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Difficulty: MediumEmergency Response and Hazardous Materials

While assisting a client with morning hygiene, a practical nurse (PN) notices that an electrical outlet has sparked and ignited the privacy curtain. The flames are quickly growing. The client is sitting in a wheelchair nearby. Arrange the following emergency response actions in the correct priority sequence from first to last.

  1. 1Move the client in the wheelchair out of the room to a designated safe zone.
  2. 2Pull the nearest manual fire alarm station to alert the facility.
  3. 3Close the door to the client's room to prevent the fire from spreading.
  4. 4Obtain a fire extinguisher and attempt to put out the fire if it remains small.

Answer

The correct sequence follows the RACE protocol: Move the client to safety (Rescue), pull the fire alarm (Alarm), close the room door (Contain), and obtain a fire extinguisher (Extinguish).
In the event of a fire in a healthcare facility, all staff must follow the RACE protocol. The first priority is always to Rescue or remove clients in immediate danger. The second step is to sound the Alarm to alert others and emergency services. The third step is to Contain the fire by closing doors and windows. The final step is to Extinguish the fire using an appropriate extinguisher, provided it is small and safe to do so.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Move the client in the wheelchair out of the room to a designated safe zone.
The client is removed from immediate danger.
The 'R' in the RACE acronym stands for Rescue or Remove. Life safety is always the highest priority.
2
Pull the nearest manual fire alarm station to alert the facility.
The facility's emergency response system is activated.
The 'A' stands for Alarm. Once immediate safety is secured, alerting others ensures a coordinated facility response and dispatch of emergency services.
3
Close the door to the client's room to prevent the fire from spreading.
The fire and smoke are confined to the room of origin.
The 'C' stands for Contain or Confine. Closing doors removes the oxygen supply to the fire and protects the evacuation routes.
4
Obtain a fire extinguisher and attempt to put out the fire if it remains small.
The fire is actively fought if safe to do so.
The 'E' stands for Extinguish. This is the final step, performed only after clients are safe, the alarm is sounding, and the fire is contained.

Key Concept

The RACE protocol is the standard procedure for responding to a fire emergency in a healthcare facility: Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish.
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Topics

Emergency Response and Hazardous Materials

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