A behavioral approach to reducing fires in public housing

Abstract

In an effort to reduce the fire incidence among the 19,000 low-income residents of the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA), a 35-minute fire-safety training program was developed and presented to every new head-of-household during his or her initial orientation session. The content of the program was determined through an analysis of nine years of MHA fire incidents and their causes, as well as discussions with residents about the context in which risky fire behaviors occur and training approaches that might be effective. The program also contained a component where trainees made a formal, written commitment to engage in self-selected fire-safety behaviors. Data on fire incidence after 15 months indicated that the 2,340 residents who received the training were almost five times less likely to experience a fire than untrained residents. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.