The Commission determined that its research priorities for 2003-2004 were as follows:

• identifying and influencing vulnerable communities
• how households in vulnerable communities perceive and manage their risks*
• human behaviour leading to fatal fires*
• cost-benefit studies to support legislative change to improve fire safety in buildings
• fire protection in heritage buildings*
• loss reduction in industrial buildings*
• planning for post-earthquake fire
• incidence and control of vegetation fires in rural areas
• techniques and technology for firefighting and reduction of fire impact
• international approaches to reducing deliberately lit fires*
• sustaining communities at economic and social risk from major fires*
• impact of Fire Service activity on the environment*

The following projects were recommended to the Commission as achieving the required standards and judged to achieve the best value for money.

Heimdall Consulting Ltd
Human behaviour leading to fatal fires

Around 60% of all fire fatalities in New Zealand occur in residential properties which accounts for over 20 deaths annually. This study extends previous research on the behaviour of those involved in fatal unintentional residential fires to determine how victim actions contribute to fires starting, and subsequent deaths. It excludes intentional fire deaths (ie. Suicides or homicides). New Zealand statistics are compared with other jurisdictions. Particular attention is directed at recent Australian research to compare detailed analysis on victim behaviours in domestic fires differs between the two countries. The study examines all Coroners’ reports into unintentional residential fire deaths from 1997/98 – 2002/03, along with NZ Fire Service Commission information, to obtain a better understanding the behaviour of these victims. The finding are expected to provide specific directions for fire safety strategies and contribute to a reduction in these largely preventable deaths through recommendations for targeted interventions, education initiatives, and further research.

Report 47: Human Behaviour Contributing to Unintentional Residential Fire Deaths 1997-2003 [Download PDF, Acrobat 5.0 or later, 2Mb]

OPUS International
Fire protection in heritage buildings

Heritage buildings and heritage collections are reminders of the past and part of our history, but not enough is being done to ensure that these places and collections will be preserved for future generations. The New Zealand Fire Service has identified the need to develop wider and better-researched advice about fire safety in heritage buildings in New Zealand particularly in the light of recent legislative change’s (Resource Management Act, 1991 the Local Government Act 2002, and the Building Act, 1991). The usefulness of international methods of achieving these aims will be considered in relation to New Zealand/s built and material heritage and adapted to New Zealand’s unique conditions. This will be achieved by identifying the types of heritage buildings in New Zealand and their risks from fire. A ranking method will be developed to assist building owners to prioritise the fire risk to their property. Practical and affordable risk treatment options for preserving the heritage aspects of heritage buildings, and buildings that house nationally significant historic collections, will by analysed using international experience and best practice standards. Guidelines that assist the owners to prioritise their risks and to select cost effective and appropriate fire safety measures for their buildings and collections will be developed.

Report 48: Guidelines for Identifying and Preventing Fire Risks to Heritage Buildings and collections [Download PDF, Acrobat 5.0 or later, 968Kb]

BECA Carter Holdings
Sustaining communities at economic and social risk from major fires

This project develops social and economic indices to assess a community’s risk from a single high impact fire. The research reviews small New Zealand communities that have been significantly socially and economically affected by damage or loss of commercial or similar infrastructure. This review assesses the potential impact of a single high impact fire event to identify the social and economic variables that limited the sustainability of these communities in responding to or recovering from such events. The indices developed are used to provide a summary of the vulnerability of small New Zealand communities, based on 2001 Census data.

On the basis of case study reviews Beca develops a process to facilitate the formulation of an effective fire risk management plan for these ‘at-risk’ communities, preparedness for, and resilience to, single high impact fire event. The plans identify methods improve community resilience (pre-event) as well as response and recovery (post event) to enhance the economic and social sustainability of these communities. Recommendations are made for the application of this process, including identification of agencies within communities for the effect implementation of these plans.

