Hospital Evacuation Dynamics

Insights from New Zealand Hospital Evacuation Drills

Geoerg P, De Schot L, Lovreglio R.

Fire Technology - 2025

Study Overview Time Breakdown Movement Analysis

About the Study

Researchers conducted 8 evacuation drills across various hospital units in New Zealand, including General Wards, Stroke Units, High Dependency Units, and Post-Anesthesia Care Units, to analyze how different factors affect evacuation times and movement speeds.

Key Findings

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Pre-evacuation Time Dominates

In hospital evacuations, about 73% of the total evacuation time is spent in pre-evacuation activities, with only 27% on actual movement.

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High Dependency Units Take Longer

HDUs require significantly longer active preparation times (331s) due to complex medical equipment that needs disconnection.

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Staff:Patient Ratio is Critical

Passive waiting time makes up 51% of total evacuation time, highlighting the need for more staff and readily available equipment.

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Movement Method Affects Speed

Beds move slower (0.7 m/s) than wheelchairs (1.1 m/s) and walking patients (1.0 m/s) during evacuation.

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Practice Improves Performance

Repetition of evacuation drills showed a learning effect with 17-42% reduction in evacuation times in subsequent drills.

Hospital Evacuation Time Breakdown

Hospital evacuations involve multiple phases. The active preparation time is when staff directly prepare patients, while passive preparation time is spent waiting for equipment or additional staff.

By Evacuation Mode

By Hospital Unit Type

Movement Speed Analysis

The method of evacuation significantly impacts movement speed. Beds are slower to move than wheelchairs or walking patients.

Speed Comparison by Hospital Unit

General Ward

1.1 m/s

Stroke Unit

0.9 m/s

Post-Anesthesia

0.6 m/s

High Dependency

0.8 m/s

Practical Implications

High Dependency Units: Require more staff and preparation time due to complex medical equipment.

Staff Training: Regular drills showed 17-42% improvement in evacuation times.

Resource Allocation: Reducing passive waiting time (51% of total) through better staff-to-patient ratios would significantly improve evacuation efficiency.

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About This Research

Researchers conducted 8 evacuation drills across different hospital units in New Zealand to analyze pre-evacuation times and movement speeds. The study provides critical data for hospital evacuation planning and simulation models.

Source: Geoerg P, De Schot L, Lovreglio R. (2025). Decoding Hospital Evacuation Drills: Pre-evacuation and Movement Analysis in New Zealand. Fire Technology, Springer, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-025-01731-z