A conceptual framework in quantifying movement characteristics of pre-school children in fire evacuations: towards data- driven design for safe egress

Pre-school children are highly vulnerable during fire emergencies, yet empirical data on their movement characteristics during evacuations in Malaysia remain scarce. This study aims to establish key movement parameters, mainly travel speeds, flow rates and density through evacuation drills to inform the design of fire-resilient pre-school buildings. Fire evacuation drills will be conducted in three Malaysian pre-schools to collect quantitative data on children’s movement. Travel speeds, movement flow, and density effects will be analysed in relation to factors such as corridor length, staircase configuration, exit width, and the level of physical assistance provided. Statistical and spatial analyses will be employed to derive critical movement parameters specific to pre-school environments. This study examines pre-school children's movement patterns including speed variations and assisted mobility to improve evacuation modelling and fire-resilient building design. Although limited to three pre-schools, the findings emphasize the need for expanded research to refine movement models across different environments. The results will guide age-appropriate evacuation routes, exits, and architectural designs, addressing gaps in Malaysia’s pre- school fire safety standards. These insights will help designers, and policymakers create safer educational spaces by integrating fire resilience into early design stages. Future studies should incorporate larger datasets and assess movement behaviour in varied emergency scenarios.