FIRE 360 Fire Related Human Behavior

This course presents a study of human behavior in fire and other emergency situations. Students will examine current and past research on human behavior, systems models, life safety, education, and building design to determine the interactions of these areas in emergency situations. Students will develop an understanding of a best-practice building life safety system as one that combines knowledge in the areas of psychology and sociology, joined with engineering and education to produce the best possible outcomes in terms of human survivability in an emergency.

Researchers and fire protection engineers design and analyze the built environment, including emergency egress factors, for fire hazards based on human factors and modeling systems. Understanding and predicting human behavior during fires and disasters is challenging. However, being able to understand the human element will be critical to improving life safety. 

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview. 

Discussions (8)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be 300 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 150 words. For each thread, the student must include at least one scholarly citation and one Biblical citation and each reply must incorporate at least one scholarly or Biblical citation.

Research Paper Assignments (4)

The student will write a research paper on a topic related to fire science or a relevant and related topic within the fire service. The paper will be submitted in intervals as follows: Topic Selection, Outline, Rough Draft, and Final Draft. Below is an overview of what is expected; however, please look at the assignment instructions and grading rubrics for more detail. 

Research Paper: Topic Selection 

The student will select a topic related to juvenile justice from the provided list or choose a topic covered in the course textbook. The student must explain why he or she has chosen this topic in 1-2 sentences.  

Research Paper: Outline Assignment 

The student will provide an in-depth outline of his or her research paper. The outline must contain headings that correlate to the chosen topic. The outline must include a reference page with at least five peer-reviewed journal articles.

Research Paper: Rough Draft Assignment 

The student will submit a rough draft of his or her research paper that expands on the outline and addresses all sections thoroughly. The rough draft must be at least 5 pages (excluding the title page, abstract, tables of contents, reference list, and appendices), follow the current APA format, and include at least 5 primary and 1 Biblical reference. 

Research Paper: Final Assignment 

The student will submit the final draft of his or her research paper. The final draft must be at least 5 pages (excluding the title page, abstract, tables of contents, reference list, and appendices), follow the current APA format, and include at least 5 primary and 1 Biblical reference.