Fire Drill Research Articles

Emergency egress for the elderly in care home fire situations

SummaryPractitioners are continuing to develop egress modelling software for the design of the built environment. These models require data about human behaviour and factors for calibration, validation and verification. This study aims to address the specific data and knowledge gap: emergency egress of the elderly. Such data are difficult to collect given privacy and consent concerns, with strong relationships generally being required between residences and researchers. Through the observation of nine fire drills at six Canadian long‐term care (LTC) and retirement homes, specific evacuation actions and behaviour were observed for 37 staff members and information about the evacuation of 56 residents was collected. These drills demonstrated that emergency egress in LTC and retirement homes is highly staff dependent with 72% of residents recorded requiring full assistance at all stages of movement in evacuation, and that the type of announced/unannounced drill and level of resident care will affect the type of data collected. The development of travel speed and pre‐movement is discussed subject to limitation with qualitative behavioural insights of residents that were observed. This study provides valuable methodological discussion on how to conduct behavioural studies in similar highly restricted research environments. Specific attention is given to understanding the considerations that must be made when using fire drills as data sources, and the impact that these can have on using such data for modelling. This study may inform the initial setup and programming of evacuation models from an actions and behavioural perspectives of staff members and residents.

Oil Depot Safety Inspection and Emergency Training System Based on Virtual Reality Technology

An oil depot safety inspection and emergency training system based on VR technology is proposed in this paper for the safety inspection and emergency training with the problems of high cost, high risk, difficulty to repeat, unsatisfactory training effect and single form in hazardous chemical industry such as oil-gas storage. The system utilizes VR development engine, applies 3D Max, Unity 3D and Visual Studio and other development software to complete 3D scenarios building and visualization of the oil depot, furthermore, achieves highly realistic picture effects by HD scriptable render pipeline technology, so as to realize dynamic simulation of various application scenarios such as realistic three-dimensional roaming, knowledge learning, safety inspection and typical fire accident emergency drill. The application results show that the system can effectively improve the pertinence, interesting, operability and implementation effect of oil depot safety inspection and emergency training, so as to achieve the purposes for improving the level of safety knowledge and skill and reducing safety accident.

Egress Parameters Influencing Emergency Evacuation in High-Rise Buildings

Fire in buildings pose a significant threat to occupants, first responders as well as the structural system. Rapid spread of fire and smoke in buildings can hinder the process of evacuation resulting in loss of human life. Such situations call for a reliable egress system that provides safe evacuation of occupants in minimal time. Updating the occupants and first responders with much-needed situational awareness such as accessible stairwells and exits during the disaster can not only lead to efficient evacuation but also shorten the duration of evacuation in some scenarios. This paper examines occupant evacuation scenarios in fire exposed high-rise buildings. A parametric study is carried out on evacuation strategies in a 32-story typical office building during different fire exposure scenarios. The movement of occupants with and without situational awareness is simulated. The effect of critical parameters such as number of stories, width of the egress paths, location and number of exits on the evacuation process is evaluated. The time required for occupants to evacuate the building is estimated under normal conditions (to simulate fire evacuation drill) and under realistic fire exposure. Results from the study indicate that the two most significant factors that influence evacuation time are the location of stairway within the building and the floors at which fire starts. When fire starts at the lower levels of the building, the evacuation time is the highest. More importantly, if situational awareness is incorporated in emergency evacuation procedure, it can improve the evacuation efficiency in a fire exposed high-rise building; wherein up to 24% reduction in evacuation time is achieved.

Smoke Hazard Assessment Model Based on Fire Dynamics Simulator and FED Model

Smoke is the main cause of fire death. In order to minimize the potential danger of smoke hazard, a rational VR based fire training simulator should fully consider all aspects of smoke hazard. In the simulator, the visualization of data based on FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) and FED fire dynamic data and volume rendering is further optimized, which can be effectively and quickly applied to virtual fire protection. In addition, a comprehensive smoke hazard assessment model based on FED and FED is established to assess the IHD value of different paths, which represents the safety of different paths, and can be used for evacuation or rescue in virtual training. Taking the case of campus fire drill as an experiment, the research shows the accuracy and effectiveness of smoke assessment based on FDS and FED model. The road force with the highest safety can be selected through the comprehensive model. So the assessment model is proved to be valuable.

