In case of a fire, home health aides should follow which safety rule?

• A. Fire
• B. Stroke
• C. Flood
• D. Storm

Answer: (A)

When a fire occurs, the appropriate approach is to follow fire safety procedures. In home health care, this usually means using a fire safety protocol such as RACE (Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish) or the related Evacuate, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish sequence. The emphasis is on protecting people first: try to remove residents from danger if it’s safe, alert others and summon help, and only attempt to control the fire if you can do so without delaying evacuation. After initiating alarm and evacuation, close doors to slow the fire and smoke, don’t use elevators, and, if trained and the fire is small, you may use a fire extinguisher. Then move everyone to a safe area and report to the supervisor or emergency services. This rule specifically addresses what to do during a fire, unlike procedures for strokes, floods, or storms.