- Title:
-
School Fires in New Zealand
- Date:
- February 2002
- Organisations
- NZFS
- Authors:
Nzier and Croydon Consultants
- Location:
- New Zealand, New Zealand
Overview
The overall aim of the School Fires in New Zealand project was to:
- Help raise awareness of the factors contributing to school fires, and their implications for individual schools, communities, and New Zealand as a whole.
- Raise awareness in schools of the range of possible measures to reduce risk, and to encourage an increased sense of community responsibility for the protection of public assets.
A detailed analysis of trends, drawing on NZFS Emergency Incidents Statistics and the Ministry of Education Property Management Information System, is set out in the report.
- The estimated cost of all fires in state schools was $3.5 million in 2000/2001.
- The 25-year average cost is $5.2 million per year.
- In the 1990s, 60-70 percent of serious fires were caused by arson, a much higher proportion than for other building types.
- Initial investigation suggests some correlation between the number of school fires in an area and the social deprivation of the area.
The report identifies some key aspects of risk management that can contribute to improved fire safety in schools.
