Which of the following is the FIRST step when you discover a fire in a patient care area?

Question

Accepted Answer

Evacuate patients immediately using the nearest exit. Fire response follows the RACE protocol: Rescue individuals in immediate danger first, Activate the alarm, Confine the fire (close doors), then Extinguish if safe. When patients are present in the fire area, the first action is to Rescue them. After patients are safe, activate the alarm so all personnel and emergency services are notified. Closing windows (A) is a lower priority than patient safety. Alerting staff (C) is critical but comes after Rescue when a patient is in immediate danger. Attempting to extinguish (D) should only occur if the fire is small, you are trained, and you have a clear escape route.