Human behaviour in fire: should the fire service stop telling and start listening?

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the work being carried out by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) to build a comprehensive database of the behaviours and motivations of those experiencing accidental fires occurring in dwellings. It is an approach that is predicated upon the desire to listen to and learn from those who actually experience such fires. Design/methodology/approach – The work started with a qualitative pilot study, comprising ten semi-structured, in-depth interviews with those who experienced injuries in accidental dwelling fires (ADFs). This informed the design of the subsequent post-ADF questionnaire survey. Findings – The paper demonstrated a strong desire among interviewees to tackle the fire themselves. The paper highlights a number of risk factors and also found that decisions to call the fire service were often secondary to other aims and concerns, including issues related to shame and guilt. Research limitations/implications – The small sample size means that the data have no statistical validity. Practical implications – The project offers a variety of benefits to all aspects of the UK fire service. The work's success and national implications have generated a large amount of interest in the sector, resulting KFRS working with other fire and rescue services in South East England to adopt it as a regional project. Originality/value – The work marks, arguably, the first attempt in almost 30 years to develop a comprehensive understanding of human behaviour in dwelling fires.