Societal Risks Associated with Incidents of Fire - Coursework Example

Incidence of fire risks and analysis Student’s name Course name Instructor’s name Date of submission Outline Societal risks associated with incidents of fire Strategies to change people’s behavior in relation to safety from fire Evaluation of statistical evidence to inform future intervention strategies Results Conclusion and Recommendations Societal risks associated with incidents of fire Societal risks associated with incidents of fire include; Inadequate trained personnel in the society who have been well trained on ways to curb risks of fire; these are emergency responders who are called upon any time there is fire break out and such people or companies also train people on ways to control fire break outs. (Macbeth 2011) They use different techniques to pass information like putting signs of danger on gas cylinders and electricity poles in towns and in offices or any other public place. Fire departments not having equipment on hand; in a society there ought to be proper equipment for putting out fire during outbreaks. Improper equipment lead to delayed exercise in case of fire break out and this can lead to the fire spreading over long distances before anything can be done. Hence a fire department should exist in order to help curb risks of fire incidences. Apart from the fire department other departments must also work alongside them like the emergency medical services department which act in response to situations that are concerned with the physical condition and welfare of the society. Another department is hazardous materials response teams which protect the society and their surrounding against from the consequences of the accidentally emitted hazardous substances. Lack of putting such organizations in place increases the chances of the society being at risk of incident fires (Evans, 2002). Lack of risk management activities which encourage the community ; these should support the principles and practices of risk management like provision of education, fire prevention, code enforcement and other practices that enlighten people on such techniques like; knowing the possible causes, Prevention of any urgent situation and responding urgently to any crisis that occur. Strategies to change people’s behavior in relation to safety from fire The way in which individuals respond or react in case of fire needs intensive studies to be carried out, this has only been met by very few academicians. The aim of the study is to achieve a clear view of how people respond to fire breakouts. (Moorhead 2011)This was analyzed by a senior researcher in the National Research Council from Canada known as Dr. Guylene Proulx. Some of the types of behaviors included; Concept of panic In the media, television, movies and even when we read emotional novels we always become tensed, this feeling is what we experience in case of fire break outs. In such cases it is very essential to reduce the moment in time between the commencement of fire and the repression. During this period the occupants of the building must be informed about the emergency in order for them to behave in accordance to the situation (Macbeth, 2011). This is in most cases very hard to attain. Ignoring signs of smoke At the start of fire, fumes of smoke are normally emitted into the air, so in several occasions if the firebreak out is at a far distance the only way to notice is by seeing smoke high in the air or by smelling the fumes. This instead of giving individuals an early warning most tend to assume and go ahead with their duties as usual. They then later start finding out what is going on and walk towards the scene drawing them closer to the fire. This only increases their chances of falling victims and this is how many people end up being burnt. It is in most instances assumed that people respond immediately to an alarm which is not always the case. People do assume until may be when they run outside the verandas and paths are always filled to capacity with smoke that one ends up running in the direction of fire and get burnt (Macbeth, 2011). Time of evacuation Apart from letting to respond to warnings in time, Departure period should also be emphasized in terms of exactly when should people leave the scene of fire. Studies reveal that residents usually leave after three minutes which they use to pick up wallets, carry children, call neighbors, and check outside the windows if it is true the house is on fire. So alarms should be early enough to avoid danger. For instance in America it is not cool to start running all of a sudden, one is suppose to be in control look around first, and then react. Cues and signals This is vital and should be taken serious but we find that people ignore alarms since most of them are always false, prank, or test alarms. This has since instilled some sense into some residence that these alarms are always false. The most appropriate method to alert people is by use of information means that gives particular directions to the residents (Moorhead, 2011). Some changes can also be made in the surrounding like lowering loud music in bars. Protect in place The delay for several hours in leaving the scenes of danger