An Examination and Analysis of the Dynamics of the Human Behavior in the Fire Incident at the Roosevelt Hotel on April 24, 1979

摘要

This fire incident occurred on the eighth floor of the Roosevelt Hotel, 2101 Sixteenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. on April 24, 1979. The fire incident was initially detected by a resident on the eighth floor who detected an odor of smoke and phoned the Hotel receptionist. The Hotel receptionist phoned the building engineer in the basement and the fire department. The fire department received the notification of the fire from the receptionist at 0701 hours. The fire department evacuated the eighth floor with personnel providing assistance to some residents from their breathing apparatus. The fire damage was limited to the room of origin, and smoke propagation to the eighth floor, of the fire resistive constructed building. A total second alarm fire department response was required to assure the evacuation of the residents. One resident, the sole occupant of room 818 was fatally injured, and four other residents received medical treatment at hospitals. Two of the injured residents from the eighth floor were treated for smoke inhalation and two residents from other floors were treated for chest pains.