- Author
- Bryan, J. L. | DiNenno, P. J.
- Title
- Examination and Analysis of the Dynamics of the Human Behavior in the Fire Incident at the Kensington Gardens Nursing Home on April 14, 1979.
- Coporate
- Maryland Univ., College Park
- Sponsor
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NBS GCR 80-242, June 30, 1979, 26 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- GRANT-79014
- Keywords
- evacuation | fire departments | fire investigations | nursing homes | nursing staff | patients | smoke | electrical power
- Abstract
- This fire incident at the Kensington Gardens Nursing Home on April 14, 1979 was initially detected by a nurse on the first floor central wing as an odor of smoke in the corridor adjacent to room 123, at approximately 0115 hours. The nurse detected smoke in room 123 and observed smoke issuing from an electrical unit heater in the room. The nurse immediately disconnected the electrical power cord to the heater from the wall socket and evacuated the single female patient in her bed from the room, along the corridor beyond the smoke barrier doors to the new section. During the evacuation of the patient other nursing staff were alerted, the local alarm system activated, the facility emergency procedures initiated and the Montgomery County Emergency Operations Center notified. The Kensington and Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Departments responded, verified extinguishment and conducted ventilation operations. The patient and one nursing staff member were transported by ambulance to the hospital for medical observation and examination as a precautionary measure. There was no fire damage beyond the electrical unit heater in this two-story, fire resistive original section of the facility constructed approximately 32 years ago.