Violence in Schools: Rare and Preventable With a ‘Culture of Safety’

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article ProfessionalFull AccessViolence in Schools: Rare and Preventable With a ‘Culture of Safety’Mark MoranMark MoranSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:5 Dec 2019https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2019.12a15Abstract“See Something, Say Something” programs that encourage young people to come forward with concerns about someone who may exhibit signs of being potentially violent are part of a “safe school culture.”Twenty years after the mass shooting at Columbine High School, some American schools have become high-security zones with elaborate procedures for entry into the property, active-shooter lockdown drills, and zero-tolerance policies that allow students to be suspended for minor infractions. But schools are safer than the public has been led to believe by media attention to high-profile mass shootings, and at least some of these policies and practices that schools are employing may be counterproductive, according to the report “Mass Violence in America: Causes, Impacts, and Solutions” by the National Council on Behavioral Health (NCBH).“Your child is safer in school than she is driving with you in your car,” said Joseph Parks, M.D., medical director of the NCBH, at a session on mass violence at the IPS: The Mental Health Services Conference in October in New York. He was joined by John Rozel, M.D., an expert in threat assessment and president of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry (see story).They summarized the findings and conclusions of the National Council report, emphasizing the need for a public health—rather than a punitive or fear-based—approach to prevention of mass violence. The report addresses mass violence in general, but Parks and Rozel highlighted some special recommendations for schools.A priority of a public health approach to violence in schools is creating a positive climate for students to come forward because of mental health problems or concerns about other students who may be troubled.“See Something, Say Something” programs that encourage students to approach authorities with information about a possible threat are essential in the creation of a culture and climate of safety, allowing timely, nonpunitive identification of students displaying mental distress.A culture of safety also includes adequate teacher-student ratios and resources to provide in-school mental health and substance use evaluation and treatment or means for referral. And schools should make information about mental health widely available; the council recommendations specifically cite “Typical or Troubled?,” the APA Foundation program designed to help school personnel and others distinguish young people who are at risk or in need of treatment for mental or substance use disorders.At the IPS presentation, Rozel and Parks underscored several practices and policies that schools should not employ. Among them:Zero tolerance suspension policies. Many schools have adopted policies prohibiting not only guns or knives but all manner of objects or utensils that might be regarded as potentially dangerous, with suspensions or expulsions for violations. But suspensions and expulsions may increase a student’s isolation, alienation, and feelings of injustice and sense of hopelessness, which increase risk.High-cost hard security measures. Schools should avoid measures that create a correctional facility–like atmosphere such as bulletproof glass, armed security guards, and metal detectors. These are costly and, as physical reminders of potential danger, can create a threatening atmosphere and an environment not conducive to education. Less heavy-handed measures such as limited entry points into the school and surveillance cameras can be just as effective and less intrusive.Extremely realistic and dramatic active shooter drills. Some schools have employed surprise enactments with drawn guns and injury makeup. These can be traumatizing. “Shooter drills should be no more stressful or realistic than fire drills,” according to the council report. ■ ISSUES NewArchived

Polysemy and cognitive linguistics. The case of vána

Abstract The aim of this paper is to address the problem of the polysemy of Sanskrit words using the example of the meanings of the word vána used in the Ṛgveda (“a tree, wood, forest, fire drill, vessel for Soma, water and material of the world”). I will show that the methodology of cognitive linguistics is very useful to analyse the rational background of polysemy and its conceptual consistency. The basis for my analysis is three assumptions accepted in cognitive linguistics: 1. the meaning of words reflects thinking about the designate; 2. thinking is motivated by experience and cultural beliefs; 3. the associations between semantic aspects of the word can be modelled as conceptual metonymy, conceptual metaphor and conceptual blending. On the basis of these assumptions, I will reconstruct the semantic structure of the word vána. It is a radial category, the centre of which is constituted by its most literal meaning, “tree”, and its metonymic extensions, i.e. wood and forest. The meanings of things made of wood (i.e. fire drill and vessel) are also close to the central meaning and are metonymic extensions. The meanings of water and the material of the world are metaphoric extensions of the central meaning and more peripheral. They are based on cultural beliefs and models shared by the Ṛgvedic poets. I will also argue that the Ṛgvedic poets consciously shaped the semantics of the word vána by using it in contexts which forced the recipient to activate its less literal meanings. Thus they could create a general concept of the hiding place of desirable goods, such as fire, Soma, the sun, and the world.

