Emergency Fire-Safety Skills

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of a multiple-component emergency fire-safety skills program for blind adolescents. Four subjects in a residential school for blind children were trained to respond correctly to four emergency fire situations under simulated conditions. In addition, response maintenance was systematically programmed to ensure persistence of learned responses over time. Training was carried out in subjects' bedrooms and consisted of instructions, behavior rehearsal, explicit corrective feedback, social and external reinforcement, self-evaluation, and self-reinforcement. Results of a multiple baseline analysis across subjects indicated significant improvements in emergency fire safety responding. Three of the four subjects mastered targeted skills. Further, gains were maintained at three months and somewhat less substantially at four months after termination of training. Results are discussed in terms of the need for: (1) future research on maintenance and generalization of emergency safety skills, and (2) increased adaptive skills training for visually handicapped persons.