Fire Investigation - Coursework Example

Fire invеstigаtiоn mussеllаm Name: Institution: Course: Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Factors relevant to an individual 3 Factors relevant to a group 5 The impact of the physical setting 7 The impact of the characteristics of the fire 7 Case studies in relation to fire management 8 Conclusion 9 References 9 Introduction Fire as a hazard to life and property has been analysed and found to be caused by actions and omissions that individuals and groups do at the fire scene. In fact, this is a scenario that can easily be controlled if people can be more sensitive in fighting and stopping cases of fire (Chiefs & Association, 2012). This essay tries to highlight all the cases where human errors have been spotted to be the number one cause for causing fires or preventing quick stoppage of fires (Cote & Bugbee, 1988). The essay gives factors that cause fire as related to individuals and those that are related to groups of people. The key thing that can help stop fires in time is therefore wise decisions and actions performed by people. Every action taken by an individual in a fire incident counts: this calls for individuals to try to apply rules and regulations relating to fire accurately to save on life and property loses. Factors relevant to an individual There have been a series of research on this topic and conclusions show that individual behaviour is actually a major cause of most fires. One of the factors that relate to individual’s behaviour is physical limitations. These are all the factors physical aspects of an individual that can incapacitate an individual to act appropriately in order to stop or prevent a fire from happening (Chiefs & Association, 2012). They include things like; age of individual, physical disabilities, intoxication, injuries and certain medical conditions. Age of an individual in any fire case is a major factor and can limit one to do many things (Cote & Association, 2003). The old and young individuals in any fire incident are the ones that are affected most. This is because they do not have the strength to move fast to save a situation. Such individuals in most cases depend on others to assist them to evacuate. Failure to evacuate them can easily result in loss of life. Physical disability of an individual may incapacitate him to move fast hence causing him to be affected with a fire. Such individuals need a stable person to be present to assist them to evacuate. Injured or ill individuals also can adversely be affected by fire if there is no stable individual to assist them to evacuate (Cote & Association, 2003). All these situations need organizations and families to be organized such that such individuals have a personal assistant to help them whenever there is a problem such as fires. Another limiting factor to quick and safe fire stoppage procedures is cognitive comprehension limitations. This relates to the failure of an individual to apply reasoning and thinking in doing something. It is the failure of one to reason accurately. There are several factors leading to such a situation (Chiefs & Association, 2012). They include; age of an individual, level of rest, use of alcohol, use of drugs, mental illness and the inhalation of smoke or toxic gases. Age as a factor affects the young and the old in the society. Old and young individuals may not have the ability to reason accurately in a situation that needs quick action and response. Alcohol causes impairment of vision to individuals and causes individuals to react slowly in such situations that need quick action (Cote & Bugbee, 1988). This is because alcohol slows down nerves hence slow action by an individual. Level of rest is yet another factor that can cause fire to be hazardous. Individuals who are weak and sleepy due to lack of sleep or rest may not be in a position to act wisely in cases that need them to act fast (Cote & Association, 2003). Mental illness as a factor that affects prevention of fires is also a factor that needs to be addressed to prevent future occurrences of fires. Mentally ill people may not realize the dangers present in the presence of a fire hence may not act appropriately to prevent it. Use of drugs and the inhalation of toxic gases and substances may also affect an individual such that it becomes difficult for one to act wisely in the presence of a fire. Not all these factors are in any way assisting in preventing and stopping fires. Fire prevention agents should therefore take note of such individuals and situations and look forward for better ways of managing the situation. Individuals who are affected with drugs and such related substances and situations are supposed to be helped out of areas having fires. Familiarity of individuals with the physical setting of a place can also be a major factor in causing delays in extinguishing fires. Knowing the physical setting of an environment can help a person to locate the nearest possible door or exit in case there is a fire outbreak (Chiefs & Association, 2012). One can also easily locate where fire extinguishers are kept to start fighting the fire. Lack of knowledge of the environment setting causes confusion and commotion during evacuation, which leads to more trouble and destruction of property (Cote & Association, 2003). It can also cause loss of life to individuals. Factors relevant to a group Handling a large group when there is an outbreak of fire can be quite challenging. In most cases, situations where there are large groups of people are the most affected by fire instances. This makes it wise to take precaution when dealing with large groups of people when a fire arises (Cote & Association, 2003). The factors to consider in such circumstances include; group size, structure of the group, the roles and norms of the groups and permanence of the group. Statistics show that when people belong to a group then they will tend to act as a group (Chiefs & Association, 2012). In such a case, it is difficult for an individual to act in case of a fire to save the situation. He will wait until all members of the group are aware of the situation so that they can act as a group. This situation is seen to be because of diffusion of responsibility in the group. It is therefore appropriate for groups to be sensitized of this case and tell everyone to be responsible in case of a fire (Cote & Bugbee, 1988). The group structure can also pose a big challenge when there is an outbreak of a fire. A group that is organized and has recognized leaders and leadership structure tends to behave in a more