Level of Awareness on Disaster Preparedness

This paper investigated the Level of Awareness on Disaster Preparedness of the residents of Mimbalot, Buru-un, Iligan City. Stakeholders, community, and the school focal people were involved in this project. Purok Enablers and Purok Presidents, who facilitated the survey, were subjected to orientation on how to conduct the survey. The collection of data started with the giving of the survey forms to the residents using the researcher–made a survey written in native language (Sinugbuanong Bisaya) for clear understanding. The processes of the project start from gathering, analyzing, and reporting the data gathered. After gathering and analyzing the data, result revealed that respondents are vulnerable to the presence of trees and more than half of them don’t have emergency exits, kits, and hotlines. With the result, respondents were given brochures and leaflets to be oriented and educated of the importance of being prepare during emergencies in addition to involving them in earthquake and fire drills, and meetings on disaster risk management in the school.

A basic study on standardization of fire-fighting drill scenarios on board

ABSTRACTFire-fighting drill is conducted by the crew assuming that fire is occurred on board; in most cases, engine room drill is carried out due to high possibility of fire occurrence. In general, fire-fighters attempt to extinguish the fire and if fail, the fixed fire extinguishing system is operated. In this connection, fire drill scenario is very important not only for improving crew’s fire-fighting competency but also for fire-fighters’ safety. During the drill, captain should decide fire-fighters’ entry and withdrawal. However, in most vessels, the time to withdraw from the fire scene is not indicated, but the decisions are left to the fire-fighters based on the air bottle’s low pressure alarm. In this study, for a basic study on standardization of fire-fighting drill scenarios, by the experiments on the training ship with apprentice officers and analysis of ship’s drawings, the time required for crew assembling, the arrival time to fire scene, the time to wear fire-fighter’s outfit, the moving time of fire-fighters in fire scene depending on the flat ground or the stairs, and the water pressure in fire hose were considered. Moreover, the allowable time for fire-fighting work was estimated by analysis of working time limitation based on the air consumption of the self-contained breathing apparatus. As a result, basic model standard fire-fighting drill scenario was developed showing the action guideline according to the time elapsed. The model standard scenario can be modified by each ship’s circumstance, and this will be a great assistance to ensure the safety of fire-fighters and ship.

A Study on Professional Career Improvement of Air Force Firefighters Through Education and Training

Military air bases accommodate large-scale ammunition storage facilities that can potentially cause huge damage to human life and property. Therefore, the Air Force fire department in a military airfield is required to effectively educate and train firefighters based on the Air Force fire safety manual not only to prevent fire proliferation, but also to rescue pilots and people from aircrafts and military facilities. However, it was found that there are several factors that impede the professional career improvement of the fire department. These factors include theory-dependent fire education training methods, lack of fire drill procedures, shortage of safety instructors, and limitations of fire expert training. This study proposes several potential solutions to elevate the knowledge and skills of the Air Force firefighters for effective fire prevention and rescue operations by restructuring the practical education and training systems through case analysis and comparison. Keywords: Air Fore Fire Protection, Career Certificate, Air Force Fire Education Training

Crew Capability Assessment in Using Portable Fire Extinguisher during Fire Drill Implementation on MV. Vinca

Years ago, a fire extinguisher was invented as an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control fires in emergencies. On board, fire extinguisher plays an important role to prevent and overcome any danger or threat resulted from a fire. Thus, crew’s capability in using the fire extinguishers is highly needed. In this case, crews are supposed to be trained in using the fire extinguisher by implementing a fire drill (at least once a month). However, in fact, in this research, it was found that most of MV. Vinca’s crews were not aware of fire-fighting procedure especially on how to use the portable fire extinguisher. This phenomenon was the reason why this research was conducted focusing on the crew’s low capability in using portable fire extinguishers during the fire drill implementation. The data were collected through observation, structured interviews, documentary studies, and library research. The data were then analyzed by using Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Urgency, Seriousness, Growth (USG). Based on the analysis, it was found that the crews had a low capability in using a portable fire extinguisher. There were some reasons: (1) They lacked the knowledge and understanding about portable fire extinguisher; (2) The fire drills were not seriously carried out; (3) The portable fire extinguishers were in bad condition due to the absence of periodic and regular maintenance. In order to overcome the problem, training and guidance for the crews about the various types of portable fire extinguisher and their uses are highly needed; fire drills need to be performed seriously. Moreover, regular maintenance to the fire-fighting equipment also needs to be carried out.

