Emergency Procedures, Fire Safety, and First Aid
Life safety comes first
Life safety, then property protection, then documentation. A guard who secures a building before moving people out has the order backwards.
Fire response
Use RACE: Remove those in danger, Alert (pull the alarm, call 911), Contain (close doors), Evacuate or Extinguish. For a portable extinguisher use PASS: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the flames, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side. Never fight a fire that is larger than a small incipient fire, that blocks your exit, or that produces heavy smoke - leave and close the door.
Extinguisher classes: A ordinary combustibles (water-type), B flammable liquids (foam, CO2, dry chemical), C energized electrical (CO2 or dry chemical, never water), D combustible metals, K commercial kitchen oils and fats (wet chemical). Multi-class ratings such as ABC appear on dry chemical units.
Evacuation and sheltering
Know primary and secondary routes, assembly areas, and the location of pull stations, extinguishers, standpipes, and AEDs. Use stairs, never elevators. Shelter-in-place for severe weather and for external hazards; seal and account for occupants. Do not re-enter a building until the fire department releases it.
First aid essentials
Scene safety, then universal precautions (gloves, barrier device). CPR with an AED for unresponsive non-breathing victims; follow the device prompts. For severe bleeding, direct pressure first, then a tourniquet high and tight on the limb. Do not move a person with suspected spinal injury unless there is immediate danger. Georgia's Good Samaritan statute (O.C.G.A. § 51-1-29) protects good-faith emergency care, but not care outside your training.
Worked example
Smoke comes from a break-room microwave; the unit is still plugged in and sparking. Reasoning: energized electrical fire, Class C. Water is a shock hazard and can spread the fire. Unplug only if safe, use a CO2 or dry chemical extinguisher rated C, evacuate if the fire persists, call 911, and document.
Traps that cost marks
Using water on electrical or grease fires; turning your back on a fire; blocking exits with equipment; delaying the alarm to investigate; giving care beyond your training; failing to document the emergency and the times.