Emergency Procedures
Life safety first
Emergency procedures prioritize life safety, then incident stabilization, then property. Know your site's emergency action plan: alarms, evacuation routes, assembly areas, shelter locations, utility shutoffs, and who calls 911. In a fire, use RACE (Remove, Alarm, Contain, Evacuate) and PASS for an extinguisher only if trained and the fire is small. Never use elevators in a fire.
Specific emergencies
For an earthquake, drop, cover, and hold on; expect aftershocks. For medical emergencies, call 911, start CPR or use an AED if trained, and do not move an injured person unless there is immediate danger. For an active shooter, remember run, hide, fight-evacuate if safe, barricade if not, and fight only as a last resort. For bomb threats, get details, do not touch suspicious items, and evacuate.
Traps
Questions punish re-entering a building, using elevators, moving the injured unnecessarily, and confronting a shooter without training or a clear last resort. Also watch for 'wait to call 911 until the supervisor arrives'-call first. Do not spread unverified information during an emergency.
Rule of thumb
When the alarm sounds, direct people to the nearest safe exit, keep your voice calm, and account for your area if assigned. If you are unsure, call 911 and follow the dispatcher.
Example: smoke appears in a hallway. You activate the alarm, call 911, direct people away from the smoke to the stairwell, and do not re-enter to check the source.