In fire emergencies, what does the acronym RACE stand for?

• A. Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish
• B. Rescue, Alert, Contain, Extinguish
• C. Rescue, Alarm, Check, Extinguish
• D. Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Evacuate

Answer: (A)

RACE represents the order of actions you take in a fire to protect people first and limit the spread of the fire. Start by rescuing anyone in immediate danger if it can be done safely. The priority is to remove lives from harm before addressing the fire itself.

Next, you sound the building’s alarm to alert others and summon help. This step ensures occupants are aware and emergency responders are alerted as quickly as possible.

Then you work to contain the fire by confining it and smoke, typically by closing doors and keeping the fire from spreading to other areas. Containing the fire buys time for evacuation and gives responders a better chance to manage the situation.

Finally, extinguish the fire if you have a suitable extinguisher and it’s safe to do so. If the fire is beyond your training or dangerous, leave extinguishing to the professionals and prioritize orderly evacuation under established procedures.

So, the sequence is Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish. Other options shift or replace one of these actions (such as using Alert instead of Alarm, Check instead of Contain, or Evacuate instead of Extinguish), which changes the intended order and emphasis of steps in this protocol.