Safety

· RACE

RACE: This word is the key to guiding your actions upon discovering a fire. It will save your life and those of the ones you love. RACE stands for: Rescue. Alert. Confine. Extinguish.

Rescue, Alert, Confine, and Extinguish. In that order! First and foremost, find everyone in your home. Call out, make noise, and get all of your loved ones (and pets) out of danger. This means out of the building to the gathering space you identified ahead of time, away from the fire, and out of the way of rescue teams. Then alert the fire department. If the only phone you can use to call the fire department is still attached to the building that is on fire, be sure to tell the operator this information.

The fire department only needs an address to take action, but they like to keep you on the phone, if it is safe, in order to make certain that they have successfully found you. They do, however, want you safely away from any danger.

Confine the fire to its immediate area if at all possible. Move rugs, furnishings, and any loose items away from the area, if it is safe to do so. Close the door to the area involved, and remove any source of fuels. Then, if it feels safe, extinguish the fire if possible. If you are not making progress within one minute, get out. Let the professionals do their work.

Prevention

Safety

Protection

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"This near tragedy will help prevent others in the future. The lessons that Candace Quinn has laid out here are intended to save others the grief she has suffered, and will save lives if people heed her well documented advice. Sprinkler! Sprinkler! Sprinkler! "
-- Chief John Norman,
Operations Division, FDNY