Fire question for FC

agent8698

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 16, 2002
Messages
99
Location
Tacoma, WA
Somebody on this board said, about the Rhode Island nightclub fire, that, in a fire, people have the urge to get out of the building using the same door they came in, even if that means walking away from a closer exit and walking toward smoke.

If this is true, if our brain gets a little stupid in emergency situations like that, what other strange surprises can be expected in a fire? I mean, you would really think, in a fire, people would just say: "gotta get out now, there's the closest exit, evacuate now". Do people really fall back on some kind of subconscious programming, even if it blatantly goes against common sense and against their survival? What else does that subconscious programming do to people's behavior in a fire? Any insight appreciated.

Max
 

x-ray

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Jul 1, 2002
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London
[ QUOTE ]
agent8698 said:
Somebody on this board said, about the Rhode Island nightclub fire, that, in a fire, people have the urge to get out of the building using the same door they came in, even if that means walking away from a closer exit and walking toward smoke.



[/ QUOTE ]

We recently had a fire drill at work (large retail store with one main entrance/exit and six fire/emergency exits)
everyone left via the main entrance, even if they had to walk past two emergency exits to get there.

They didn't even realize what they had done until it was pointed out that they are supposed to leave by their nearest exit.

Funny how the brain works...
 

Alan Hsu

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Dec 19, 2002
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517
Location
Taiwan
In an case of emergency, the brain will go into overdrive focusing on THE CONDITION. Only nature and second nature (training) work at the very moment.
 
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