Experimental research of human evacuation in the case of a fire drill

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the human evacuation in the case of a fire drill by two different means: experimental research - “real fire drill” and numerical simulation - “virtual fire drill”.The analyzed building can house a large number of people and its inner atrium can facilitate the spread of smoke and hot gases in the case of a real fire.The evacuation drill was performed with about 50 students, located at the 2nd floor of the building, in two amphitheaters. They could evacuate themselves through two closed staircases to the ground floor of the building and then outside, through two exit doors.The second purpose of this study is to establish, for the given case, if the used computer software can simulate the crowd movement and compute the travel times in accordance with the experimental research.Another important subject is whether the computer software FDS+Evac - based on the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) to simulate the crowd movement - can correctly identify the shortest escape path because one of the staircases, with its correspondent ground floor exit, is closer to the two analyzed amphitheaters.Following the numerical analysis, it was concluded that for the considered scenario, the differences between the “real fire drill” and the “virtual fire drill” are acceptable from an engineering point of view.FDS+Evac can simulate with high degree of credibility human movement in case of a fire drill.

RFES: a real-time fire evacuation system for Mobile Web3D

There are many bottlenecks that limit the computing power of the Mobile Web3D and they need to be solved before implementing a public fire evacuation system on this platform. In this study, we focus on three key problems: (1) The scene data for large-scale building information modeling (BIM) are huge, so it is difficult to transmit the data via the Internet and visualize them on the Web; (2) The raw fire dynamic simulator (FDS) smoke diffusion data are also very large, so it is extremely difficult to transmit the data via the Internet and visualize them on the Web; (3) A smart artificial intelligence fire evacuation app for the public should be accurate and real-time. To address these problems, the following solutions are proposed: (1) The large-scale scene model is made lightweight; (2) The amount of dynamic smoke is also made lightweight; (3) The dynamic obstacle maps established from the scene model and smoke data are used for optimal path planning using a heuristic method. We propose a real-time fire evacuation system based on the ant colony optimization (RFES-ACO) algorithm with reused dynamic pheromones. Simulation results show that the public could use Mobile Web3D devices to experience fire evacuation drills in real time smoothly. The real-time fire evacuation system (RFES) is efficient and the evacuation rate is better than those of the other two algorithms, i.e., the leader-follower fire evacuation algorithm and the random fire evacuation algorithm.

Response to a Fire Incident in the Operation Room: A Cautionary Tale.

Health care facilities are always seen as places of haven and protection for managing external incidents, but situations become difficult and challenging when such facilities themselves are affected by internal hazards. Such incidents are arguably more disruptive than external incidents, because patients are dependent on supportive measures and are neither in position to respond to such crisis situation nor do they know how to respond. Operating room fires are rare but potentially catastrophic, involving loss of costly resources and possibly lives. This case report details a true operating room fire incident in an emergency operating room and details the real-life challenges encountered by operating room staff in preserving both life and property. As a result of this work, precautionary measures may be implemented to mitigate such incidents. Careful coordination, continuous training, and fire drill exercises can improve the overall outcomes and minimize the possibility of these potentially fatal problems, thereby making a safer health care environment for every worker and patient.

