible in special schools and boarding-schools on account of the physical and

intellectual condition of bodily or mentally or multiply handicapped children and

adolescents. Let us have a close look at a couple of reports on fire-drills.

• 271
16.1 Night evacuation from a special boarding-school, built all over in ground

level, in two pavilion complexes : A. one organized in wards (I, II, III, IV)

B. one containing individual rooms only (V).

All 69 children are physically handicapped : ambulatory (A) : 21

non-ambulatory (N-A) : 48 (cf diagram 5)

Location of pupils Personnel Egress time

Ward I 6A + 5N-A = 11

" II 4A + 11N-A =» 15

1

3 min

6 min

Pavilion A : 20 minutes

as evacuation was

0 III 3A + llN-A = 14 performed successively

IV 3A + 5N-A = 8

1

8 rain

3 min

Bedrooms

5A + 16N-A = 21 C *

)

1 10 rain

Pavilion B : 10 minutes

for the same reason

(*) two of whom are corpulent adolescents who need to be carried by 2 persons.

Note that the tutor/pupils ratio is, on the average, 1/23.

272
T

11 min

ana

BH

K

L0

Rst S

SL

TW

Playground

ambu latory

non-ambulatory

individual bedroom

hygiene

k it chen

living

office

restaurant

staff bedroom

staff living

t oilet s ward

egress road

Scale 1/500

Sports

Diagram5: Night evacuation

from a special boarding-school cf § 16*1
16.2 Night evacuation from a special boarding-school, built on ground level only

and composed of 3 pavilions linked by a gallery. All 55 children are mentally handicapped; 46 are ambulatory; 9 are not. Each of the pavilions was "evacuated" within 2 minutes; this means : the childeren were brought out of the wards into the gallery.

No wonder that this very limited egress did take so. little time. Owing to the presence

of 1 night tutor per ward with respectively 18, 20 and 17 pupils, the tutor/pupils

ratio was an average of 1 to 18.

16.3 From several reports of and interviews with educators it is noteworthy that : - One should not count on moderately and severely handicapped ambulatory children to

assist their non-ambulatory fellows in case of fire. They will themselves be disturbed in such measure that they cannot possibly act without firm guidance of the

educator

- Egress procedures used to evacuate non-ambulatory handicapped : in wheelchairs,

borne, transported on stretchers, dragged along on blankets and, with young children

only ; rolled off in their movable beds.

- There is a general request to build on ground level only.

17. In the search of a useful model for handicapped children’s evacuation, § 15.5

mentioned two duration factors : - the teacher/pupil ratio;

- the distance to be covered to reach a safe place without hindrances that might delay

or stop the evacuees in their egress route.

What is a place of safety ?

17.1 The radical answer is : the outdoors. A. Tait ' s relevant statement on this

matter is ; "The ideal arrangement is the provision of escape routes so arranged that

any occupant or member of the staff in a building can turn his or her back on a fire

and proceed to make their way without hindrance, in the direction of open air until

safety is reached " (3). This radical evacuation model can only be performed by non- ambulatory occupants if they are located on the ground floor and do not have to tackle

steps and stairs problems on their way out.

17.2 In the limited evacuation scheme, egress from endangered rooms provisionally

does not go farther than the next compartment which is not (yet) threatened by smoke

or flames, owing to the fire-resistive capacities of its walls, ceilling, floor and

doors. Thus such a compartment is a provisional shelter for the occupants of a nearby

endangered compartment. If the egress routes from this shelter are practicable, the

total evacuation can be done at a slower pace. If its egress ways prove to be cut off

(as a result of extended flame or smoke spread) the evacuees must rely upon rescue by

the fire-brigade.

For non-ambulatory handicapped located on a floor above or beneath ground-level,

this model of limited evacuation offers quick but provisional safety in case of fire.

Moreover it should be noted that the limited evacuation model is in agreement

with the general care system of treating the mentally handicapped in reducing or avoiding uneasiness, agitation, anxiety and other negative emotions. Limited evacuation,

in search of quick provisional safety, applies the principle of minimal disruption.

As E.W. Marchant (4) defines it, this amounts to moving as few people as possible as short a distance as possible.

18. One cannot make a preliminary choice between radical and limited egress. Fire

conditions, even in the same building, may well impose either of the schemes.

