- Author
- Bryan, J. L. | Milke, J. A.
- Title
- Examination and Analysis of the Dynamics of the Human Behavior in the Fire Incident at the Mt. Wilson Center on September 4, 1979.
- Coporate
- Maryland Univ., College Park
- Sponsor
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NBS GCR 80-266, December 31, 1979, 30 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- GRANT-79014
- Keywords
- evacuation | fire departments | fire investigations | mattresses | patients | smoke
- Abstract
- This fire incident at the Mount Wilson Hospital Center on September 4, 1979 was initially detected by a Health Assistant who observed smoke issuing from room 512 east wing of the main hospital building at approximately 0925 hours. The health assistant immediately called to other staff for assistance. The arriving staff observed the smoke flaming mattress in room 512, with smoke in the corridors and activated the local alarm system which initiated the hospital fire emergency procedures which include notification of the Baltimore County Fire Department. Additional hospital staff responded to the area of fire origin, room 512, and suppressed the mattress flames with two five pound dry chemical extinguishers, rated 2A, 10BC, following the initial suppression action of water from a trash can. Damage was limited to one of the five smoke zones on the fifth floor, east wing of the fire resistive construction building erected approximately twenty-seven years ago. All thirty-two of the patients of the fifth floor, east wing of the main hospital building were evacuated with staff assistance and without injury. The Baltimore County Fire Department responded and verified extinguishment of the mattress fire, and ventilated the fifth floor fire zone with fans placed in the opened windows.