Occupant Response Model: A Sub-model For The Nrcc Risk-cost Assessment Model

Abstract

The Occupant Response Model is a sub-model of the Risk-Cost Assessment Model for apartment building being developed at the National Fire Laboratory of the National Research Council of Canada. The Occupant Response Model simulates human response to information indicating the presence of a fire. The perception of the information, interpretation and resulting action is called the PIA process. The PIA process is performed at each state of fire growth obtained from the Fire Growth Model. Interpretation levels have been defined according to the information sources reaching the occupants in the building. Further, the interpretation level introduces a time delay to interpret information and to take actions before the occupants start evacuation.