18.1 At the outbreak of a fire nobody is able to predict its further evolution.

The general rule to be applied in schools and boarding-schools with normal children

demands radical evacuation, at once, for all and to the outdoors (1) . Only if the

further exits of a threatened compartment are blocked by smoke or flames should one accept the limited evacuation to a refuge compartment from where rescue by the firebrigade can bring safety. The fewer occupants that are involved in such action, the

better. In other words : radical evacuation whenever possible.

18.2 Properly speaking, there is no reason why this principle should not apply to

special schools and boardincr-schools . But pace and cumbersomeness here evidently compel

the provision of more refuges with a view to offering quick provisional safety (5)

274
18.2.1 For the ground floor occupants these refuge compartments lie on the evacuation level; if they have the prescribed exits to open air, safety conditions may be

seen as optimal ; for the mentally and physically handicapped, mere horizontal evacuation is the quickest and the surest.

• 18.2.2 For the handicapped on other floors , horizontal evacuation to a refuge

compartment also proves to be the most rapid and realistic route to safety, albeit

provisional safety. For at the next phase, vertical evacuation, the non-ambulatory

handicapped are stopped by stairs on which they cannot proceed or by elevators which

go out or are put out of use during a fire. As long as smoke or flames do not burst

into this refuge compartment, the occupants will remain in relative, yet anxiety-bound

safety. In most small scale fires there will be no further action.

Conversely, the fire circumstances may necessitate leaving the shelter compartment.

If the escape route is still practicable , the non-ambulatory handicapped should

either

a. be carried down by the staff members (as long as the fire-brigde has not arrived)

.

But think of the skeletal staff at night (§ 15.7);

b. or be brought to the groundfloor in specially conceived protected elevators which

in spite of traditional power failing can be run by an autonomous energy source for

a given time (1/2 h or 1 h) . At first sight, the idea looks revolutionary because

up to now protected elevators are not used except by firemen in high buildings (*)

.

But the principle of using such elevators for evacuating old people's homes has

been accepted by the Scottish Home and Health Department for more them a decade (6),

whereas in the U.S.A. "elevators are usually not considered as emergency exits for

handicapped people, even if they are fire-protected and used by a fire department

for fire-fighting" (7). Why not ?

If the evacuation route is blocked , then

a. the pupils must be rescued by the fire-brigade. There is no denying that rescuing

non-ambulatory children and adolescents by means of fire-escape ladders is a hazardous performance both for rescuers and evacuees; or

b. inflatable (pre-mountea) slides may be used, at least for the 1st floor. When

applied to higher floors, the slope grows too long and the speed too high for helpless handicapped ;cr c. rescue is possible by way of an adequately built outer terrace leading to a fixed

downward slope of max. 5 % to the ground. Flames and smoke may impede the proceedings if the slope is situated too close to the facades. Moreover, this system again

should not be applied to floors higher than the 1st.

* * *

19. This analysis of

- mental and physical conditions and possible achievements,

- composition of pupils 'groups,

- staff availabilities,

- supplementary risks resulting from these factors

allows us to draw some principal conclusions to assist all those who are involved in

conception, construction, functional organization and mangement of special schools and

boarding -schools :

• 19.1 Conception, construction and equipment of buildings for handicapped children

and adolescents must always take into consideration the presence of non-ambulatory

handicapped, figuring among both mentally or emotionally and bodily disturbed pupils

(§ § 13 and 14)

.

19.2 The compartments prescribed in all school and boarding-school buildings

should be smaller and more numerous in special schools, still smaller and more numerous in special boarding schools so as to limit smoke and flame spread and to procure

sheltering spaces that offer quick but provisional safety by way of limited horizontal

egress (§ 0 10, 17, 18).

(*) In this function they are actually called elevators with priority call.

275
19.3 No doubt the evacuation process in boarding schools for handicapped does

require more time than in boarding schools for normal children . Moreover their stay

in a shelter compartment may be delayed. For these reasons the fire resistance of

structural and compartmentation elements should attain 1 h ( § § 10 and 18)

19.4 Limitation of risks and furthering total evacuation conditions (which are essential in case of extended smoke and flame spread) undoubtedly call for arrangements in time and space whereby the handicapped should not be located farther from

the evacuation level (E) or ground floor (0) than the * marked levels in the tables

below :

—— Level

Disability ~

- - 1 0 or E + 1 2

Non-ambulatory - * -

In day- Ambulatory it *

*

! time

Visual deficiency - it - -

Auditive deficiency * *

Level

Disability - 1 0 or E + 1 + 2

Non-ambulatory - - -

At Ambulatory - * * night

Visual deficiency - - -

Auditive deficiency - *

These tables clearly reflect the need to limit the height of school and boarding

school buildings to 2 floors above the ground floor or evacuation level . There is a strong preference towards a design which limits the building to a ground floor or to

levels which may be evacuated horizontally to the outside (§ § 10, 15, 16, 17) .

