Societal Risks Associated with Incidents of Fire in the Community - Term Paper Example

FIRE COVER By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Abstract Fire protection reduces not just hazards related to fires, but as well maintains safety. Fire safety connotes the measures taken to reduce or prevent the chance of a , which may lead to property damage, injury, or death, and it facilitates those exposed to fire to evacuate from or survive in areas affected. On the other hand, fire prevention is a task of numerous fire departments whose objective is to enlighten the public in taking safety measures to avert possibly destructive fires, and remain knowledgeable how to survive in them. As it will be evidenced in the report, fire prevention is a practical technique of decreasing tragedies as well as injuries brought about by fire. Engineers experience lots of challenges with regard to fire protection such as lack of knowledge on where or when a fire will take place, conditions under which the fire will occur, and the risks that will come with the fire. Partly, this is attributed by inability to predict the future. The report will provide a discussion about societal risks associated with incidents of fire in the community and also provide a discussion concerning the strategies that can be used to change people’s behaviour in relation to safety from fire. Basically, fire regulations assist in lowering the likelihood of a fire taking place, so the report will critically evaluate the role of legislation, not only as a punishment but also as a preventative measure. Table of Contents FIRE COVER 1 Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 Fire Cover Model 5 Alternatives to Fire Cover Model 5 Societal Risks Associated With Incidents of Fire in the Community 7 Strategies to Change People’s Behaviour In Relation To Safety from Fire 8 The Role of Legislation 9 Conclusion 9 References 10 Fire Cover Introduction Annually people perish or get injured because of fires at home or workplace. In addition to casualties, Nolan (2010, p.4) posits that fire costs United Kingdom billions of pounds, from businesses loss, damage to property, insurance premiums, as well as compensation claims. Scores of fires are avoidable, especially for people or businesses taking fire precautions. Essentially, the effects of fire can be reduced by putting procedures and controls into practice. Legislation on fire safety is applicable to all business premises as well as other buildings that are often accessed by the public, but it is not applicable to private residential premises. Importantly, the legislation gives flexibility to businesses to get rid of, lessen and handle their fire risks based on the fire risk assessment results. According to Kiurski (1999, p.11) the concept of fire protection management is to strategise and execute measures so as to thwart fires as well as reduce the destruction brought about by fires. Principally, fire cover entails putting up fire appliances in areas that well serve the conditions of the local people as well as meet the set national standards. According to the national standards, the allocated fire appliances must reach a particular location in a certain time, based on its risk. Therefore, brigades are faced with the task of finding best locations for resources, by considering fire incident patterns, local geography, in addition to road network (Reynolds et al., 1998, p.1). The report will provide an in depth analysis of fire cover and suggests a critically appraised alternatives. Fire Cover Model Fire cover has traditionally been utilised to define the deployment and disposition of fire fighting personnel and equipment (Reynolds et al., 1998, p.1). Even though the key responsibility of the fire service is fire fighting, they as well handle scores of other types of incidents, like road accidents, flooding, or industry accidents. Such services are jointly acknowledged as special services and total nearly 50% of the Emergency calls. Fire appliances when acting in response to a call, always carry between four to five crews in addition to suitable rescue and fire fighting equipment. Majority of fire appliances are multipurpose trucks that respond to every form of incident. Currently, the UK has implemented national guidelines that allow quick responses to fire emergencies, and the guidelines as mentioned by Reynolds et al. (1998, p.1) were primarily created in 1936 by the Riverdale Committee. The guidelines have been revised numerously, and they largely rely upon the fire spreading risk in a given area. In this model, the fire spread risk in a given area is attributed to any of the four categories (A, B, C, and D). In all risks category, the response needed is detailed as numerous ‘pumps’ which should get to the area of the incident within the set time limits. Such standards are applicable just to fires calls. Early in 21st century, there existed no standards for calls relating to special service, but currently, the government have introduced the guidelines. However, they are simply guidance, but performance indicators have to be provided by fire services based upon these guidelines (Ramachandran, 2002, p.80). The UK’s paradigm for fire cover is a computer-based representation concerning the brigade’s operational aspects, which as mentioned by Reynolds et al. (1998, p.3) are pertinent to planning of fire cover. The paradigm performs the same process of planning that officers of the brigade have carried out traditionally, but it allows planning to be achieved fast and agrees to quantifiable appraisal of alternative fire cover set-ups. Alternatives to Fire Cover Model Basically, there exist several alternatives to fire cover such as BS 7974-7, which is a fire probabilistic risk assessment tool. Basically, the British Standards Institute (BSI) offers numerous standards related to fire. In this case, BS 7974 offers a framework for using principles related to fire safety engineering for designing buildings. According to Meacham (2013), the Part 7 of the final document offers guidance for assessing fire risks in buildings. The standard offers a risk assessment commensurate framework together with numerous approaches. Precisely, the BS 7974-7 offers the guidance with Meacham (2013) to the acceptance method for financial