Strategies for Behaviour Change and Fire Safety - Merseyside Station Area - Case Study Example

Community Fire Safety Merseyside Station Area Name of Student: Student No: Date: Name of Supervisor: Contents Contents 2 Table of Figures 2 Introduction 3 Risk Assessment 3 Strategies for Behaviour Change and Fire Safety 5 Managing Information Efficiently 6 Statistical Evidence used to Determine Future Strategies 8 Conclusion 10 References 11 Table of Figures Figure 1: Map of Station areas in Merseyside 4 Figure 2: Distribution of causes of secondary fires in the UK, in 2007. Source: Fire Statistics, 2007 8 Introduction A comparison of Merseyside station area fire incidences show that these reduced by 6,536 in the 2007/2008 period as compared to 2004/05 which is our baseline. Out of this, secondary fires occurred 1,995 times less than in the baseline period. The incidences were studied over four years and the results showed that the City Centre station, C2/C3 recorded 8,158 incidents, which was the highest for the area. This number could be attributed to the fact that 66.3% of the incidents reported were false alarms. Single Dwelling House Fires were highest at C4 Low Hill, which recorded consistently over 100 house fires annually. Secondary fires recorded saw E1 St Helens and N3 Croxteth being constantly among the top three. The former recorded 3,994 secondary fires while the latter had 3,807. This was followed by E3 Huyton which had 3,182. This essay will attempt to assess the statistical information available for Merseyside in this four-year period and come up with a strategy in which the community’s safety can be upgraded in at-risk areas. Risk Assessment In order to assess societal risk, it is first necessary to characterize it. Therefore, societal risk is defined as the measure of risk a group of people face. Mathematically, it is illustrated as the frequency distribution of multiple casualty events (F-N curve). Another way to express it is as that given the probability of 100 fatalities at place x, then y becomes the societal risk measure. In order to accurately estimate societal risk, it is necessary to describe the population which is at risk within the location, x. This encompasses type of population, chances of human presence at the scene of the incident and extenuating factors (Renjith and Madhu, 2010). The Merseyside population is divided by station areas which are labelled as outlined in the figure below; Figure 1: Map of Station areas in Merseyside There are several societal risks that exacerbate the possibility of fire in the community. Some of these risks are; From Chart 2 in the Merseyside report (2009) it can be seen that the largest percentage at 39.7% of fires reported were secondary fires stemming from bonfires, abandoned buildings, and rubbish fires. This means that failure to guard against grass fires in warm weather can be a risk factor as occurred in the 2005/06 season which saw persistent warm weather. Others are the timber-frame that experts have called a huge fire risk (Walker, 2010). The incidences of fire were mapped according to station and the results were varied with some areas exhibiting higher risk factors than others. The city centre station consistently reports the greatest number of incidents while St. Helens and Croxeth are normally the locations where secondary fires are reported most. This means either that the number of abandoned buildings at these sites is higher than at other places or rubbish and bonfires are frequently left untended. Other risks could be the predominant presence of dry grass, or extremely warm weather. Finally, there could be a higher number of open spaces that are conducive to burning activities. The heat of July and the windy conditions in October and November could account for the fact that they are peak incident months. St John’s Precinct remains a hotspot for false alarms while Low Hill has the highest number of single house dwelling fires. On the other hand, the fewest incidents were consistently reported at the Formby station while Liverpool had the highest number of incidents of any station. These statistics have not changed over the four-year period under study. What this tells us is that there are persistent risk factors in those particular communities. Strategies for Behaviour Change and Fire Safety Situational awareness can be defined in various ways but what it generally means is the ability of people’s perceptions to be commensurate with reality. When it comes to fire safety, it is important for any potential victims to keep up with the changing fire potential in order to be up to date with what is actually occurring. It is important that they recognise when conditions become critical (Gonzales, 2005). This phenomenon never lives up to the theory as actual situations in which fire is a risk are fraught with complexities. It is important for people to be made aware of mindfulness in order to enable their understanding of situational awareness. This entails self-comprehension and understanding the environment, maintaining alertness toward expectations, while refining and differentiating these expectations as the individual undergoes new experiences into creation of new expectations (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2001). Thus in order to ensure safety from fire situations, it is pertinent that the population be educated on how to maintain situational awareness. In this way, they can spot the potential danger of fire risks such as rubbish fires and bonfires and take steps to modify the risk. In order to perpetuate good mindfulness, two elements must be present; ‘preoccupation with failure’ and ‘commitment to resilience’. These are necessary to ensure situational awareness. When they are absent, it is possible that significant signs will be missed leading to a lack of readiness to combat unanticipated incidences. The propensity to seek validation and reject denigration is an inherent human characteristic which is exacerbated in high-pressure situations. Individuals will look for affirming information and downplay that which is not affirming or contrary to their expectations (Weick and Sutcliffe, 2001). Furthermore, at the most basic level, humanity is prone to fragmentary attention, heightened emotion, tiredness and stupidity (Gonzales, 2005). What this means is that any strategy that is attempting to mitigate against fire or any other hazard must take these factors into account. Managing Information Efficiently There are various tools and techniques that can be used to manage information in a way that it is disseminated to the widest number of people. These methods are summarised in the table below; Tools And Techniques Description Unique Selling Point Case Study Account of a project’s development and results. Contributes to the common experience. Rapid Evidence Review A methodical examination of research and other data creating a synopsis of the information base in a particular area. It can be used as a base on which to build and enable creation of a comprehensive strategy. Knowledge Banks (Web Databases) Repositories of accumulated information (research/ evidence/best practice), gathered via different tools and