First 2,000 Rescues: Fire Conditions Upon Arrival

Data from the first 2,000 recorded rescues (you read that right) has been collected, calculated, and collated for all you nerds.

Data Drop.....Fire Conditions Upon Entry v Survival Rate
The graph below compared fire conditions upon FD entry to recorded victim survival rate. We instinctively would have estimated that incipient stage fires would have the highest survival rate while structural fires would have the lowest survival rate, and our instincts would have been correct. These data seem to affirm our intuitive understanding of the inverse relationship between fire size and survival rate. Incipient stage fires have a survival rate of 83%, quite a bit higher than any of the other categories. Although even in buildings with structural involvement, arguably the most advanced fires, there is a recorded survival rate of 46%. The data also reveals that in 52% of recorded rescues to date, the fire has involved multiple rooms or the structural members. What all this tells us is that we shouldn’t be so quick to write off a building or areas of a building, but instead we should have a bias for action when conditions allow. Like in all things, the more we learn about something, the more questions arise.

• What conditions necessitate a bias for action within your department?
• What conditions necessitate a bias for inaction within your department
• How much priority is placed on an interior size-up on your firegrounds?
• Etc., etc.

Fire Conditions Upon Entry v Total Recorded Rescues:
Incipient – 8% (161/1975)
Room and Contents – 40% (791/1975)
Multiple Rooms – 22% (426/1975)
Structure – 30% (597/1975)
Fire Conditions Upon Entry v Survival Rate:
Incipient – 83% (131/158)
Room and Contents – 67% (526/782)
Multiple Rooms – 59% (251/424)
Structure – 46% (275/594)