as well as life safety assessments that can utilise either absolute or comparative methodologies. This standard offers the absolute criteria for societal risk as well as individual risks, and through the fault trees and event trees the logic tree is exemplified. The standard also offers a methodology for assessment through a multifaceted techniques analysis. This document’s annex offers guidance concerning the likelihood of fire occurring, relying on the use of as well as the type of the building. Additionally, the standard offers the distribution of damage as well as the average area damaged by the fire. This standard is an effective alternative to fire cove model, because it offers the helpful statistics on the incidence distribution of deaths caused by fire, the flashover likelihood, and data reliability regarding passive and active systems of fire safety. Such data are always anchored in U.K. fire statistics documented from a certain sample in a given period of time and are mostly believed to be important information source, even though it commonly applies to U.K. projects (Meacham, 2013). Another effective alternative is the ISO 16732-1 for fire risk assessment, which offers a conceptual base for assessing the risk of fire by pointing out the principles core to the interpretation and quantification of risks brought about by fire. The concepts as well as principles highlighted in this standard are applicable to all objectives of fire safety, which includes safety of life, business continuity, and protection of the heritage, property as well as the environment. The principles of the fire risk talked over in ISO 16732-1 is applicable to every user application and phenomena associated with fire, which connotes that the principles are applicable to every scenario of fire (Meacham, 2013). Principles core to risk quantification in ISO 16732-1 are presented step by step based on how to carry out a fire risk assessment. Such quantification steps as mentioned by Meacham (2013) are firstly positioned in the general fire risk management context, and afterwards described within the fire safety Engineering context. The probability characterisation as well as utilisation of scenarios (or the closely connected frequency measure) and significance are afterwards labelled as fire risk estimation steps, resulting to the joint risk quantification of the fire (Meacham, 2013). This standard is also a good alternative to fire cover because; it offers the fire risk interpretation by using the generated information. In this standard, there is direction on techniques of analysing uncertainty, wherein the uncertainty related to the appraisals of the fire risk is established and its effects are assessed as well as interpreted. Societal Risks Associated With Incidents of Fire in the Community Between 2011 and 2012, more than 300 people died in England due to fire, 60% of these deaths were attributed by accidental home fires. An additional 9300 got injuries, with almost 80% of these injuries caused by accidental home fires (Clark et al., 2014, p.1). Therefore, coming into contact with fire, particularly in homes, as mentioned by Clark et al. (2014, p.1) can be a distressing occurrence with possible demoralizing effects, with regard to psychological impact of losing a loved one or properties. According to Clark et al. (2014, p.2), a number of people are in danger of experiencing fire, and the societal risks will vary in terms of rates of injury, casualty, as well as emotional impacts. Certainly, societal risk are not comprehended in predetermined, rational manner, nor endured in a similar manner by every person, in every context. Instead it is determined, subjective as well as contextually made, and this raises imperative inquiries concerning how to mitigate both fire risk and societal risks attributed by fire. Considering that if knowledge as well as insights of, and action towards fire risk are created, there will be methodological consequences based on how fire risk and risk-associated behaviours are comprehended in the milieus shaping them. It as well impacts how practice and policy may well be adjusted to accommodating, knowing, as well as lessening the risk impact, even though in current modernism social change seems to infer the recognition of some level of uncertainty as well as risk. As indicated by Clark et al. (2014, p.2), it is imperative to acknowledge the contextually positioned and interactions that impact and let know attitudes to risk-taking and risk. Besides that, it is imperative to take into account the effect of varied factors, wherein people take action based on information so as to lessen the societal risk. Influences including the broader societal factors, functioning at various levels, such as living conditions, social relationships, and economic as well as social positions are factors that have possible impact on how the society can perceive and negate fire risks. Strategies to Change People’s Behaviour In Relation To Safety from Fire Research as evidenced in Gielen and Sleet (2003) study suggests that fire risks that result in fatalities or injuries both at home and workplace are attributed by people’s behaviour. Risk factors that results in fire at home include elderly individuals aged 65 and above as well as children below 5 years, alcohol drinking, smoking, and financial as well as social disadvantage (Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, 2009, p.27). The above mentioned factors unaided are not essentially blameable for fatalities or injuries caused by fire; however, they are big contributors to the risk status of an individual. Therefore strategies such as community awareness can help people search for signs that may heighten their risk status with regard to fire safety and afterwards refer the issue to the most suitable individual or to respond. People should as well be encouraged to conduct themselves safely by giving out information about fire safety, or responding to fire safety within the protocols set by fire legislation (Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, 2009, p.42). Another strategy is the evacuation/escape plan, which is a crucial part of fire safety. According to Gielen and Sleet (2003), the sophistication of fire problems necessitates complementary strategies instead