after noticing fire cues can be as a result of several reasons like not hearing the alarms and condition of the body at the time of the warning. For instance people with disabilities cannot evacuate high rise buildings on their own in time. Strategies that change people’s behavior Efficient managerial system; proper management system can organize itself in a way that fire issues are well taken care of to avoid inconveniences incase of any break out. Proper ways of prediction; when fire break outs are noticed in time, it gives allowance for people to evacuate and avoid being caught up (Evans, 2002). Prevention techniques; this takes care of what people should have in order to avoid fire break outs like putting fire extinguishers in places that are strategic in houses, offices and so on. Preparedness; People are always advised to be aware of anything that might occur so as to act in time in case of anything. Immediate medical response should be put in place like Red Cross Society and Flying Doctors Service. Assistance; people should always be ready to assist victims in case of fire breakout by rushing them to hospitals, giving first aid and doing any other activity that can assist. Training; this is one of the major issues that can be tackled to help change people’s behavior before something occurs. We can use all the good techniques to alert and show people signs of danger but without training a person will never know what to do with such items and situations (Moorhead, 2011). Methods used to manage information efficiently For instance instead of using alarms since most people ignore because of presence of false alarms, communication should be used by word of mouth telling people what is happening and what step to take( Rasbash and Kandola 2004 )People can also be taught in curriculum causes like disaster management so as to be well equipped with such information. Evaluation of statistical evidence to inform future intervention strategies Incident types included the following; Single dwelling house fires, other building fires, other fires, secondary fires, RTA extractions, False alarms and other special services. RESULTS Series1;Total Number of Incidents ,series2;Total Number of Incidents Less False Alarms, series3;Total Number of Incidents Less False Alarms and Secondary Fires Figure1; Total number of incidence in Merseyside by year (2004/2005-2007/2008) This table highlights total number of all incidences in Merseyside as well as incidences less false alarms and secondary fires, false alarms took up a total of 30.4% or 37,578 of all incidents, Secondary fires took occupied 39.7% or 49,074 incidents. In the years 2004-2005 total numbers of incidents were 33,628 incidents. The figure fell to 27,092 this was equivalent to 19.4%. Break down of incidents in Merseyside in the year 2004-2005 were as follows; Incidents Automatic False Alarms False Alarm Good Intent Malicious False Alarms Other Special Services RTA Extrications Secondary Fires Other Fires Building Fires % 18.6 18.1 3.6 7.6 3.7 39.7 9.5 4.9 Secondary fires recorded highest number of incidents, followed by automatic false alarms, false alarm good intention was next, then other fires, other special services, building fires and lastly RTA extrications was last. Secondary alarms In the last four years E1 ST. Hellens saw had the highest amount of secondary fires recording 3,994 incidents. Second was N3 Croxteth which followed narrowly with 3,807. E3 Hyton followed with 3,182 which was a wide range, N6 Formby recorded the lowest number of secondary fires with 270.as shown below PLACE E1 ST.Hellens N3 Croxtexth E3 Hyton N6 Formby NO. OF INCIDENTS 3994 3807 3182 270 False alarms In terms of false alarms C3C2 Center station recorded highest amount followed by N7 Southport, then S8 old Swan and lastly N6 Formby as shown below. PLACE OF INCIDENTS C3C2 N7 SOUTHPORT S8 OLD SWAN N6 FORMBY NO. OF INCIDENTS 5412 2368 2096 282 Incidents in 2004/2005 There were 33,628 incidents in the year 2004/2005, Out of the 33,628 incidents; the most widespread types of incidents were secondary fires (12,756), and false alarms (10,423). These two incident types accounted for 68.9% of all incidents. This period is characterized by poor education of residents and building occupants which increased risk of fires. C4 Low Hill registered the largest number of Single House Dwelling Fires with 171 incidents. This was followed by W1 Birkenhead (121) and N3 Croxteth (113). C4 Low Hill also saw the greatest amount of Other Building Fires with 153 incidents. Following closely was S8 Old Swan (140) and C1 Kirkdale (136). These are areas which were crowded and were thus more likely to be susceptible to psychological issues such as panic or lack of response to alarm systems N3 Croxteth saw the most secondary fires with 1,056. This was closely followed by E1 St Helens, which saw 8 fewer with 1,048. (Kellaway 2005, p. 3-27) These were the only two stations to see over 1,000 secondary fires. The best way to tackle these fires would be an improvement of fire fighting systems and equipment. Education and training of the residents would also be beneficial in the prevention and tackling of fire before they get out of control. In 2005/2006 Merseyside