Fire Warden Refresher Training

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Fire Warden Refresher Training
Richard Norris
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Topics covered

• The Station fire incident video
• Brief reminder of everyones responsibilities for
  fire safety
• Brief reminder of the fire warden role
• Examples from the floor on how the role is put
  into practice in your building VOLUNTARY (ish)!
• Overview of Human Behaviour in fire situations
• Questions and hopefully answers!

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Fire Safety Responsibilities

• We are all responsible for fire safety
• This includes students, contractors and visitors
• We must all act in a fire safe manner
• Think how what we are doing and how we are doing
  it could affect fire safety (Risk Assessment?!)
• Line managers etc have additional
  responsibilities
• Building Fire Coordinators (BFC) have a central
  fire safety role in each building

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The Fire Warden Role 1

• Day-to-day role
• Monitor escape routes including refuges if
  installed
• Dont allow house-keeping to slip (build-up of
  fire load)
• Keep an eye on extinguishers, smoke detectors,
  emergency lights and fire doors.
• Co-ordinate / liaise with other Fire Wardens

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The Fire Warden Role 2

• When the fire alarm sounds
• High visibility jerkin/jacket
• Sweep towards your floor exit
• If possible, turn off equipment, close
  doors/windows
• Check accessible rooms, and refuges if
  installed.
• Communicate the need to leave the building
• Report to the BFC at the assembly area or
  incident control point
• Debrief meeting after fire drills or false
  alarm evacuations

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Possible issues?

• Someone refuses to evacuate?
• You are not in your area when the alarm sounds?

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Real Life Examples?

• Information on how the role works in your
  buildings would be fantastic ...
• Any volunteers?

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Human behaviour in fire

• Avoidance - dont want to believe it is really
  happening

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Human behaviour in fire

• Peer Pressure dont want to appear foolish in
  front of others

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Human behaviour in fire

• Continue with work,
• Disregard,
• Unconvinced
• All examples of
• COMPLACENCY

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Human behaviour in fire

• Spectator sport / friendly fire
• Examples
• Woolworths fire in 1979
• Stardust Disco Dublin 1981
• Bradford City Football Stadium fire in 1985

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Human behaviour in fire

• Conferring,
• Seeking guidance

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Human behaviour in fire

• Affiliation desire or need to help others,
  especially family
• Example
• Summerland Leisure Complex, Isle of Man
• (50 dead)

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Human behaviour in fire

• Lack of understanding
• of the alarm sound, of speed of fire,
• of the hazards from fire
• Lack of information
• what is that noise? what does it mean?
• what do I do? No one has told me!

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Human behaviour in fire

• Panic?
• What is panic?
• When do people really panic?

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Human behaviour in fire

• Physical capabilities and limitations Health,
• Age,
• Size,
• Fitness the fitter you are the better your
  chance of surviving a fire?

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Human behaviour in fire

• Hazards from fire
• heat,
• smoke,
• oxygen depletion,
• flames

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The Station fire

• Rhode Island nightclub February 2003
• Fire at rear of stage caused by pyrotechnics
• 100 killed, 230 injured
• Nightclub engulfed in fire in 5 1/2 minutes
• Most people tried to leave the way they entered
  by the front door

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Station floor plan
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The Station Fire fatalities at the scene
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Summary

• We are all responsible for fire safety
• Fire wardens are essential to help the University
  safely manage escapes from fire
• In a fire alarm / real fire people sometimes do
  strange things but they dont often panic
• Failing to use all available escape routes can
  and does cost lives.

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Any questions?
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THANK YOU!
Contact me on 01179 298784 (x 87848), 07786
397655 or Richard.norris_at_bristol.ac.uk