- Author
- Flynn, J. D.
- Title
- Structure Fires in Medical, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities.
- Coporate
- National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
- Report
- NFPA No. USS78, February 2009, 66 p.
- Keywords
- health care facilities | medical services | structures | building fires | fire statistics | mental health | death | injuries | costs | damage | hospitals | ignition | heat sources
- Identifiers
- hospice; substance abuse; clinic; doctor's office; medical, mental health and substance abuse facility structure fires; medical, mental health and substance abuse facility structure fires by facility type; medical, mental health and substance abuse facility structure fires by alarm year; medical, mental health and substance abuse facility structure fires by occupancy type; structure fires by month, day of week and time of day; incident type: confined vs. non-confined fire; leading causes
- Abstract
- During 2003-2006, municipal fire departments responded to an estimated 3,750 structure fires in medical, mental health, and substance abuse facilities, annually. These fires resulted in one civilian death, 57 civilian injuries, and $26.9 million in direct property damage. Of all structure fires, 0.7% occurs in health care facilities. Since 1980, structure fires in health care facilities have fallen 71%. A breakdown of fires in health care facilities by occupancy type shows almost half of the structure fires occur in hospitals or hospice facilities. Approximately 43% of medical, mental health, and substance abuse facility structure fires occur in hospitals or hospice facilities. Another 39% of structure fires occur in mental health or substance abuse facilities and finally, 19% occur in clinics or doctor's offices. Seventy percent of the direct property damage in health care facilities occurs in clinics or doctor's offices. This report provides analysis of leading cause, area of origin, and item first ignited, by medical, mental health, and substance abuse facility occupancy type. National estimates come for the U.S. Fire Administrations National Fire Incident Reporting System and NFPA Annual Fire Department Survey. (Overview of the fire problem in medical, mental health and substance abuse facilities. The report includes trend tables and statistics reported by cause, time of day, day of week, month of year, equipment involved in ignition, heat source, item first ignited and area of origin. Also includes published incident descriptions, published articles.)