Landcare Research
The Impact of Fire Service activity on the environment

Fires generally have negative impacts on the environment, and fire suppression and firefighting activities occur to avoid and reduce these and other types of impacts. �However, firefighting activities can be environmental impacts in their own right (e.g., the use of chemical foams for control of some fires, water abstraction from natural waterways), and these impacts also need to be managed to minimise net costs. In this project, we propose clarifying the potential environmental impacts of pollutants developed by fires and firefighting activities, how pollutants may disperse from the fire scene, identifying what native species or ecosystems are most susceptible to the products of fire or firefighting, and determining where these species or ecosystems occur in close proximity to areas of high fire risk. By doing this, we will identify and map the most vulnerable locations in New Zealand to environmental damage by fire and/or firefighting activities, and make this information known to firefighting personnel. Additionally, we will seek alternative firefighting tactics to use in these situations of high ecological risk to minimise such impacts.

Report 69: Impact of Fire Service Activity on the Environment [Download PDF, Acrobat 5.0 or later, 4Mb]

BERL Ltd
The cost of managing the risk of fire in New Zealand

The overarching objective of the research would be to provide policy makers with sound factual information on which to formulate fire funding policy. This will be achieved by firstly developing a conceptual framework that identifies the costs and benefits of risk management measures in New Zealand, as well as the incidence (or burden) of these measures. Secondly, quantitative estimates would be generated for New Zealand using robust, internationally recognised modelling techniques.

Report 53: The Cost of Managing the Risk of Fire in New Zealand [Download PDF, Acrobat 5.0 or later, 1Mb]

CRESA
Developing indicators of the needs and capacity of households and communities for targeting interventions

This research aims to provide the evidential base for developing targeted and effective fire safety interventions for at-risk households in vulnerable communities and the tools for risk assessment at household level. Effective targeting of public awareness campaigns and other interventions requires understanding of household dynamics. Households also provide a window on the communities in which they are located (community services, amenities and facilities and their use) and the wider macro environment. The fluidity, composition and circumstances of New Zealand households constantly change. These changes reflect economic trends such as changes the aging of the population; increasing divorce, relationship breakdown and reconstituted families; children staying at home for longer; and the transformation of rural communities. They also reflect economic trends such as changes in the labour market and increasing costs of housing, health, education, security and other services. This research will examine how these changes affect households and the implications of these changes for fire risk, fire safety, targeting interventions and encouraging community and household risk assessment and management.

Report 51: Developing Indicators of Household Risk and Targeting Interventions [Download PDF, Acrobat 5.0 or later, 1Mb]

NIWA
Impacts of climate variability and change of seasonal fire danger

This project aims to extend investigation into methods for forward prediction of the severity of fire seasons. It combines a NIWA-led foundation research programme for the prediction of fire season severity and improved regional fire danger forecasts for New Zealand with complementary research being undertaken by Forest Research to develop a national fire climatology database and associated analytical tools. The research will improved understanding of climatic factors influencing fire season severity by extending relationships between large scale global and regional climate patterns and know daily, monthly and seasonal fire severity to remaining fire risk regions. It is also proposed to undertake new research on the impacts of climate variability and change on fire danger.

This project will deliver:

• Identification of patterns of climate variation influencing elevated regional fire severity through examination of the key sequence of weather patterns that in the past have caused elevated daily and monthly fire severity in the above regions.
• Improved seasonal fire danger forecasts through a better understanding of links between seasonal climate variability and seasonal severity rating (SSR).
• Predictions of likely changes in individual station climatologies, regional fire danger and fire season severity associated with climate variability and climate change scenarios.
• Improved awareness of long term fire danger trends, and better informed fire managers on potential fire behaviour and suppression requirements.

The research will lead to more effective and efficient use of resources, and ultimately a reduction in the incidence and consequences of rural fires.

Report 50: Impact of Climate Change on Long-term Fire Danger [Download PDF, Acrobat 5.0 or later, 3Mb]