When the fire alarm activates, how do we response?
The response of occupants to an automatic fire alarm is often anything but automatic, and time is often wasted on non-evacuation activities. Fire engineers call this phase the pre-movement time, during which occupants and personnel are attempting to figure out what is happening and what, if anything, they should do. Some, particularly since the advent of mobiles phones, make telephone calls; a few are even unable to resist the temptation to investigate the reason for the sounded of the fire alarm. Many will ponder whether the alarm is a fire alarm test or a false alarm, or maybe fire alarm maintenance is taken place? – it will certainly not always be accepted as a genuine alert of a fire.
Even when they do get around to evacuating, they may well not make an immediate start. They may first return to their office, hotel room or changing room to rescue personal belongings, or attempt to warn and find family or friends before starting evacuation. In any event, critical time is lost. But why? Some will cite the prospect of it being a false alarm; others will not wish to come across as panicking; a number will simply wait to be told what to do, or simply have no idea what to do.
Clearly there are too many factors for there to be a single fire detection and fire alarm solution that is suitable in all circumstances and is appropriate to every type of hotel and leisure building. What is evident, though, is the importance of accessing all of the factors that will, or at least should, influence the final decision.
Fire detection and fire alarm technology continues to become more robust and reliable, but it must be seen as part of a fully integrated solution, one that is based on dynamic fire risk assessments that take all of today's circumstances into account. Perhaps the best approach to adopt is to see fire detection as a means to an end and constantly ask the question: "Will this solution ensure the safety of the next visitor at reception?"
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