organized manner and ac fast in case of fires (Cote & Association, 2003). This kind of group is preferred in any set up or organization (Marshall & Kelly, 2000). On the other side, a group that does not have a leadership structure tends to act slowly and in an unorganized manner in case of a fire. This scenario needs to be looked at with keenness. Group permanence as a factor affecting group responses to fire instances considers how well established a group is and how far the individuals in the group interact (Cote & Bugbee, 1988). According to research and findings, groups that are well established such as families and teams tend to behave in a more organized manner compared to a group such as that of football fans (Chiefs & Association, 2012). Groups that do not have permanence will exhibit confusion and lack of order during evacuation as each individual will try to act on his own (Hall, Institute & Association, 1979). This causes more risk to the individuals as they will not evacuate faster. Roles and norms of a group of individuals also affect the way they will behave in case a fire occurs (Cote & Association, 2003). These roles and norms are generally formed from the culture of the group of individuals. It includes; gender roles, social class, occupational and educational status. Statistics show that gender affects fire instances in a way such that when a fire occurs, females tend to report the matter immediately (Cote & Bugbee, 1988). Men will try to suppress the fire or try to do anything to save the situation. Delaying to inform fire brigades may cause more trouble than expected. The impact of the physical setting The physical setting of a place can also pose challenges when dealing with a fire. Such things like location of exits, number of exits and height of the building can cause differences to how an individual reacts to a fire (Cote & Bugbee, 1988). Exits to any building are supposed to be such that they are in an open place where each person can easily recognize. The number of exits should also be enough to cater for the number of individuals that can fit in a room. Exits that are blocked, restricted and unprotected can cause problems during evacuation (Cote & Association, 2003). Height of the building is yet another factor that affects the way people react in the event of a fire (Cote & Bugbee, 1988). A storied building is much more risky to evacuate people in case of fires as compared to a flat house. All these factors pose challenges during evacuation. The fire alarm system can also be a factor during evacuation. Statistics show that verbal directive alarm can be more productive as compared to bell alarms (Chiefs & Association, 2012). Failure of alarms to function during fires can also cause people not to act in a good way during evacuation (Diamantes, 2011). In such a case, use of other means of alarms can cause more confusion than assistance. The impact of the characteristics of the fire The characteristic of the fire also can cause different responses from individuals. Knowledge of the cause of the fire can cause different levels of panic in the individuals (Cote & Association, 2003). According to some individuals, fire caused by such things as electricity or chemicals is seen to be more dangerous as compared to others. Presence of flames at the fire scene can also cause ore panic to individuals hence causing confusion (Cote & Bugbee, 1988). Presence of smoke at the fire scene can also cause adverse problems and panic during evacuation. Smoke can cause individuals not to see exits clearly (Stracher, 2007). It can also cause coughing and production of tears hence making it difficult for one to concentrate in evacuation. During a fire, there can also be a depletion of oxygen and the accumulation of other toxic gasses at the place hence causing difficulties in evacuation. There are also other factors that are not related to the above one but cause problems during evacuation (Cote & Association, 2003). Such factors as improper maintenance of the place, poor housekeeping, poor labelling of things and routes in a building, poor instruction and warning can cause adverse problems during an evacuation (Jones, 2009). Ignoring fire safety rules also causes problems during evacuation. There is need therefore, to take into consideration each little instruction in fire safety. Case studies in relation to fire management Citing a case study of the Tunnel fire (Oakland-Berkeley hill, California), it can be clearly seen that the fire spread faster and further due to human negligence. People are seen not to respond to the alarm of fire in time. This caused many houses to burn causing big loses of assets. Another case is cited at the ICC at Kilmore. Fire was reported early at the fire brigade offices but those in concern did not take an immediate action. All these cases show how human negligence causes problems when it comes to saving critical situations. Conclusion In conclusion, it can clearly be seen that the major causes of problems in fire prevention and fire extinguishing are human related. They are due to how individuals react, behave and act to situations. It is therefore advantageous for fire prevention agencies to lounge campaigns of educating the public on the best steps to take in case of fires. It can also be seen that individuals act differently under different situations in respect to fires. When in a group, individuals tend not to show responsibility about fire prevention. It is also clear from the case studies that most individuals do not take it an initiative to help others out of fire problems. References Chiefs., I. A., & Association., N. F. 2012. Live fire training : principles and practice. Sudbury, Mass: Jones & Bartlett. Cote, A. E., & Association., N. F. 2003. Operation of fire protection systems. Quincy, Mass: National Fire Protection Association. Cote, A. E., & Bugbee, P. 1988. Principles of fire protection. Quincy, MA : National Fire Protection Association. Diamantes, D. 2011. Principles of fire prevention. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Learning. Hall, J. R., Institute., U., & Association, N. F. 1979. Fire code inspections and fire prevention . Boston : National Fire Protection Association. Jones, A. M. 2009. Fire protection systems. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. Marshall, M., & Kelly, A. 2000. International Association of Fire Chiefs. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishers. Stracher, G. B. 2007. Geology of coal fires : case studies from around the world. Boulder, Colo: Geological Society of America. Read More