Citation

Hasofer AM. J. Fire Prot. Eng. 2001; 11(3): 151-163.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1106/AXB0-GB38-BWGL-TLJ5

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A stochastic model for the time to awaken in response to a fire alarm is developed, based on a model originally developed by Ratcliff and Murdock in 1976 for analyzing two-choice decisions. It is mathematically identical to the classical "gambler's ruinproblem." The model is fitted to two sets of data due to Bruck and her colleagues and validated by visual and statistical means. The model can be used to predict high quantiles of the awakening time, an essential component of the total time to escape, needed to evaluate the risk of death in a compartment fire.

Erratum:

Line 6, p. 161 should read: ''...that the coefficient of variation of p^ is approximately 1/(the square root of pN). If we
require...''.