Fire Science Show

You are not supposed to use the word 'panic' in the context of human behaviour in fires, yet this episode contains 196 instances of it. Why? because we try to get to the bottom of the thing! Can panic be both a myth and a reality?

Join us as we challenge the age-old narratives of panic in emergencies with our distinguished guest, Professor Daniel Nilsson, from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. We unravel the misconceptions surrounding human behaviour during fires, spotlighting the harmful effects of outdated myths perpetuated by media and literature. By debunking these myths, we aim to reshape fire safety engineering, focusing on realistic human reactions and informed decision-making.

Our conversation takes you across cultural landscapes, from the Western world to the Soviet Union, questioning national claims of panic susceptibility and the portrayal of panic as a contagious force. Challenging the historical context, we try to figure out what panic is once you apply the scientific method to understand it.

We also try to assess historical events like the Victoria Tower evacuation and the Love Parade tragedy, we underscore how engineering failures, not irrational behaviour, often lead to crowd disasters. Professor Nilsson and I delve into the psychology of decision-making during evacuations, emphasising the power of clear communication to prevent chaos and save lives.

Finally, we reflect on the profound research of Quarantelli, who redefined panic through thousands of disaster case studies, revealing the complexity of human responses in crises. We explore how cultural contexts influence perceived panic behaviour by differentiating between non-rational and irrational actions. We aim to enlighten fire safety professionals and the broader audience on the importance of replacing the myth of panic with empathy and evidence-based strategies, fostering a safer and more understanding approach to emergency responses.

Further reading?
Sure.
Daniel's paper in SFPE Europe magazine - is panic a myth or reality?
Proloux and Sime paper where they challanged the limiting of information (1991)

And if you really got into this, Jonathan Sime's PhD

Also, a ton of material on Human Behaviour and evacuation is waiting for you in the Uncovered Witness project!

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The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.