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Fire Safety

Victoria Wilburn

Columbia Southern Unversity

Fire Prevention

April 16, 2023

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Fire safety

Structural fires are a severe threat to both life and businesses. When serious fires occur in

structures meant for businesses and, in most cases, are crowded leads to injuries and sometimes

fatalities. A report by the National Fire Protection Association (2020) claims that between 2015

and 2019, a total of 491,298 cases of fire were reported in the United States, where 19,156

involved business structures. Although owners of these structures are responsible for putting up

measures that prevent fires and allow an easy evacuation process, human behavior also plays a

part in responding to structural fires, especially in most crowded business premises. In this

report, we expound on the need and effect of compliance to fire safety measures in all structures

housing business premises.

First, all stakeholders need to plan on educating their clients by identifying their

audience, identifying the risks involved, and preparing a message for them. Then they will

identify the delivery method appropriate for the clients, and once they settle on one, they launch

the campaign and later monitor its effectiveness.

On the other hand, the National Fire Protection Association avails more than 300

consensus codes and standards, all aiming to minimize the possibilities and impacts of fire

outbreaks, which have been embraced in our area of occupancy. These codes have played a

significant role in preventing or reducing fire outbreaks (National Fire Protection Association,

2019). In the case of one, the outcome is quickly contained, resulting in fewer or no fatalities.

Although we have prevented fire outbreaks in this area, there are still some fire incidences, such

as in restaurants, hotels, and office buildings. The results of these fire incidences in these

premises constantly interrupt businesses and also lead to property damage and, in rare cases,

injuries or fatalities.
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The major contributors to the fatalities or injuries in case of a fire incidence in this area

include panic and ignorance. For example, some people panic and cannot move or lock

themselves. Others, as observed by Çakiroğlu and Gökoğlu (2019), notice a fire outbreak and

leave the premise without notifying others, risking their lives. The other group of people with

negative behavior in times of fire outbreaks in buildings ignore fire alarms that are set off when a

fire starts. This category of people only responds to the fire alarms when they see the fire, and

sometimes it is too late to either be rescued or rescue themselves. Also, delayed evacuation by

rescuers contributes to these extreme results of fire outbreaks in this area.

According to Hoodkinson (2020), some people use unscrupulous methods to certify their

compliance with fire regulations, yet aren't permitted legally. In times of fire outbreaks, these

business premises that haven’t complied with the set codes and standards by the National Fire

Protection Association suffer the most compared to the compliant ones. This means non-

compliance to the set fire codes and standards is very costly, leading to property destruction,

disruption of businesses, and loss of revenue. Not only is the effect felt economical but also

social, as loss of life or lifetime injuries affects the victims and their families emotionally.

After understanding the risks involved and the behavioral traits of people in fire

outbreaks, the below was proposed as a public education initiative on fire. First, a community

risk analysis is carried out to identify the characteristics of our community concerning fire risk

and life safety. Second, is developing a partnership between the stakeholders and the willing

community members to address the risks. At this point, the premise owner educates the

community on fire safety measures. The third step is to lay strategies to reduce fire outbreaks and

dangers, and then the business owner implements the plan laid out. After all that is achieved, the

premise owner has to keep tracking the process's effectiveness.

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Lastly is a message to all stakeholders. Instilling a positive fire reaction is crucial to

ensure that individuals respond appropriately during a fire. A positive fire reaction involves

remaining calm, evacuating quickly, and following established fire safety procedures. By

instilling a positive fire reaction in business owners and political leaders, we can help ensure that

they take fire safety seriously and prioritize fire prevention and preparedness. This will help

reduce the number of fire incidents and ensure that individuals and communities are safe from

the devastating impacts of fires.

References
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Çakiroğlu, Ü., & Gökoğlu, S. (2019). Development of fire safety behavioral skills via virtual

reality. Computers & Education, 133, 56-68.

Hodkinson, S. (2020). Safe as houses: Private greed, political negligence and housing policy

after Grenfell. In Safe as houses. Manchester University Press.

National Fire Protection Association (2020). NFPA report - Fires by occupancy or Property

Type. Nfpa.org. https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/US-

Fire-Problem/Fires-by-occupancy-or-property-type

National Fire Protection Association. (2019). List of NFPA Codes and Standards. Nfpa.org.

https://www.nfpa.org/Codes-and-Standards/All-Codes-and-Standards/List-of-Codes-and-

Standards