Do home fire and safety checks by on-duty firefighters decrease the number of fires? Quasi-experimental evidence from Southern Sweden. (September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sund, Björn; Bonander, Carl; Jakobsson, Niklas; Jaldell, Henrik
• Is Part Of: Journal of safety research. Volume 70(2019)
• Page Start: 39
• Page End: 47
• Publication Date: 2019-09
• Subjects: Residential fires -- Fire prevention -- Smoke alarms -- Public education -- Cost–benefit analysis; Industrial safety -- Periodicals; Accidents -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Safety -- Periodicals; Accidents, Occupational -- Periodicals; Sécurité du travail -- Périodiques; Accidents -- Prévention -- Périodiques; Accidents -- Prevention; Industrial safety; Periodicals; 363.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2019.04.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-4375

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Fire and rescue services Syd, in the south of Sweden, started to conduct home fire and safety checks on a large scale in 2010. The goal was to reduce the damages from residential fires. Method: We estimate the effects of the intervention on the incidence of residential fires and evaluate its economic effect. We use a difference-in-kinks design to analyze time-varying intervention effects and conduct a cost–benefit analysis for the economic evaluation. Results: The results demonstrate that fires and developed fires decrease by a maximum of approximately 6% and 8% per year (assuming 100% causality) and that the intervention has positive economic effects, with the benefits estimated to be maximum 8–11 times higher than the costs. Practical applications: The results should be valuable as input when deciding whether to implement home fire and safety checks elsewhere. Highlights: Home fire and safety checks by on-duty firefighters reduces fires and developed fires. The project has benefits estimated to be maximum 8–11 times higher than the costs.