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The Enhancement of Fire Safety in Small-Scale Senior Citizen Welfare Institutions Based on Fire Protection Defense-in-Depth Strategy

Author

Listed:
  • Sung-Ming Hung

    (Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 824005, Taiwan
    Fire Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government, Kaohsiung City 806029, Taiwan)

  • Shiuan-Cheng Wang

    (Department of Public Safety and Fire Science, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan City 717301, Taiwan)

  • Shen-Wen Chien

    (Department of Fire Science, Central Police University, Taoyuan City 333322, Taiwan)

  • Chung-Hwei Su

    (Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 824005, Taiwan)

  • Li-Peng Chen

    (Fire Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government, Kaohsiung City 806029, Taiwan)

Abstract

The number of elderly living in small-scale senior citizen welfare institutions in Taiwan has been increasing. Hence, enhancing the quality of care and safety of the residents in these institutions is a pressing issue. Our research team visited and reviewed data on 53 small-scale institutions in Tainan based on in-depth fire protection defense strategies and proposed a three-layer protection mechanism. The results showed that: (1) half (50%) of these institutions only meet the old anti-seismic system; (2) 26 (49%) institutions have multi-story buildings, thus, more staff needs to be arranged for night shifts to enable emergency responses on each floor; (3) all institutions have fire detectors; (4) 84% of the elderly living in these institutions are mobility-impaired and need to rely on the assistance of staff for evacuation; (5) most institutions (91%) employ foreign female caregivers which mostly work on night shifts; thus, routine training of emergency response should also consider the abilities of the foreign caregivers; (6) 35 (66%) institutions arrange only 50% of the day-shift manpower for the night shift; (7) 37 (70%) institutions should evaluate whether the function of their fire detectors is affected by fan air; and (8) 11 (21%) institutions use inflammable materials for furnishings to create a “cozy” atmosphere. This study also suggests that preventing smoke from spreading from a room that is on fire to other areas is an important evaluation item. Hopefully, these findings can serve as a reference for countries that are facing an increasingly aging population.

Suggested Citation

  • Sung-Ming Hung & Shiuan-Cheng Wang & Shen-Wen Chien & Chung-Hwei Su & Li-Peng Chen, 2022. "The Enhancement of Fire Safety in Small-Scale Senior Citizen Welfare Institutions Based on Fire Protection Defense-in-Depth Strategy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3196-:d:767029
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Junlae Kim & Seiyong Kim, 2020. "The Impact of Population Characteristics and Government Budgets on the Sustainability of Public Buildings in Korea’s Regional Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-15, July.
    2. Minji Choi & Seulbi Lee & Sungjoo Hwang & Moonseo Park & Hyun-Soo Lee, 2019. "Comparison of Emergency Response Abilities and Evacuation Performance Involving Vulnerable Occupants in Building Fire Situations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-19, December.
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