Human Behavior in Fire

Human behavior in fire is at the core of all life safety projects completed by fire safety or fire protection engineers. A better understanding of how people respond to building emergencies can aid in safer building design; improved use or development of calculation tools used to ensure the level of safety afforded by these designs; and more effective emergency procedures, emergency communication systems, and pre-event emergency training for buildings and communities. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a basic understanding of human behavior in fire concepts and theory for use by engineers. The chapter contains the following aspects of human behavior in fire and other emergencies: a definition of human behavior in fire, including a discussion of the types of disciplines employed in the study of people in fires; a presentation on what human behavior in fire is not, including examples of disaster myths; an overview of the disaster-based decision-making process in fires and other emergencies; a discussion relating theory to practice (highlighting studies from fire events that support the decision-making theory); the identification of important factors that influence the decision-making process; and a conclusion highlighting what is missing in the field of human behavior in fire. Each section of this chapter will include an implications section that outlines the reasons why these ideas or theories are important for engineers to understand and incorporate.