The Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) has closed an important gap in the recording and evaluation of building fires.
A comprehensive report on fire damage statistics is available, in which the fire events are statistically described on more than 500 pages and the effectiveness of fire protection measures is examined and presented. Over 5,000 building fire operations were taken into account nationwide.
fires and fire brigade operations
“The publication provides detailed and reliable information about fires and fire brigade operations in Germany for the first time,” explains Dr. Sebastian Festag, Head of the Statistics Working Group at the vfdb and Editor of the work together with Prof. Ernst-Peter Döbbeling.
He adds, “It's about allowing the opportunity to base decisions on facts rather than assumptions. The statistics therefore serve everyone involved in fire protection.”
fire damage statistics
On the one hand, fire damage statistics are dedicated to the phenomenon of fire
On the one hand, fire damage statistics are dedicated to the phenomenon of fire. “This allows key risk areas to be identified and, in some cases, quantified,” says Dr. Sebastian Festag. He cites the risk focus 'kitchen' as an example.
“Based on our figures, we can now prove that their share in building fires is 25 percent overall. When it comes to fires in buildings that are used for living, the figure is even 50 percent,” explains Dr. Sebastian Festag.
good and accurate assessment
Dr. Sebastian Festag continues, “A good and accurate assessment of the main risk areas makes planning easier and enables targeted measures to be initiated.”
Another example in the report is the investigation of fires depending on the fire floor. The data obtained shows that 85 percent of fires break out on the second floor.
This also statistically supports the definition of the so-called 'critical house fire'. Another important issue, particularly with a view to the future and environmental protection, is the need for fire-fighting water.
fire protection measures
The statistical mass of cases helps to compare the damage criteria for fires with and without protective measures
The aim of the vfdb fire damage statistics was also to determine the effectiveness of certain fire protection measures based on operational events and real fires. The statistical mass of cases helps to compare the damage criteria for fires with and without protective measures.
Sebastian Festag explains, “This means: We consider fires as a reference scenario in which, for example, B. there is no system technology and determine certain damage criteria, such as the estimated property damage, the spread of the fire when the emergency services arrive, the spread of smoke, the accessibility of escape and rescue routes and the required use of extinguishing agents."
damage criteria
The damage criteria are then compared with fires in which, for example, fire alarm systems or smoke and heat exhaust systems were present.
The result shows that in the case of fires, with these fire protection measures, the damage criteria are always significantly more favorable even though these buildings usually have a higher damage potential.
building regulations
There is less damage to the company fire brigades, where the majority of buildings are of a special type
It was also interesting to compare operations between professional fire departments and volunteer fire departments. There were differences in the operations, but, as expected, hardly any between the damage criteria.
On the other hand, there is less damage to the company fire brigades, where the majority of buildings are of a special type or used by building regulations.
early fire detection
The reason for this is the high volume of technical fire protection measures, which means that an early alarm can be expected through early fire detection and rapid-fire fighting using fire extinguishing systems.
This result can be explained together with the quick intervention of a company fire brigade with particular knowledge of the property and stationed directly at the property. All data from the fire departments involved in collecting the data is anonymized.
future fact-oriented operational planning
For Thomas Hegger, head of Department 14, which published the vfdb fire damage statistics, the publication is a valuable aid for future fact-oriented operational planning. “The call for statistical foundations is great in the area of fire protection,” emphasizes Sebastian Festag.
According to Thomas Hegger, “Hardly a specialist conference goes by where this deficiency is not addressed. With the data now available, an important step has been taken and for the first time there is statistical evidence of effectiveness for system technology and fire protection measures.”
