- Author
-
Mattsson, B.
|
Juas, B.
|
Strang, D.
|
Ostrom, B.
- Title
- Optimal Fire Safety: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Certain Fire Safety Measures and a Comparison of Fire Service Costs in Six Countries.
- Coporate
- University of Karlstad, Sweden
Swedish Defence Research Institute, Sweden
- Report
-
Research Report P21-098/95
1995
92 p.
- Keywords
-
fire safety
|
cost benefit analysis
|
fire departments
|
costs
|
smoke detectors
|
fire extinguishers
|
sprinklers
|
fire alarm systems
|
regulations
|
water supply
|
fire fighting
|
chimneys
|
rescue
|
training
- Identifiers
- Sweden; Denmark; Norway; Finland; Netherlands; Great Britain
- Abstract
- In Sweden the municipalities are responsible for dealing with fires and most other accidents. Swedish legislation refers to the municipal rescue service. Throughout this report we use the term "rescue service" rather than "fire and rescue" or just "fire service" as is common in other countries. In 1990 we asked chief officers what would be most beneficial for the future of the municipal rescue service. In their opinion it was most important to present politicians with a better basis for decision making. The chief officers would like a means of measuring the benefits and costs of the rescue service in hard figures. For three years we have worked with the aim of providing more objective methods for decision making. This report is a summary of the work on cost-benefit analysis of firesafety at the University of Karlstad, and studies of the costs for the rescue service in the Nordic countries, The Netherlands, and GreatBritain carried out by the Swedish Defence Research Institute. The studies were initiated and financed by the Swedish Rescue Services Agency. However the results and conclusions presented in their reports and this summary are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the option of the Agency. The aim of cost-benefit analysis is to show the economic effects of changes in various measures such as smoke detectors, sprinklers, rescue service cover, chimney sweeping etc. The economy is here understood to represent the whole nation's economy. Costs and benefits are measured as the sum of the costs and benefits to the municipalities, central government, businesses and households. By weighing up all the costs and benefits for a certain measure the researchers can calcualte the optimal safety level for that particular measure.