- Author
- Snell, J. E.
- Title
- Fire Research at NIST.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Journal
- SFPE Bulletin, 9-11, May/June 1991
- Keywords
- fire research | fire losses | costs | fire risk | fire safety | fire hazards
- Identifiers
- HAZARD I; HAZARD II; FPETOOL
- Abstract
- A recent study of the total cost of fire presents a new alarming picture of the economic burden of fire--as much as $128 billion annually, and that neglects most government fire safety losses and expenditures. The key to reducing fire losses and costs is to seek possibilities for quantum improvements under the assumption that business as usual will continue to bring forward worthy incremental improvements, but that they collectively will continue to fall short even of halting the increasing rate of growth of the costs of fire. History suggests that major changes in the public's values and attitudes about fire safety are unlikely unless people are motivated by sound factual and effectively communicated information about fire risk and hazards. Moreover, quantum advances in fire safety technology are probably more likely and indeed may even help stimulate desired behavioral changes.