Laserfiche WebLink
information about the fire and about appropriate <br /> actions. A person may be at a loss as to whether he <br /> or she is the prime discoverer of the fire or one of <br /> many individuals having a similar experience. People's <br /> assessments of the fire is typically followed by their <br /> dressing and gathering valuables. These time wasting <br /> acts appear to be less likely if the individual did not <br /> anticipate others within the immediate vicinity. In a <br /> restaurant area, for example, smoke is frequently <br /> assumed to be from a kitchen or in an apartment <br /> building from occupant cooking. These smells and other <br /> odors are often interpreted as non serious. Delays in <br /> evacuation can also be caused by individuals <br /> investigating the cause and state of the fire. <br /> The initial stages of a fire in a multiple occupancy <br /> building appear to be characterized by ambiguity and <br /> misinterpreted cues which lead to reluctance to <br /> evacuate. These behavioral acts lead to the following <br /> conclusions: <br /> 1 . Buildingoccupants do not use escape routes <br /> that are unfamiliar to them. This implies <br /> that purpose-built fire escapes might be less <br /> than wholly effective, particularly to those <br /> unfamiliar with the building. <br /> 2. Fire extinguishers are not very effective <br /> without proper training. <br /> 3. The earliest cues to fires are generally <br /> strange noises like breaking glass and extra <br /> activity by others, rather than flame or <br /> smoke. <br /> 4. Early behavior is characterized by <br /> uncertainty, misinterpretation, <br /> indecisiveness and seeking additional <br /> information for confirmation - the gathering <br /> phase. Such delay can be dangerous, as <br /> actions taken at the early stages of a fire <br /> have the most decisive effect on the eventual <br /> outcome. <br /> 5. The response to fire alarm bells and horns <br /> tends to be less than optimum. There is <br /> usually skepticism as to whether the noise <br /> indicated a fire alarm and if so, is the <br /> alarm merely a system test or the possibility <br /> of vandals. <br /> 6 . In the stress of a fire, people often act <br /> inappropriately, but rarely panic or behave <br /> irrationally. Such behavior is due to the <br /> fact that information initially available to <br /> people regarding the possible existence of a <br /> fire and its size and location is often <br /> ambiguous or inadequate. <br />