On an individual level, fire preparedness is perhaps one of the simpler facets of survival awareness. The do-and-do-not list is fairly binary, and most homes have at least some form of protection – by code if not by intention.

In fact, Dr. Bradley’s Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family does not even devote a dedicated chapter to fire events.

Public spaces, however, are another matter. Procedures are again rather black and white. Exits are marked, extinguishers are usually available, sprinklers abound, and there are even maps in some buildings highlighting the quickest egress. Yours truly produced the various fire maps you’ll find tucked into the corners of hallways across the University of Kentucky’s campus.

Now add drills, classes, seminars, and signage. The question becomes: are we overexposed? Picture the following:

A smoke alarm blares. It’s three in the morning. You’re exhausted. Tomorrow is a big day. It’s cold and probably raining. Your professor couldn’t care less if you were up all night, and the last three alarms were false. Odds are this one is, too. Or maybe a small trash can fire smolders next door – harmless now, but in less than two minutes, the hallway could be impassable. Do you wait, gather up comfortable clothes and your phone before shuffling outside? Or do you just go back to bed? (Caskey, 2017)

Statistics suggest going back to bed is the best choice – until the one time it isn’t. Can anything be done to “pierce the fog,” as it were? Emergency authorities believe so. They’ve borrowed a technique from good storytelling: show, don’t tell.

In September 2010, the UK Fire Marshal’s Office launched the Don’t Be an Ash program and began staging live dorm room burn demonstrations at public events to raise awareness among students and staff. “Flashover” may be a dry term – a specific ignition temperature at which all combustibles in a space ignite at once – but watching it happen changes everything.

So – has it made a difference?

According to the University of Kentucky Campus Fire Log (2018), between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014, there were 1,913 reported fire incidents on campus. Of those, four resulted in injuries. By comparison, from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2009, there were 2,116 reported incidents – five with injuries. Running some basic analysis produces the following results:

• Raw incident count dropped by 203 incidents, roughly 9.6%.
• Injuries dropped from 5 to 4 – a small absolute difference, but still a 20% decrease in reported injuries.
• Injury rate per incident dropped from 0.236% to 0.209%. That may seem tiny, but in relative terms, it’s a roughly 11.4% improvement in safety per incident.

While there are of course many unexplored factors affecting incident and injury rates, these results suggest that showing, not just telling, may improve engagement. Still, balance is key. After awareness comes action – and it’s crucial that people know what the right actions are when the alarm goes off.

References

Caskey, D. V. (2017, January 14). Project 2 – Scene Depiction. Retrieved March 29, 2018, from https://www.caskeys.com/dc/project-2-scene-depiction-project/

University of Kentucky. (2018, March 28). Campus Fire Log. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from http://ehs.uky.edu/apps/flashpoint/incident_log.php