of competitive strategies so as to change people behaviour. Knowledge integration concerning behavioural science into research as well as practice fire prevention can help researchers sidestep the fabricated contrast between passive strategies and active strategies in reducing the inclination to prefer one strategy over the other. The plainness of previous studies, like the three E’s model (enforcement, education, as well as engineering), is no more feasible (Gielen & Sleet, 2003). Lots of studies on behaviour, has concentrated on individuals whose behaviour puts them and other people in danger, like smokers and alcohol drinkers. Still, since lots of fire prevention countermeasures are naturally policy-oriented, it will be valuable to use people as behaviour change advocates. For instance, as evidenced in Gielen and Sleet (2003) study, most people are not aware of fire legislation, so there is need for people to be educated on the importance of knowing and following principles in the fire legislation so as to reduce injuries and deaths associated with fire. So, educating the public about suitable strategies to avoid fire risks will be more effective as compared to educating a person about fire risk reduction. A suitable strategy for changing people behaviour with regard to fire safety is to make the people to become allies in the efforts so as to make environments, homes, and workplace safer (Gielen & Sleet, 2003). To create an environment that is safer, one needs to change the behaviour of the people, especially for those utilising products that pose hazards. Policy-makers must also play their part by introducing laws that will mandate safety behaviours both at home and in place of works. The Role of Legislation Legislation is exceeding important in any country, because it brings order and makes people live peacefully and with harmony. Annually, numerous serious fires on homes, forests, buildings as well as construction sites are reported across UK. Lots of these fires may be avoided through legislation that offers guidelines for control as well as planning of work activities (Parnell, 2013, p.66). Evidently, any fire outbreak puts people safety at risk, and leads to loss of properties. It may as well be a risk to individuals around the burning properties. Therefore, through legislation, ways of controlling fire in buildings where lots of dry timber are used, especially at the final phase of building where materials that are flammable like insulating materials, adhesives, in addition to soft furnishings are present can help engineers reduce fire risk within the building. Legislation, therefore, is helpful in preventing fire, since it gives risk assessment to people at home and workplace, where they identify what may bring about fire, such as ignition sources as well as inflammable substances. The legislation is also important because it offers protective measure, whereby it highlights suitable actions that can be used to control fire. It also gives details how to manage risks after reducing them. It highlights the importance of performing risk assessment for fire safety and shows how to keep flammable substances and sources of ignition separately (Fire Protection Association, 2014, p.156). Besides that, the legislation shows how to steer clear of accidental fires as well as regularly updates and reviews the risk assessment. The legislation provides strict laws that must be followed, and any breach of the laws results in punishment Conclusion In conclusion, it has been argued that Chief Fire Officers Association must be in a position to construct a fire cover paradigm that balances cost of fire service provision as compared to the fire losses cost, with regard to both life and property. Behaviour of people contribute largely to incidents of fire, so there is need to adopt and amend individuals’ behaviours and activities so as to lessen their risk of fire. As evidenced in the report, social factors plays a crucial role in understandings of fire risk, and they include includes access to information, financial status, and age. Still, behaviours resulting to fire incidents can be amended, just but legislation is the best strategy for changing people behaviour. References Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, 2009. ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE: BASIC HOME FIRE SAFETY. Survey. Melbourne, Victoria: AFAC Limited Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council. Clark, A., Smith, J. & Conroy, C., 2014. Domestic fire risk: a narrative review of social science literature and implications for further research. Journal of Risk Research, pp.1-17. Fire Protection Association, 2014. Fire Safety and Risk Management: For the NEBOSH National Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management. New York: Routledge. Gielen, A.C. & Sleet, D., 2003. Application of Behavior-Change Theories and Methods to Injury Prevention. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "http://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/content/25/1/65.full" http://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/content/25/1/65.full [Accessed 11 January 2015]. Kiurski, T., 1999. Creating a Fire-Safe Community: A Guide for Fire Safety Educators. Tulsa, Oklahoma: PennWell Books. Meacham, B.J., 2013. An Overview of Approaches and Resources for Building Fire Risk Assessment. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "http://magazine.sfpe.org/content/overview-approaches-and-resources-building-fire-risk-assessment" http://magazine.sfpe.org/content/overview-approaches-and-resources-building-fire-risk-assessment [Accessed 11 January 2015]. Nolan, D.P., 2010. Handbook of Fire and Explosion Protection Engineering Principles: for Oil, Gas, Chemical and Related Facilities. London: William Andrew. Parnell, A.C., 2013. Building Legislation and Historic Buildings: A Guide to the Application of the Building Regulations, the Public Health Acts, the Fire Precautions Act, the Housing Act and Other Legislation Relevant to Historic Buildings. London: Elsevie. Ramachandran, G., 2002. Economics of Fire Protection. New York: Routledge. Reynolds, C., Pedroza, J. & System Options Ltd, 1998. Fire Cover Modelling for Brigades. London: Home Office Fire Research and Development Group. Read More