By Jeff Wardon, Jr., Assistant Editor

A fire recently broke out on the roof of Glen Cove Hospital on Long Island, causing fire and water damage up to the roof line in the emergency department, ABC 7 New York reports. Seven patients were temporarily relocated, but no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.  

Fires in healthcare settings not only disrupt operations but can also compromise patient safety if not handled promptly. Quick communication, emergency planning and regular drills are critical to that end since they all help staff respond effectively to the situation. 

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To guide these drills and preparedness, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety recommends the RACE acronym as a framework for protecting patients:  

• Rescue people from the room or area of the fire. Help mobile patients escape the room and use items such as wheelchairs to get incapacitated patients out. 
• Activate the alarm. The alarm will use a sound, announcement or ring to signal to staff that there’s a fire emergency without disturbing the other occupants. Don’t do anything that would incite a panic, such as saying that there’s a fire in the building. Pull the alarm that is adjacent to the fire so the fire department knows where to go. 
• Close doors to reduce the spread of the fire and smoke. Immediately close all doors, including when there’s no smoke to be seen. Patients that are deemed safe can be redirected to their rooms while closing the doors. 
• Extinguish the fire if it’s safe. Follow the PASS procedure (press, aim, squeeze and sweep) if using a fire extinguisher. Otherwise, shut the door and wait until the fire department gets there if it’s too dangerous. 

Having a framework in place ahead of time can help occupants stay safe and enable healthcare facilities to bounce back once the crisis is over. Active preparation makes emergency situations more manageable. Emergency preparedness is a key factor in getting healthcare facilities through threats and recovering from them. 

Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor of the facilities market.