In the late 1890s, North America was experiencing growth and opportunity amongst a rapidly growing country. Cities became more populated, resulting in larger buildings, and the risk of numerous fire fatalities increased due to building construction design. To this day building design plays a significant role in the ability of its occupants to exit safely during and emergency. The design of new buildings is influenced as a result of human behaviors during past fire emergency.
For many years, engineers and architects have believed that when an alarm sounds occupants will immediately leave the building in an orderly fashion. Under this assumption, the location and quantity of fire exits were determined based on the occupancy load. But what psychologist …show more content…
Frequently, it is reported that people “panic” in an emergency, but this word is used loosely by people and sensationalized by the media. Typically, occupants become fearful of the situation but do not exhibit crazy or irrational behavior. Following extensive interviews after the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, May 28, 1977, it is reported that the staff continued taking care of patrons and facilitated the evacuation of hundreds of occupants, and for the most part the occupants followed directions (Fahy & Proulx, 2009). The important item to note is that people effectively evacuated the structure because they were given instruction and not left on their own to evacuate based on an alarm ringing with no further instructions. Incorporating a vocal alarm into a building security system that an operator can give evacuation instructions to occupants will be highly …show more content…
The same door offers an evacuation route is familiar to them versus a new door that has an unknown escape route. This tendency is why exit drills in commercial occupancies are so important. Additionally, architects must account for this trend and provide ample exits located next to the main entrance to the structure. The failure to account for this is seen in the Station nightclub fire that occurred on February 20, 2003. In an article from Pieper, “most concert-goers tried to exit from just one single door-door exit, although three exits existed” (Firefighter Nation, February 20,
For many years, engineers and architects have believed that when an alarm sounds occupants will immediately leave the building in an orderly fashion. Under this assumption, the location and quantity of fire exits were determined based on the occupancy load. But what psychologist …show more content…
Frequently, it is reported that people “panic” in an emergency, but this word is used loosely by people and sensationalized by the media. Typically, occupants become fearful of the situation but do not exhibit crazy or irrational behavior. Following extensive interviews after the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, May 28, 1977, it is reported that the staff continued taking care of patrons and facilitated the evacuation of hundreds of occupants, and for the most part the occupants followed directions (Fahy & Proulx, 2009). The important item to note is that people effectively evacuated the structure because they were given instruction and not left on their own to evacuate based on an alarm ringing with no further instructions. Incorporating a vocal alarm into a building security system that an operator can give evacuation instructions to occupants will be highly …show more content…
The same door offers an evacuation route is familiar to them versus a new door that has an unknown escape route. This tendency is why exit drills in commercial occupancies are so important. Additionally, architects must account for this trend and provide ample exits located next to the main entrance to the structure. The failure to account for this is seen in the Station nightclub fire that occurred on February 20, 2003. In an article from Pieper, “most concert-goers tried to exit from just one single door-door exit, although three exits existed” (Firefighter Nation, February 20,