Fire Investigation: Behavioural Factors - Report Example

Fire Investigation: Behavioural Factors Submitted by [Client’s Name] Submitted to [Professor’s Name] In partial fulfilment of the course syllabus [Subject] Theoretically speaking, any type of problems and issues can easily be resolved with a focused mind and by assessing the factors involved with a clear, objective perspective. By being logical and strategic in the decision-making process, all the elements can be controlled and predicted and hence the issue can be resolved even before things get worse. However, this scenario can only be achievable in ideal cases. Absolute objectivity in problem solving is very difficult to achieve, if not impossible, in real situations. What is almost impossible to achieve in real situations become very desperate to achieve under constraining factors and intense pressure, particularly during emergency situation. Understanding human reactions and the decision making process humans have to go through in emergency situations is very crucial for any emergency operations. The inability to respond appropriately to individual behaviours during emergency situations can cost lives and properties. Without the human factor in such dire situations, achievement of the goals or objectives is relatively easy. What make absolute objectivity difficult to achieve is man’s unpredictability as well as his random behavioural reactions to certain stimuli. This paper will explore how human factors affect any emergency operations and how responders should be able to manage, handle, and integrate human factors into their tactical and strategic operations. The Decision-Making Process Every move man makes is typically calculated using higher level critical thinking or a resemblance thereof. In a manner of speaking, every action an individual does goes though a deliberate process known as decision making. There are six general stages in any decision making process (Porzolt et al, 2003). When individuals are exposed in a given situation, they go through the process of problem definition, information gathering, weighing of evidences, choosing among the many possible alternatives, making an action plan, and clarification and review of existing plans. Problem definition is necessary in order for individuals to prepare themselves emotionally, mentally, physically, and psychologically of the possible risks and methods involved in problem solving (Boyle, 2002). Without proper definition of the problem, the remaining stages could not be achieved. Once the problem has been defined, it is typical for individuals to gather information, or remember as much information as he can recall that would be material in solving the problem or making a decision. Then comes the evaluation of the materials, information, and data gathered as well as the formation of relationships between and among seemingly unrelated data and information. When all the dots have been connected, individuals now go through the stage where they define the possible solutions to the issues, evaluating each and every solution and choosing which among is the most appropriate decision to make. The stages of the decision making process eliminate one important aspects of the decision-maker which is the decision maker’s subjectivity. The steps proposed by Porzolt et al (2003) eliminate the scope of experience as well as the ability of individuals to handle complex decisions. This lack of subjectivity and the deliberate disregard to individual capacity to solve problems or make decisions becomes a major stumbling block during fire emergencies. In fire emergencies, the six steps of decision making or problem solving process are not strictly followed by any individuals especially if the time left for reaction is very little. Fire emergencies often bring other elements in the decision making process which defies how decisions are normally done. These elements include panic, desperation, lack of focus, and the drive for self preservation. When these elements are taken into consideration, the likelihood that an individual’s capacity to think, process information, and solve problems will be nonexistent during any emergency situation is very high. Fire emergencies are not common scenarios. The reaction time required in any fire emergencies are generally faster compared to the reaction times during normal days. Individuals that could not process the information about their present situation are more likely to become casualties of the fire compared to individuals that remain focused and are able to sift through information available to them. For fire rescuers, the inability of individuals that are trapped in a burning enclosure to process information or communicate their proposed solution to their situations makes their jobs even more difficult. Other Considerations Getting full cooperation from individuals during fire emergencies is already difficult. This difficulty increases significantly when emotional considerations of the victims, or even the rescuers, come into play. There are four major concerns that must be given considerations in any fire emergencies. These are avoidance, commitment, affiliation, and role (FA, 2001). Avoidance refers to a person’s sense of self-preservation. An individual that has a stronger drive to live or value his life will most likely create scenarios that would get him to safety. In the same manner, this feeling of avoidance is a natural response to events when one generally feels secure, causing them to delay their reaction to an early fire warning. Another important consideration during fire warnings is the degree of commitment individuals do during the event of fire. There are situations where individuals deliberately ignore the fire alarm and continue with what they are doing because of their perceived commitment towards the activity. As a result, these individuals are hurt in the process or may become a member of the casualties simply because they could not let go of their current engagements. Flannery Associates (2001) identified two more factors that dictate a person’s reaction towards the fire alarm. The third one is the role that individuals play in the emergency situation. A person with authority will react faster to fire alarms compared to individuals that hold no significant roles in the situation. Those who do not have any significant roles in the case of fire allow themselves to be led by individuals they perceive to be an authority of the situation. The fourth element that is necessary to take into consideration when performing rescue or emergency operations is a person’s affiliations (or emotional attachments). Individuals who have relatives or loved ones inside a burning building, find it hard to abandon their loved ones, thus opting to stay with them inside the burning structure. In the same manner, these individuals could potentially delay their rescue by making sure that they are brought to safety. An individual’s attachment to his relatives may get in the way of a successful fire emergency operation. Any brilliant emergency plan will surely find its weakness when any of these considerations appear during the fire emergency operation. Individuals that have any of these concerns will most likely get in the way of a carefully engineered structure or carefully planned rescue operations. For example, evacuating a building on fire will take more time because onlookers who have family members trapped in the blazing structure insist that they enter the structure and save their relatives (or belongings). Another example is when buildings that are fully equipped with fire-alarm and fire-fighting system yield casualties simply because the victims took time to evacuate the building on fire. Physical Considerations An individual’s capability to decide during emergency situations depends highly on the cues arising from his setting or environment. Individuals caught in emergency situations in a familiar setting, like in his house, are more likely to find an easy way out compared to individuals that are caught in emergency situations in a setting they are not familiar with. According to Kontogiannis & Kossiavelou (1999), a certain degree of familiarity in the setting (or environment) brings a good likelihood of effective emergency response. The introduction of stress in decision making process during emergency situations shatters the capability of individuals to think objectively and solve issues concerning their conditions. When stress creeps in, panic and disorientation almost always follow (Vaught et al, 1997). Getting lost in an unfamiliar territory during any normal day is in itself stressful. Getting lost in an unfamiliar territory during an emergency triples the stress experienced by a person, particularly if there is no way for him to pinpoint exactly his location or the location of a possible exit (in case of fire emergency). Because stress affects perception, one loses his or her ability to think properly when exposed to unfamiliar territories. For example, cases of fire-fighters getting themselves trapped in rescue operations because they were not able to find their way out, with all the environmental factors like the extreme heat of the fire, the thick and hazardous smoke to consider, and the rapid pace with which the fire spreads out in the location. Comparatively speaking, individuals trapped in familiar territories during fire emergency situations are more likely to find ways out of the situation. This can be explained by the degree of familiarity of a person on his immediate environment. In any case of fire emergencies, an individual who is familiar with his setting and environment can easily locate possible exits and trace their steps towards those exits. This suggests that the structures, location, and geography of fire emergencies are of essence in designing fire rescue operations as well as in crowd management. Firemen should have a certain degree of familiarity on buildings, structures, and locations of potential fire hazards in order to stage a highly coordinated and highly effective rescue operation. With the notion that an individual’s surroundings affect his decision-making process, Fire Hazards and Behaviour Decision making requires a clear and objective mind in order to come up with the most appropriate strategy or plan or decision. In case of fire emergencies, the ability to detach oneself from one’s surroundings is very difficult especially if fire hazards begin to appear. Earlier on, it was established that stress affects the behaviour of individuals during emergency situations (Kerstholt, 1994). Fire emergencies typically involve certain degrees of fire hazards. Some of the most common types of fire hazards include extremely hot temperatures, heat flux and burn injuries, smoke obscuration, oxygen depletion, and exposure to toxic gases from burning substances and materials (FA, 2001). In most situations, individuals that are trapped in buildings during fire emergencies fall victim to the fire hazards even before the fire actually gets them. Moreover, the presence of these fire hazards in fire emergencies increases the probability of an individual getting stressed and panicking especially if symptoms rapidly begin to appear. Most of these fire hazards directly affect the brain and thus the capability of an individual to think and process information. The presence of thick, black smoke means that visibility becomes difficult. Finding one’s way in a hot surrounding with a thick wall of smoke enveloping one’s way offers less comfort than waiting for the fire to eventually engulf one’s person. A rapidly depleting oxygen source causes lack of control over some muscles of the body. A highly elevated carbon dioxide level causes dizziness and nausea leading to unconsciousness. These factors makes thinking difficult and an individual’s decision-making capability may not function optimally because of the presence of the fire hazards. Moreover, as the symptoms of these fire hazards begin to appear, panic and stress usually appears as the individuals realize that they will have a few more moments to make the right decisions. Case Study Analysis In a study conducted by a team of social scientists, mining engineers, rescue managers, and safety personnel, the human dimension during an emergency situation is explored. Vaught et al (2000) evaluated the behaviours of individuals under extremely stressful situations in a mine fire where the presence of both fire and fire hazards are thick and the route to escape is only one and located very far. The team studied various literature on successful escapes during fire emergencies in mines and listened to various interview recordings where survivors recount the horrible tale of their experience. The group simulated a mining fire emergency where able-bodied men with average aptitude for critical thinking were placed in a long, complex chamber with only one way out. The main task of the respondents is to get out from the chamber safely using their critical thinking skills. To protect the respondents from actual harm, they were fitted with safety suits and goggles which are controlled from the outside world. Their study shows that stress impedes the decision making capabilities of individuals. During emergency situations without the presence of any bodily harm, individuals can easily find their way out of the chamber. However, when some of the people they know, particularly those that are related to them in one way or another is slowed down by any of the possible fire hazards, self-preservation flies out of the window. Individuals were noted to slow down and face danger in order to save people they know or they have an attachment with. Moreover, the research found out that as the fire hazards begin to appear, individuals become more listless and agitated and eventually lose focus on the goal. This suggests that the complexity of human behaviours and emotions is one of the many culprits in the failure to successfully stage any fire rescue operations. Conclusion The efficiency of humans during emergency situations is limited by their ability to think rationally and approach the problem in a more objective manner. Individuals that easily give in to their emotions or subjectivities are less likely to survive in any given emergency situation. In order to increase the probability of surviving in emergencies, individuals must be able to maintain a focused mind towards the goals and objectives of the situation which are to survive and be out of harm’s way. References Boyle, E. (2002). An Ethical Decision-Making Process for Computer Professionals. Ethics and Information Technology. 4(4). Pp 267-277 Flannery Associates. (2001). Introduction to Fire Science. Section 1: Fire and People. Unit 4. Human Behaviour and Fire. Keinan, G., Friedland, N. and Ben-Porath, Y. (1987) ‘Decision-making under stress: Scanning of alternatives under physical threat’, Acta Psychologica, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., North Holland, Vol. 64, pp.219–228. Kerstholt, J.H. (1994) ‘The effect of time pressure on decision-making behaviour in a dynamic task environment’, Acta Psychologica, Vol. 84, pp.89–104. Kontogiannis, T. and Kossiavelou, Z. (1999) ‘Stress and team performance: principles and challenges for intelligent decision aids’, Safety Science, December, Vol. 33, Issue 3, pp.103–128. Porzolt, F., Ohletz, A., Thim, E. Et al. (2003). Evidence-Based Decision Making – The Six Step Approach. Evidence Based Medicine. 8. 165-166. Salas, E., Driskell, E. and Hughs, S. (1996) ‘The study of stress and human performance’, in J.E. Driskell and E. Salas (Eds.) Stress and Human Performance, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, New Jersey, pp.1–45. Vaught, C., Brnich, M., Mallett, L., Cole, H., Wiehagen, W., Conti, R., Kowalski, K. and Litton, C. (2000) ‘Behavioural and organizational dimensions of underground mine fires’, Information Circular 9450, US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication dissemination, Cincinnati, OH. Vaught, C., Mallett, L., Kowalski, K. and Brnich, M. (1997) ‘Workers response to realistic evacuation training’, The International Emergency Management Conference Proceedings, Riso National Laboratory, Copenhagen, Denmark. Read More

