- Author
- Bryan, J. L. | DiNenno, P. J.
- Title
- Examination and Analysis of the Dynamics of the Human Behavior in the Fire Incident at the University of Maryland Hospital on April 4, 1979.
- Coporate
- Maryland Univ., College Park
- Sponsor
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NBS GCR 80-240, May 31, 1979, 29 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- GRANT-79014
- Keywords
- evacuation | fire departments | fire extingishers | fire investigations | hospitals | patients | electrical power | nursing staff
- Abstract
- This fire incident at the University of Maryland Hospital on April 4, 1979 was detected by two nurses at approximately 2130 hours. The nurses observed light white smoke being discharged from a heating and air conditioning unit with electrical arcing in room 4-207. The two patients in the room were evacuated and the facility emergency procedures were initiated with the phone call to the University Communication Center and the activation of the building local alarm system. The fire was attacked by a nursing staff member with a listed 3A, 30BC rated, all-purpose dry chemical extinguisher. All ten patients on wing 4B were evacuated, eight patients in their beds, and two of these patients required portable oxygen. The initial arriving fire department personnel from the Baltimore City Fire Department assisted in the evacuation of the last three patients. Fire department personnel extingished the fire by dis connecting the electrical power supply to the unit and the fire then self extinguished. The fire department removed glass from two openable windows in rooms 4-207 and 4-209 to achieve ventilation in this twelve-story main hospital building of fire resistive construction.