Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

In this paper results from an unannounced evacuation trial conducted within a library in Izmir Turkey are presented and discussed. This experimental evacuation is part of a large international study investigating the impact of culture on evacuation behavior. In addition, a framework to enable the systematic analysis of Response Phase behaviors is presented and applied to the trial data. The framework not only provides a consistent method for describing Response Phase behavior, but also provides a framework for classifying and quantifying the Response Phase other than simply using the overall response time. An empirical response time model, based on data generated using the framework is also presented and applied to the evacuation trial data. The empirical response time model produces a prediction for the average response time for the trial population which is within 11% of the measured value. In addition to presenting Response Phase data, a data set suitable for the validation of evacuation models is also presented. Computer simulations which attempt to reproduce the trial are compared to the validation data set. While initial results are promising, analysis suggests that a model representation of exiting behavior through the exit turnstile is necessary.