Name: Human Behavior in Fire

Course Description: This course provides fundamental information on human behavior as it

relates to fire and mass casualties. Understanding human behavior is
important as it relates to building design, evacuation and fire department
operations. It is especially important where populations are large or
include the disabled or persons having limited mobility.
Prerequisite: FESHE core courses or euivalent
Outcomes: !. "ategori#e the types of behavior that people e$hibit in fire
situations as positive or negative as they effect emergency
evacuation.
%. &utline three fire scenarios and describe the possible physiological
impact each may have on building occupants and responding
firefighters.
'. Identify four psychological traits of building occupants which may
effect their identification of and response to a fire.
(. )erform algebraic estimates of occupant evacuation times from
buildings.
*. Identify the two primary modeling techniues used to estimate
evacuation times in large buildings and transportation facilities.
+. Identify at least four occupancies where human behavior and
response characteristics are uniue to occupancies and where there
is a high potential life loss.
,. -rite a summary of the human factors effecting high life loss in a
ma.or fire incident.
/. Identify five occupancies in your town0city0.urisdiction where
human factors and building design may be factors in emergency
evacuation. For one of these occupancies, list fire department
procedures which should be implemented to deal with a ma.or
incident.
1. 2evelop a fire scenario and provide an estimate of the effective
time of operation for the first responding firefighters.
!3. Understand aspects of human behavior in mass casualties.
!!. Identify and analy#e the causes involved in the line of duty
firefighter deaths related to structural and wildland firefighting,
training and research and the reduction of emergency ris4s and
accidents
Suggested Student
Texts:
SF)E Seminar5 Human 6ehavior in Fire
SF)E Engineering 7uide on Human 6ehavior in Fire
SF)E Engineering 7uide on Estimating Fire 2epartment
"ontributions toward 8chieving Fire Safety 7oals 9draft:
SF)E SF)E Fire )rotection Engineering ;aga#ine, Fall %33*, Issue
<o. %/
http500www.pentoncustommedia.com0sfpe0articles0Fall%33*
Supporting References
References
)urser, 2. =To$icity 8ssessment of "ombustion )roducts>, )roul$. 7. =The
;ovement of )eople5 The Evacuation Timing> <elson, H.E., and ;owrer,
F.-., =Emergency ;ovement>, SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection
Engineering, <ational Fire )rotection 8ssociation, ?uincy, ;8, %33%, pp. %@
11 @ %5!!!
Society of Fire )rotection Engineers5
http500www.pentoncmg.com0sfpe0inde$.html
http500www.peopleandfire.com0
6ryan, A. B., =Human 6ehavior and Fire>, and Fahy, C.F., ="alculation
;ethods for Egress )rediction>, Fire Protection Handbook, <ational Fire
)rotection 8ssociation, ?uincy, ;8, %33', pp. (@' @ (@**.
6est, C.B., DCeconstruction &f 8 Tragedy5 The 6everly Hills Supper "lub
FireD, Southgate, Kentucky, May 28, NFPA, 19!
Ceview of %/ Egress ;odels. Euligows4i, E. 2. <IST S) !3'%F Aanuary
%33*. -or4shop on 6uilding &ccupant ;ovement 2uring Fire Emergencies.
)roceedings. Session (.(. Aune !3@!!, %33(, 7aithersburg, ;2, )eacoc4, C.
2.F Euligows4i, E. 2., Editor9s:9s:, +/@13 pp, %33*.
http500fire.nist.gov0bfrlpubs0fire3*0)2F0f3*33/.pdf
http500www.pentoncustommedia.com0sfpe0articles0Fall%33*Euligows4i.pdf
U.S. Fire Administration
)ublications5
http500www.usfa.dhs.gov0applications0publications0pubsGmain.cfm
See Fire )rotection, Fire 8dministration, Fire Service &perations
8pplied Cesearch5
http500www.usfa.dhs.gov0dhtml0inside@usfa0research.cfm
Cesearch Ceports5
http500www.usfa.dhs.gov0dhtml0inside@usfa0rGreports.cfm
Technical Ceports5
http500www.usfa.dhs.gov0applications0publications0techreps.cfm
Topical Fire Cesearch Series5
http500www.usfa.dhs.gov0dhtml0inside@usfa0tfrs.cfm
Bearning Cesource "enter5
http500www.usfa.dhs.gov0dhtml0inside@usfa0lrc.cfm
National Institute for Standards and Technology
http500www.fire.nist.gov5 Fire Tests02ata, Software0;odels, )ublications,
FICE2&" 9under )ublications:
http500fire.nist.gov0bfrlpubs0fire1'0art313.html
Current Events/Nes
http500www.firehouse.com0
http500www.fireengineering.com0
http500www.withthecommand.com0
Assessment: Students will be evaluated for mastery of learning ob.ectives by methods of
evaluation to be determined by the instructor
NFPA Standards
Addressed
!3'!
Point(s) of Contact: Aoseph B. Scheffey, ).E., Hughes 8ssociates, Inc.
'+!3 "ommerce drive, Suite /!+
6altimore, ;2 %!%%,@!+*%
AoeHhaifire.com, www.haifire.com
Audith Euleta, 6ellevue "ommunity "ollege -8 9(%*:*+(@%*!*
.4uletaHbcc.ctc.edu
Revision !!/"#
Course Outine
Human Behavior
I. $eneral %vervie of &uman Res'onse to Fire
8. &ccupant Cesponse "haracteristics
!. Familiarity with structure
%. )re@evacuation behavior
6. Human Cesponse to "ues
!. 8larms, signs
%. )replanning0staff training
". 2ecision ;a4ing
!. )anic as a rare occurrence
2. Egress behavior and decision ma4ing
II. Im'act of Environment on (eo'le
8. Thermal
6. To$icity
". Iisibility
2. )sychological
!. )erception of smo4e and fire
III. Assessment of %ccu'ant )ovement in *uildings
8. Evacuation 8ssessment Fundamentals
!. Hori#ontal Flow
%. Iertical Flow
6. ;odeling of Evacuation
!. Hydraulic
%. 6ehavioral
". Special &ccupancies
!. High Cise
%. Health "are
a. Hospital
b. 6oard0care
'. )ublic 8ssembly
a. Stadia
b. 8renas
(. Cesidential
*. Transportation terminals
+. Ha#mat occupancies
2. Use of Elevators
I+. Fire ,e'artment %'erations
8. Evacuation and Cescue
!. )rovide information to evacuees
%. &ccupant egress vs. fire department ingress
6. Firefighting
!. Heat Stress
%. E$posure to smo4e, to$ins and ha#ardous gases
". ;ass "asualties