19.5

In densely built urban centres it may prove impossible to find a site big

enough to apply the principles of § 19.4. In such case exceptions should be allowed,

provided special precautions regarding the alternative vertical evacuation be proposed

to and accepted by a standing safety commission composed by experts in that matter

(§18).

276
19.6 It appears that, in daytime, staff and maintenance members are sufficient in

number to secure the evacuation of handicapped children, but there is a problem at

night. In special boarding school the ratio of available personnel to pupils should be

raised to 1 - 8, whereby at least one staff member should not be groupbound (§ 15)

.

19.7 Owing to the pupils' perception capacity, response and mobility, it is of

utmost importance that, in special schools and boarding schools, fire-drills should more than anything else aim at preparing staff members to co-ordinate their exiting

behaviour and to manage the egress (§ § 9, 15, 16) .

' it if it

20. Meanwhile it is hoped that draft norm S 21-206 in its chapters II, IV and VI

(Special Education) will take into account the above conclusions 19.1 to 5 in an indispensable attempt to integrate behavior, contents and building.

References

(1) Van Bogaert, A.F., Prospective dans la construction scolaire , Vander, Leuven (B)

and Cesson (F) , 1972.

(2) Draft Norm S 21-206 : Fire Prevention in Schools, Boarding Schools and Students

Homes , BIN (Belgian Institute of Normalization) Brussel 1977.

(3) Tait, A., Fire Safety Legislation and Management , University of Edinburgh, Centre

for industrial Consultancy and Liaison, 1975.

(4) Marchant, E.W., Escape Route Design . University of Edinburgh, Centre for industrial

Consultancy and Liaison, 1975.

(5) Van Bogaert, A.F., Fire and Evacuation Times - Evacuatiet ijden bij 3rand , Wetenschappelijke Uitgeverij Story-Scient ia, Gent, Leuven, Antwerpen, Brussel, 1978.

(6) Fire Precautions in old Persons ' Homes , Fire Prevention note n

0 3, Scottish Home

and Health Department, 1965.

(7) Bartos, S., Fire Safety for the Handicapped in hich-rise Housing, National Fire

Prevention and Control Administration, Washington D.C., 1977.

277
N8S-1 14A (REV. 9-78)

U.S. DEPT. OF COMM.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

SHEET

1. PUBLICATION OR REPORT NO. NBSIR 80-2Q70

2.Gov't Accession Ncr. imMmwmMi

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

Second International Seminar on Human Behavior

in Fire Emergencies: October 29 - November 1, 1978

Proceedings of Seminar __

5. Publication Date June 1980

5. Performing Organization Code

7

‘ EDITORS

Bernard M. Levin and Roseanne L. Paulsen

. , — . i

8. Performing Organ. Report Mo.

9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADORESS

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

WASHINGTON, DC 20234

lit Project/TasK/WorK Unit No.

11. Contract/Grant No.

12. SPONSORING ORGANIZATION NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS (Street, City, state. ZIP)

National Bureau of Standards

Department of Commerce

Washington, DC 20234

13. Type of Report & Period Covered Final

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

IS. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

I

I Document describes a computer program; SF-185, FIPS Software Summary, is attached.

IS. ABSTRACT (A 200-word or leas tactual summary o( most si gntticant in/ormation. II document includes s significant bibliography or

literature survey, mention it here.) The safety of building occupants in fire emergencies depends on both the fire

protection features of the building and the actions of the occupants. Until

recently fire protection experts have relied mainly on experience and intuition

regarding the capabilities and actions of building occupants in the development of fire protection systems and training programs. Research projects underway can assist the fire protection experts by providing them with needed information to supplement their experience and intuition. This report contains summaries of some of the recent research in this field, as reported at an international

seminar on the subject. It also contains the invited papers presented at the

seminar on the topic of panic.

17. KEY WORDS (six to twelve entries; alphabetical order; capitalise only the first letter of the first key word unless a proper name;

separated by semicolons)

Communications; evacuation; fire alarms; fire safety; human behavior; human factors

panic; safety; .smoke? symbols.

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