Virtual fire drill system supporting co-located collaboration

Background Due to the restriction of display mode, in most of the virtual reality systems with multiple people in the same physical space, the program renders the scene based on the position and perspective of the one user, so that other users just see the same scene, resulting in vision disorder. Methods To improve experience of multi-user co-located collaboration, in this study, we propose a fire drill system supporting co-located collaboration, in which three co-located users can collaborate to complete the virtual firefighting mission. Firstly, with multi-view stereoscopic projective display technology and ultra wideband (UWB) technology, co-located users can roam independently and watch virtual scenes through the correct perspective view based on their own position by wearing dedicated shutter glasses, thus carrying out different virtual tasks, which improves the flexibility of co-located collaboration. Secondly, we design simulated firefighting water-gun using the micro-electromechanical system sensor, through which users can interact with virtual environment, and thus provide a better interactive experience. Finally, we develop a workbench including a holographic display module and multi-touch operation module for virtual scene assembly and virtual environment control. Results The controller can use the workbench to adjust the virtual layout in real time, and control the virtual task process to increase the flexibility and playability of system. Conclusions Our work can be employed in a wide range of related virtual reality applications.

Challenges of disaster training: implication for federal and state university libraries in Nigeria

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges affecting disaster training in federal and state university libraries in Southwest Nigeria with a view to finding ways of overcoming them.Design/methodology/approachHaving adopted the descriptive research design, 14 university libraries (seven each of federal and state) were selected from the Southwest geo-political zone of Nigeria. The total enumeration sampling technique was employed. Questionnaire and interview methods were used for data collection. The three research questions that guided the study were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation and ranking. Judgments were drawn using real limit of numbers and 2.50 as criterion mean.FindingsResults emanated from the study showed that university libraries in the studied region are more equipped to fight fire disaster than any other emergency which is why fire drills and exercises are the prevailing disaster training received by library staff. It was also found that inadequate disaster facilities and equipment as well as poor funding were the greatest challenges confronting disaster training. The provision of adequate disaster facilities and equipment with the constitution of disaster prevention and response team was found as the most potent strategy for addressing the identified challenges.Originality/valueThe study lends strong empirical evidence for the underlining factors affecting disaster training in federal and state university libraries as well as academic libraries in general. The strategies for addressing the identified challenges are of more significance.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Their Predictors in Earthquake or Fire Survivors

In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and previous knowledge of emergency management, sense of control over the stressor, perceived threat, and somatic symptoms in earthquake and fire survivors.. The data were obtained from the 2009-database of the Izmir Province Fire Department to include the people who had experienced domestic fire (n=92), from the people who had applied to the Health Group Directory after the 2005 earthquake in Seferihisar (n=38) and from the staff of a third step hospital who experienced a fire in public building in 2010 (n=34). The Impact of Events Scale-revised version (IES-R) was used to determine the traumatic stress levels of the participants; and the Behavior, Security, and Culture - Survivor (BeSeCu- S) questionnaire was used to acquire information on factors before and after the traumatic events. Compared to the fire survivors, the earthquake survivors perceived higher levels of threat and lower levels of control during the event gender, perceived threat, somatic symptoms experienced during the event and perceived control over the event were found to predict the post-traumatic stress disorder. Results of the research suggested that control-focused treatment METHODS could be effective in treatment of people who had experienced earthquake and fire. It is observed that informing the public about emergency management would be protective for mental health by increasing the sense of control of the individuals at the time of the incident. On the other hand, the positive relationship between PTSD and previous knowledge on emergency suggests that the ringing alarms and practice errors during the fire and earthquake drills could traumatize people. Future research is recommended on the relationship between information processing, somatic symptoms and emotional processes in individuals during earthquake, fire and their drills.

