Dunwoody Industrial Institute in Minneapolis has found that an electronic security system with manpower backup is the best safeguard against theft, fire, and equipment malfunction. (Author/MLF)

Report of the winter meeting of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Subjects covered are--(1) title subject, (2) predictions for the human habitat in 1994, (3) fans, and (4) fire safety in buildings. (JW)

A scientist explains how commercial smoke detectors work. (BT)

Information is given on the basic chemistry of fire and on the characteristics of flammable liquids. (BB)

After a $7 million arson fire destroyed part of a Virginia Beach high school, about 1,200 students were temporarily relocated to a refurbished former mini-mall, and a 16-month recovery project was initiated. The new design improved library and art facilities. School officials have since learned to fight fire with simple precautions, such as…

Presents fire safety guidelines for parents, including install smoke detectors on every floor; test and maintain the smoke detectors; and plan escape routes. Children must have fire drills and be taught two ways out of the house. The article suggests what to do if a fire occurs. (SM)

Discusses the origins of school fires and the components of the fire protection code called the Life Safety Code (LSC). Three of the following LSC requirements are described: means of egress; protection from hazards; and fire suppression and alarm systems. Information on who starts fires is highlighted along with preventive measures. (GR)

Fire is a challenge in the wildland-urban interface. Although resource managers encourage residents to create defensible space, many do not. This study illustrates the value of using a needs assessment to better understand perceptions of an audience in order to develop meaningful messages and materials. In this case, our audience is residents of…

Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton declared natural disasters somewhere in the United States on average of about one per week between 1998 and 2005. Despite this frequency, most citizens are unprepared when a natural disaster occurs in their city or neighborhood. In particular, teachers and students can become paralyzed by the overwhelming…

Is it possible to educate a fire officer to deal intelligently with the command and control of a major fire event he will never have experienced? The authors of this paper believe there is, and present here just one solution to this training challenge. It involves the development of an intelligent simulation based upon computer managed interactive…

Crisis planning includes making preparations for managing school buildings, grounds, occupants, and rescue and recovery personnel during and after a crisis. In "Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools" states: When a crisis…

A comprehensive fire safety skills program was evaluated with 32 moderately to mildly retarded adolescents. The program used a fire safety program manual and lessons in basic preventive fire skills, fire safety procedures, and fire escape skills. Across-group comparisons indicated differences in performance between males and females. Fire safety…

Two fire education programs for young children are described. The basic principles of both programs are the same: keep it short, make it fun, and get the children involved. The first program addresses what to do if clothes catch fire, teaching about matches, and exiting during a fire (crawling under smoke, raising windows, and unlocking doors).…

In order to learn whether public communications (defined as both personal and impersonal communication) can be effective in preventing residential fires, a search was conducted of all available published literature reporting empirically based research evidence on communications. This paper outlines and discusses the search procedure, the sources…