Development of a Fire Safety Assessment Model for Buildings in Poland Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process: Validation Through Pilot Study

Despite advances in engineering, fire safety improvements have plateaued in developed nations, necessitating a reassessment of resource allocation. This study develops a comprehensive fire safety assessment model for the Polish context using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). A panel of ten experts—comprising fire safety inspectors, State Fire Service officers, and architects—evaluated safety through a two-dimensional framework: the Fire Hazard Index (FHI) and Fire Safety Index (FSI). The results reveal a critical asymmetry: human factors (0.228) and combustible materials dominate the hazard landscape, whereas intelligent AI/IoT systems (0.4133) and passive protection (0.2113) offer the highest potential for safety enhancement. A novel “convergence–divergence” phenomenon was identified: hazard-focused assessments produce convergent priorities across building types (span 0.116), implying universal mitigation needs (e.g., education), while protection-focused assessments yield divergent priorities (span 0.250), justifying targeted investment. Specifically, healthcare facilities (ZL II) require disproportionate protection investment (priority 0.310). The study concludes that sustainable fire safety strategies must combine universal hazard mitigation with targeted technological interventions, offering a data-driven framework for policy optimization in Poland.