Development of a Scale to Measure Evacuation Safety Awareness Among Elementary School Students During Fire Incidents

The purpose of this study is to develop a specialized tool for objectively evaluating elementary school students' fire evacuation safety awareness and identifying their awareness levels and issues. While the incidence of school fires accounts for only 0.47% of all fires, the proportion of fatalities is relatively high at 0.94%, highlighting the necessity of fire evacuation education in schools. Notably, 43% of fire-related fatalities occur due to smoke and toxic gas inhalation, emphasizing the importance of immediate response and evacuation actions when a fire alarm sounds. This study surveyed 960 students from the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades of elementary schools in Gyeonggi Province to analyze their fire evacuation safety awareness. Using SPSS 28, the research went through preliminary surveys, first and second pilot tests, and the main survey, followed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Ultimately, a 39-item scale was developed, consisting of three sub-factors: fire prevention, fire preparedness, and fire response. The results of the study confirmed that the scale's reliability and validity were high through content validity and construct validity analysis, and its generalizability was also validated through cross-validation. These results demonstrate that the developed scale is a reliable tool for objectively measuring elementary students' fire evacuation safety awareness.