Beep: Inside the Unseen World of Baseball for the Blind by David Wanczyk

Reviewed by: Beep: Inside the Unseen World of Baseball for the Blind by David Wanczyk Sandra Marchetti (bio) David Wanczyk. Beep: Inside the Unseen World of Baseball for the Blind. Swallow Press, 2018. What is it like to love something that wants no part of you? This is the relationship women, minorities, and people with disabilities have long had with sports, including baseball. It's long been a game reserved for able-bodied white men and we still see the effects of colonialism and racism at the highest levels of the game today. That's where the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA), or "Beep ball," takes its cue. This sport—modified baseball played with a 16-inch beeping softball, without second base, and with (sighted) pitcher and (blind) batter on the same team, was invented for the blind, by the blind. The NBBA plays a World Series every summer in which 18 teams participate; recent years of the Series are chronicled in this book. David Wanczyk, the author of Beep, expresses the fact that the NBAA's brand of baseball is something that makes these men and women feel fully alive, redeemed back into the culture of sport. But, outside a few tiny connections with Major [End Page 245] League Baseball, such as when a top Beep team, the Austin Blackhawks, travels to the Dominican Republic to introduce the sport on the island and Pedro Martinez shows up for the ceremonies, the league is not much connected to the mainstream game. Despite this, Wanczyk says his aim in the book is to portray the players as ballplayers—nothing more, nothing less. We hear about athletes putting "Twinkies in each others' cleats" and ragging on each other constantly. He also regales us with some politically incorrect, but funny stories that the (mostly male) athletes tell about being blind. One player is mocked when he reveals that his high school football team went 0-38 over the course of his career. His Beep ball teammate mentions, "Really?…You had a blind starting player." At points, these players reveal themselves as racists, misogynists, homophobes, and even bullies. One player feels the need to mention to Wanczyk that "we're not all racist." However, Wanczyk cannot escape portraying these men as heroes: …the challenge was to show them in all theirrough-and-tumble glory. That toughness is what brought beep beyond the canned inspirationalnarrative. Still, these guys were members of a groupthat was not mine, and figuring out how to presentthem was a dilemma. Wanczyk should be applauded for wrestling with these sentiments, and for attempting not to romanticize the players or the game, yet a good portion of the first half of the book does read like inspirational "road to the Olympics" portraits—histories of kids losing their sight in terrible accidents, blind kids taken advantage of, blind adults who still feel that a part of them is missing. Clearly Wanczyk's heart goes out to the players and he is enamored with their courage. It's easy for the reader to empathize with them as well. In Beep, disability does seem to categorize the players as "inspirations," but the fact that they are sports stars, "the best at what they do" in the world, makes them heroes for Wanczyk as well. Another complicated layer to the tale is that the athletes are being worshipped despite their troubling behaviors. The American players repeatedly distrust and degrade the Taiwan Homerun team—one example is calling the team's play a "Chinese fire drill." So many of the athletes we applaud in America are deeply flawed: Aroldis Chapman, Ray Lewis, and Josh Hader to name a recent few. Wanczyk falls victim to what many of us want from sports when he says, "I still wanted my childhood story, revised, and I wanted to give baseball to my daughter the way my parents had given it to me." He is hoping to share in the nostalgia thickly woven through the history of the game—revered old timers, Garden of Eden-like ballparks, and records that will never be broken. Wanczyk speaks to how baseball is ingrained in us when he says, "Summer...

基于Unity3D的高校实验室消防演练系统

基于Unity3D的高校实验室消防演练系统

Integration of Virtual Reality Fire Drill Application into Authentic Learning Environments

In this study, a virtual reality fire drill application was developed with Head-Mounted Display virtual reality technology for university students. The aim of the study is to evaluate the integration process of this virtual reality application into authentic learning environments in terms of student opinions. Case study methodology was used in the study. The results show that this technology provides useful and permanent learning, practice opportunity to students, and this technology increases the motivation and engagement to the courses as well. It has been pointed out by the students that this technology should be used as a practice environment after the theoretical courses in authentic learning environments because this technology can save time and prevent cost lost in addition to avoiding risk factors. The physical environment of the classes can be improved and wireless virtual reality goggles can be used for using this technology, more effectively and efficiently as a course support material in authentic learning environments. Keywords: Virtual reality; Head-Mounted Display; virtual fire drill; authentic learning environments

Integration of virtual reality fire drill application into authentic learning environments

In this study, a virtual reality (VR) fire drill application was developed with head-mounted display VR technology for university students. The aim of the study is to evaluate the integration process of this VR application into authentic learning environments in terms of student opinions. Case study methodology was used in the study. The results show that this technology provides useful and permanent learning, practice opportunity to students, and this technology increases the motivation and engagement to the courses as well. It has been pointed out by the students that this technology should be used as a practice environment after the theoretical courses in authentic learning environments because this technology can save time and prevent cost lost in addition to avoiding risk factors. The physical environment of the classes can be improved and wireless VR goggles can be used for using this technology, more effectively and efficiently as a course support material in authentic learning environments.Keywords: Virtual reality, head-mounted display, virtual fire drill, authentic learning environments.* ADDRESS