Hospitals: “Defend in Place” – This means staff stay in the department/unit and defend against the fire to the best of our ability until the fire department arrives.

Knowing RACE and PASS are critical to successfully defending against a fire:

• Know and practice R.A.C.E.
  • R.A.C.E.
    • Rescue
    • Alarm
    • Contain
    • Extinguish
  • Know where all the fire alarm pull stations are located on your respective floor.

• Know P.A.S.S. to properly use a Fire Extinguisher.
  • P.A.S.S.
    • Pull
    • Aim
    • Squeeze
    • Sweep
  • Know where the fire extinguishers are located on your respective floor.

In the event the fire department gives direction to evacuate your department, you should always evacuate horizontally into the adjacent smoke compartment. You should know where the next smoke compartment is.

• Look for blue labels on the door frames that state “smoke wall.” This indicates you are moving into another smoke compartment.

Business Occupancy (i.e., buildings separate from the hospitals, including off-site buildings): Upon notification of the fire alarm, staff and patients need to evacuate the building and meet outside at the predetermined muster location.