- Author
- Bryan, J. L. | DiNenno, P. J.
- Title
- Examination and Analysis of the Dynamics of the Human Behavior in the Fire Incidents at the University of Maryland Hospital on February 6, 1979.
- Coporate
- Maryland Univ., College Park
- Sponsor
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NBS GCR 80-234, March 31, 1979, 29 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- GRANT-79014
- Keywords
- fire departments | fire extinguishers | hospitals | nursing staff | patients
- Abstract
- This fire incident at the University of Maryland Hospital on February 6, 1979 was detected by a nurse at approximately 0840 hours. The nurse was alerted to the observation of flames in a microwave oven in the emergency room doctor's lounge, room G-1142, by a loud unusual noise. The nurse immediately reported the fire at the emergency room treatment area nurses station. The hospital emergency procedures were initiated with a phone call to the University Communication Center and activation of the building local alarm system. The fire in the microwave oven was extinguished by the nurse using a 10 pound, listed carbon dioxide extinguisher, rated 5 B, C. Following extinguishment a light haze of smoke was confined to the doctor's lounge. One patient in an adjacent emergency room treatment area was evacuated as a precautionary action. The fifteen story North Hospital Building of fire resistive construction was approximately five years old. At the time of the fire incident the twenty-five patient emergency room treatment area had ten patients. The Baltimore City Fire Department responded and verified extinguishment.