wide, incidents fell from 33,628 in 2004/05 to 31,210, the only one that fell was RTCs and Extrications, C4 moved from 5th busiest station to 2nd.E1 St Hellena had highest amount of secondary fires and false alarms. Similar to the year 2004/2005 the quietest stations were E4, E5, W2, E2, S1, W5, W3 and N6. This is due to the improvement in response rates although the rate of extrications and RTC’S may be blamed on lack of refresher training of fire fighters. El St Helena had the highest number of secondary fires because it has the largest number of old buildings which were poorly equipped. In 2006/2007 The only year where the city center did not show the greatest amount of incidents, C4 Low hill recorded an increase compared to the previous years. The city center having had a high rate of incidents had a high rate of population training and education on fire prevention. This therefore led to this decrease in fire disasters as people in the city center were more aware. Equipment to fight fire was also increased hence this positive effect. In 2007-2008 The important statists from 2007/08 were; every station ground saw a reduction in incidents compared to 2006/07 .W1 Birkenhead registerede the largest drop in incidents, with 423 lesser incidents than in 2006/07. Other station grounds to register sizeable drops were C4 Low Hill (reduction of 373), W4 Upton (a reduction of 342) and E1 St Helens (a reduction of 332). C4 LOW Hill experienced more fires in single dwelling houses as a result of inadequate means of fire fighting such as the absence of extinguishers in houses. C4 LOW Hill would therefore benefit from the passing of bylaws requiring the installation of fire extinguishers in all buildings. In El St. Helena fires were more as a result of carelessness in behavior such as improper disposal of cigarette butts. Training o\f residents on fire prevention would therefore be a better solution to the fire problem. N3 Croxteth saw the greatest amount of secondary fires with 885. This is 166 fewer than in 2006/07. Similar to the other three years being studied, E1 St Helens registered a high number of secondary fires, with the station registering 860 in 2007/08. The differences in these statistics are a reflection of the upgrading of systems differences between the two neighborhoods. Automatic fire sprinklers and smoke alarms can be used in N3 Croxteth, C1 Kirkdale, and S8 Old Swan to fight secondary fires. C2 City Centre and C1 Kirkdale were the only station grounds to register more than 100 Other Building Fires, with 125 and 112 correspondingly. C2 City Centre also had the highest number of false alarms, with 1,241 incidents. This is 14.3% of all the False Alarms in Merseyside (Kellaway 2005, p. 3-27). The city centre and Kirkdale lack efficient means of fire detection before.. Little has changed since 2004 and hence the city center was the place with most incidents of fire, to curb this the city should be; decongested, more refresher courses training on prevention techniques be given, use of proper gears should be emphasized, and Departments which are concerned should be properly equipped with safety equipment. Conclusion and Recommendations There was reduction in fires in all the years especially secondary, false and other fires. Greatest reductions were seen in the YEAR 2007- 2008. This means that in the coming years incidents will continue reducing and at one point in time incidents will be unheard of. Secondary fires and false alarms dominated incidents in Merseyside. Most incidents occur in October, November and July. City center experienced the highest amount of incidences since it was the most populated and had several activities going on. Low Hill each year had seen the greatest amount of single house dwelling fires; The Formby station consistently saw the fewest amounts of incidents; The Liverpool stations saw more incidents than any other district; The hotspots for 2004/05 and 2007/08 generally stayed the same. To curb these following can be put in place Automatic fire sprinklers; are life saving equipment for residents. Smoke alarms; are single station stand alone devices that sense smoke and sound alerts and can be put in homes. Education; relevant education should be provided to the public to equip them with life saving skills in case of hazards like fires occurrence. Market fire strategy, this I the most reputable service that has always been used as a safety strategy by fire departments (Evans 2002). References Evans, P, 2002, Controlling people: how to recognize, understand, and deal with people who try to control you, Avon: Adams Media Corp. Kellaway, J, 2005, Analysis of the Last Four Years Incident Data by Station Areas in Merseyside, Journal of Corporate Leadership, 9: 12-27 Macbeth, F, 2011, Playing with Fire: Training for Those Working with Young People in Conflict, Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Moorhead, G, 2011, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Mason: South-Western Rasbash, D., & Kandola, B, 2004, Evaluation of Fire Safety, England, UK: Wiley. United States Fire Administration, 2011, Strategies for marketing your fire department today and beyond, Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Read More