techniques, and shared on websites and toolkits. Mass collection of gathered knowledge in a particular area at your fingertips. Table 1: Methods of information dissemination. Source: Leask et al, 2008. Information literacy can be termed as the ability effectively source and examine data in order to satisfy a desire for information (ALA, 1989). The characteristics of information literacy require a list of skills to enable their utilisation. This definition has various aspects to it according to Demo (1986 and Behrens (1994). These aspects are research approach and assessment as well as comprehension and evaluation of data. It is also important to know that there are various sources of information and a specific outlook such as the understanding of the need for information and the correct use of it (Demo, 1986; Behrens, 1994). In order to manage information effectively, it is important that the recipients are literate in the search for information and are aware of its importance in their lives. Otherwise the dissemination will be ignored and not much will be achieved. In the management of information on fire safety, the Merseyside Fire and Rescue office commissioned a study to be done to analyse the statistical information garnered in the four years from 2004 to 2008 on incidences of fire. This information needs to be managed in such a way that these incidences are reduced. To that end, the cause of the drop in fire incidences needs to be determined as well as the composition of the population and mitigating factors, in order to determine societal risk. Once this is done, minimising that risk is the next agenda for the stakeholders. This involves educating the public on what factors increase their risk from fire so as to increase their situational awareness. Statistical Evidence used to Determine Future Strategies From the statistical information gathered, St Helens and Croxeth have the highest number of secondary fires over the four-year span. According to fire statistics (2007) the cause of secondary fires is outlined in figure 2 below. The largest percentage of secondary fires was caused by refuse and derelict fires. This means that in order to reduce the fires the management of refuse must be a priority especially in high incidence areas such as St Helens and Croxeth. Garbage disposal management must be carried out in such a way that residents are not obliged to burn their own trash and therefore minimise the risk of fire. The public must be educated on the hazards of refuse fires in order to garner their cooperation in seeking other solutions. Figure 2: Distribution of causes of secondary fires in the UK, in 2007. Source: Fire Statistics, 2007 Grassland fires are usually the result of dry grass catching fire due to lightening as occurred in central Idaho in 2003(Close, 2005) or to extremely warm temperatures that may cause dry grass to become easily flammable. Reduction of risk from this would involve regular inspection of the area by fire monitors, ensuring that grass was cut regularly to keep it at a manageable height and if possible, damping down the area with water trucks to keep the grass from getting extremely dry. The number of derelict buildings present in the St Helens and Croxeth areas is beyond the scope of this report but as a possible source of secondary fires, it is important that regular surveillance be carried out on the building as well as the shutting down of any power supply sources to the building. Accumulation of debris left by possible squatters should be minimised through regular inspections, and city workers might be seconded to clear up any of the debris that may be present. In the long run, such buildings need to be remodelled or pulled down in order to eliminate the possible hazard it represents. There is also need to investigate why there is such a big difference between the incidence of secondary fires at St Helens and Croxeth at 3,994 and 3,807 respectively, as compared to the number three spot which was taken by Huyton whose incidence was at 3,182. The reasons behind the significant drop in incidence need to be investigated in order to ascertain whether that knowledge can be used to reduce the fire incidences in the two highest risk areas. Formby had the lowest numbers of fires at 270. This is significant because even in the number of false alarms, Formby had the lowest at 282. A case study would be beneficial to evaluate what safety measures they have in place that reduces their fire risk as compared to other areas. The number of fires occurring in various type s of buildings is significantly less than other types of fires. This is broken down into single house dwellings that were 4% of the total fires and other buildings had 4.9% of total fires. This could be attributed to the free Home Fire Safety Checks provided by Merseyside Fire and Rescue as well as installation of smoke detectors in most buildings. The introduction of sprinkler systems in every new construction as well as installation in old buildings would go a long way toward reducing the spread of fire in any building. Conclusion Community fire safety is an important issue in terms of safeguarding the lives and property of the population at Merseyside. While the numbers of fires continue to reduce by the year, the difference in numbers is not sufficiently significant for complaisance to set in. Additional research needs to be done in order to ascertain what the risk factors are for fire in the Merseyside area and what the causes of fire in the area are. This would be helpful in constructing intervention strategies going forward. References ALA. (1989). ALA Presidential Committee on Information Literacy Final Report. Chicago: American Library Association ALA. Behrens, S. J. (1994). A conceptual analysis and historical overview of information literacy. College and Research Libraries, 55(4), 309-322. Close, K.R. (2005). Fire Behaviour vs. Human Behaviour: Why the Lessons from Cramer Matter. Eighth International Wildland Fire Safety Summit, April 26-28, Missoula, MT. Demo, W. (1986). The idea of information literacy in the age of high tech. Unpublished paper, Tompkins Cortland Community College, Dryden, NY. ED 282 537. Fire Statistics. (2007). Department for Communities and Local Government: London, August. Leask, M, Lee, C., Milner, T., Norton, M., and Rathod, D. (2008). Knowledge Management Tools And Techniques: Improvement And Development Agency For Local Government Helping You Access The Right Knowledge At The Right Time. IDeA knowledge management strategy team. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services. (2009). Analysis of the Last Four Years Incident Data by Station Areas in Merseyside (2004/05 – 2007/08). Committee CFO 017 APPENDIX A.doc Renjith, V.R. and Madhu, G. (2010). Individual and societal risk analysis and mapping of human vulnerability to chemical accidents in the vicinity of an industrial area. International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, Dindigul Volume 1, No1. Walker, P. (2010). New social housing may be fire risk, experts warn. Retrieved from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/aug/23/social-housing-timber-frame-fire-risk Read More