- Author
- Bryan, J. L. | DiNenno, P. J.
- Title
- Examination and Analysis of the Dynamics of the Human Behavior in the Fire Incident at the Washington Adventist Hospital on December 22, 1978.
- Coporate
- Maryland Univ., College Park
- Sponsor
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NBS GCR 80-231, January 31, 1979, 31 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- GRANT-79014
- Keywords
- doors | evacuation | fire extinguishers | fire investigations | hospitals | nursing staff | patients | smoke
- Abstract
- The fire incident at the Washington Adventist Hospital on December 22, 1978 was detected by a staff employee at approximately 1028 hours. The fire at detection consisted of a plastic food tray, with plastic containers and paper combustibles on an energized hot plate in the clean utility room of nursing unit 2200 on the second floor. At detection, flames had achieved a height of approximately 24 inches and a dense black layer of smoke had accumulated 18 inches in depth at the ceiling of the room of origin. The six story building of fire resistive construction was approximately twenty-eight years old. At the time of the fire incident this hospital had a registered occupancy of 360 patients. Two patients were evacuated from the corridor adjacent to the room of origin, and one patient from a room across the corridor by the nursing staff. The fire and smoke propagation was limited to the clean utility room by the closing of the 20 minute fire resistive rated door. The hospital local alarm system was activated, the hospital fire brigade and the fire department were notified. The fire was extinguished by a physcian and nursing staff personnel with a pitcher of ice water and a 2-1/2 gallon pressurizd water extinguisher prior to fire department arrival. The fire department verified extinguishment and conducted overhaul and ventilation operations.