Strategies to change people’s behavior in relation to safety from fire The way in which individuals respond or react in case of fire needs intensive studies to be carried out, this has only been met by very few academicians. The aim of the study is to achieve a clear view of how people respond to fire breakouts. (Moorhead 2011)This was analyzed by a senior researcher in the National Research Council from Canada known as Dr. Guylene Proulx. Some of the types of behaviors included; Concept of panic In the media, television, movies and even when we read emotional novels we always become tensed, this feeling is what we experience in case of fire break outs.

In such cases it is very essential to reduce the moment in time between the commencement of fire and the repression. During this period the occupants of the building must be informed about the emergency in order for them to behave in accordance to the situation (Macbeth, 2011). This is in most cases very hard to attain. Ignoring signs of smoke At the start of fire, fumes of smoke are normally emitted into the air, so in several occasions if the firebreak out is at a far distance the only way to notice is by seeing smoke high in the air or by smelling the fumes.

This instead of giving individuals an early warning most tend to assume and go ahead with their duties as usual. They then later start finding out what is going on and walk towards the scene drawing them closer to the fire. This only increases their chances of falling victims and this is how many people end up being burnt. It is in most instances assumed that people respond immediately to an alarm which is not always the case. People do assume until may be when they run outside the verandas and paths are always filled to capacity with smoke that one ends up running in the direction of fire and get burnt (Macbeth, 2011).

Time of evacuation Apart from letting to respond to warnings in time, Departure period should also be emphasized in terms of exactly when should people leave the scene of fire. Studies reveal that residents usually leave after three minutes which they use to pick up wallets, carry children, call neighbors, and check outside the windows if it is true the house is on fire. So alarms should be early enough to avoid danger. For instance in America it is not cool to start running all of a sudden, one is suppose to be in control look around first, and then react.

Cues and signals This is vital and should be taken serious but we find that people ignore alarms since most of them are always false, prank, or test alarms. This has since instilled some sense into some residence that these alarms are always false. The most appropriate method to alert people is by use of information means that gives particular directions to the residents (Moorhead, 2011). Some changes can also be made in the surrounding like lowering loud music in bars. Protect in place The delay for several hours in leaving the scenes of danger after noticing fire cues can be as a result of several reasons like not hearing the alarms and condition of the body at the time of the warning.

For instance people with disabilities cannot evacuate high rise buildings on their own in time. Strategies that change people’s behavior Efficient managerial system; proper management system can organize itself in a way that fire issues are well taken care of to avoid inconveniences incase of any break out. Proper ways of prediction; when fire break outs are noticed in time, it gives allowance for people to evacuate and avoid being caught up (Evans, 2002). Prevention techniques; this takes care of what people should have in order to avoid fire break outs like putting fire extinguishers in places that are strategic in houses, offices and so on.

Preparedness; People are always advised to be aware of anything that might occur so as to act in time in case of anything. Immediate medical response should be put in place like Red Cross Society and Flying Doctors Service. Assistance; people should always be ready to assist victims in case of fire breakout by rushing them to hospitals, giving first aid and doing any other activity that can assist.

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