Fire Warden Refresher Training

Richard Norris

Topics covered

• The Station fire incident – video• Brief reminder of everyone’s 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!

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

The Fire Warden Role #1Day-to-day role:

• Monitor escape routes including refuges if installed

• Don’t 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

The Fire Warden Role #2When 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

Possible issues?

• Someone refuses to evacuate?

• You are not in your area when the alarm sounds?

Real Life Examples?

Information on how the role works in your buildings would be fantastic ...

Any volunteers?

Human behaviour in fire

Avoidance - don’t want to believe it is really happening

Human behaviour in fire

• “Peer Pressure” – don’t want to appear foolish in front of others

Human behaviour in fire

Continue with work,

Disregard,

Unconvinced

All examples of

COMPLACENCY

Human behaviour in fire

Spectator sport / “friendly fire”

Examples:

Woolworths fire in 1979

Stardust Disco Dublin 1981

Bradford City Football Stadium fire in 1985

Human behaviour in fire

Conferring,

Seeking guidance

Human behaviour in fire

Affiliation – desire or need to help others, especially family

Example:

Summerland Leisure Complex, Isle of Man

(50 dead)

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!

Human behaviour in fire

Panic?

What is panic?

When do people really panic?

Human behaviour in fire

Physical capabilities and limitations –Health,

Age,

Size,

Fitness: the fitter you are the better your chance of surviving a fire?

Human behaviour in fire

Hazards from fire – heat,

smoke,

oxygen depletion,

flames

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 …

Station floor plan

The Station Fire – fatalities at the scene

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 don’t often “panic”

• Failing to use all available escape routes can and does cost lives.

Any questions?

THANK YOU!

Contact me on:

01179 298784 (x 87848),

07786 397655 or

Richard.norris@bristol.ac.uk