- Author
-
Gomberg, A.
|
Buchbinder, B.
|
Offensend, R. L.
- Title
- Evaluating Alternative Strategies for Reducing Residential Fire Loss--The Fire Loss Model.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
-
NBSIR 82-2551,
August 1982,
66 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
-
cost benefit analysis
|
fire losses
|
fire safety
|
residential buildings
|
decision analysis
|
smoke detectors
|
sprinkler systems
|
residential sprinklers
- Abstract
- This report provides a preliminary documentation of a decision analysis framework for evaluating alternative residential fire loss reduction strategies. The framework, when it is completed, will provide a systematic means for assessing the costs and losses occurring under different intervention strategies. The current report focuses entirely on the problem of assessing fire losses, as this is where most of the uncertainty on system performance occurs. Subsequent reports will address the cost of the alternatives, after which the alternatives can be compared on a comprehensive cost/benefit basis. Three alternatives are considered in this preliminary report: smoke detctors, residential sprinkler systems with standard commercial-type sprinkler heads, and a combination of both measures. Based on the preliminary input data developed, the preliminary analysis indicates that both sprinklers and detectors are effective in reducing life loss. Detectors appear to be somewhat more effective in reducing personal losses, however, because of their earlier warning capability. Sprinklers appear to be significantly more effective that detectors in reducing property loss because of their earlier start in initiating suppression. Work is underway refining the loss model and developing a cost model so that meaningful cost/benefit comparisons of the alternatives can be conducted.