Fire emergencies are not common scenarios. The reaction time required in any fire emergencies are generally faster compared to the reaction times during normal days. Individuals that could not process the information about their present situation are more likely to become casualties of the fire compared to individuals that remain focused and are able to sift through information available to them. For fire rescuers, the inability of individuals that are trapped in a burning enclosure to process information or communicate their proposed solution to their situations makes their jobs even more difficult.

Other Considerations Getting full cooperation from individuals during fire emergencies is already difficult. This difficulty increases significantly when emotional considerations of the victims, or even the rescuers, come into play. There are four major concerns that must be given considerations in any fire emergencies. These are avoidance, commitment, affiliation, and role (FA, 2001). Avoidance refers to a person’s sense of self-preservation. An individual that has a stronger drive to live or value his life will most likely create scenarios that would get him to safety.

In the same manner, this feeling of avoidance is a natural response to events when one generally feels secure, causing them to delay their reaction to an early fire warning. Another important consideration during fire warnings is the degree of commitment individuals do during the event of fire. There are situations where individuals deliberately ignore the fire alarm and continue with what they are doing because of their perceived commitment towards the activity. As a result, these individuals are hurt in the process or may become a member of the casualties simply because they could not let go of their current engagements.

Flannery Associates (2001) identified two more factors that dictate a person’s reaction towards the fire alarm. The third one is the role that individuals play in the emergency situation. A person with authority will react faster to fire alarms compared to individuals that hold no significant roles in the situation. Those who do not have any significant roles in the case of fire allow themselves to be led by individuals they perceive to be an authority of the situation. The fourth element that is necessary to take into consideration when performing rescue or emergency operations is a person’s affiliations (or emotional attachments).

Individuals who have relatives or loved ones inside a burning building, find it hard to abandon their loved ones, thus opting to stay with them inside the burning structure. In the same manner, these individuals could potentially delay their rescue by making sure that they are brought to safety. An individual’s attachment to his relatives may get in the way of a successful fire emergency operation. Any brilliant emergency plan will surely find its weakness when any of these considerations appear during the fire emergency operation.

Individuals that have any of these concerns will most likely get in the way of a carefully engineered structure or carefully planned rescue operations. For example, evacuating a building on fire will take more time because onlookers who have family members trapped in the blazing structure insist that they enter the structure and save their relatives (or belongings). Another example is when buildings that are fully equipped with fire-alarm and fire-fighting system yield casualties simply because the victims took time to evacuate the building on fire.

Physical Considerations An individual’s capability to decide during emergency situations depends highly on the cues arising from his setting or environment. Individuals caught in emergency situations in a familiar setting, like in his house, are more likely to find an easy way out compared to individuals that are caught in emergency situations in a setting they are not familiar with. According to Kontogiannis & Kossiavelou (1999), a certain degree of familiarity in the setting (or environment) brings a good likelihood of effective emergency response.

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