10.2 Fire Safety & Evacuation
Key Takeaways
- A security worker's fire role is to support life safety, raise the alarm, notify the fire department, and assist evacuation — not to fight fires beyond incipient stage.
- The fire triangle (fuel, heat, oxygen) explains both how fires start and how extinguishers stop them; removing any side extinguishes the fire.
- Fire classes A, B, C, D, and K each require a matching extinguisher agent; using the wrong agent can spread the fire or create new hazards.
- The PASS method — Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep — is the correct operating sequence for a portable extinguisher.
- Raise the alarm and start evacuation before attempting any extinguishment; if the fire is larger than a small wastebasket or spreading, evacuate and do not fight it.
10.2 Fire Safety & Evacuation
Quick Answer: A BC security worker's fire role is to support life safety, not to lead it. Raise the alarm, notify the fire department, start the evacuation, account for people, and assist those who need help. Attempt extinguishment only on a small, contained incipient fire and only after the alarm has been raised. If a fire is spreading, producing heavy smoke, or blocking your exit, you evacuate — you do not fight it.
Why This Matters for the BST Exam
Fire safety questions test whether the candidate understands the guard's supporting role, the limits on extinguishment, and the correct sequence: alarm first, evacuate, then consider extinguishment only if it is safe. The exam frequently offers distractors in which the guard attempts to fight a large fire, delays calling the fire department, or searches the building without protective equipment. These are all wrong because they reverse the life-safety priority covered in section 10.1.
The BC Fire Code regulates fire safety in buildings, and security workers operate under the site's fire safety plan. A guard is not a firefighter and does not replace the fire department; the guard's job is to execute the plan until professionals arrive.
The Fire Triangle
Fire needs three elements together — the fire triangle:
- Fuel — anything that burns: paper, wood, fabric, flammable liquids, gases.
- Heat — an ignition source: a spark, flame, friction, electrical fault, hot surface.
- Oxygen — typically the 21% in air, plus oxidizing materials.
Remove any one side and the fire goes out. Extinguishers work by cooling (removing heat), smothering (removing oxygen), or interrupting the chemical reaction. Knowing the triangle also tells you how to prevent fire: keep fuel away from heat, control ignition sources, and never introduce oxygen (for example, opening a door on a fire can feed it).
Classes of Fire and Matching Extinguishers
Fires are classified by their fuel, and each class requires a specific agent. Using the wrong extinguisher can be ineffective or dangerous — for example, water on a grease fire spreads it, and water on an energized electrical fire can electrocute you.
| Class | Fuel | Typical agent |
|---|---|---|
| A | Ordinary combustibles: wood, paper, cloth, rubber, plastic | Water, foam, dry chemical (ABC) |
| B | Flammable liquids: gasoline, oil, paint, solvents | Foam, dry chemical, CO2 (BC) |
| C | Energized electrical equipment | CO2, dry chemical (non-conductive) — never water |
| D | Combustible metals: magnesium, sodium, aluminum | Special Class D dry powder only |
| K | Commercial kitchen oils and fats (deep fryers) | Wet chemical (Class K) |
The most common multi-purpose unit on a guard's post is an ABC dry chemical extinguisher, which handles A, B, and C fires. The guard must still confirm the class before using it — ABC powder is not rated for D or K.
The PASS Method
When you are authorized and it is safe to use an extinguisher, follow PASS:
- Pull the safety pin. Most pins are sealed with a plastic tab that breaks with a firm pull.
- Aim the nozzle or hose at the base of the flames, not at the flames themselves.
- Squeeze the handle to discharge the agent in short, controlled bursts.
- Sweep the nozzle from side to side at the base until the fire is out, then watch for reignition.
A portable extinguisher discharges in roughly 10 to 30 seconds — a short window. If the fire is not out in that time, or grows while you are applying the agent, leave and close the door behind you.
When to Fight vs. Evacuate
The decision to attempt extinguishment is narrow. Fight a fire only when all of these are true:
- The alarm has been raised and the fire department has been called.
- The fire is small and contained (incipient stage — e.g., a wastebasket, a small pile of paper).
- You have the correct, charged extinguisher and know how to use it.
- You have a clear, unobstructed exit at your back.
- Smoke is not accumulating and you can see and breathe.
Do not fight the fire if:
- The fire is spreading beyond its starting point.
- Smoke fills the room or hallway and reduces visibility.
- You do not know what is burning (unknown fuel = unknown class).
- The fire is in a concealed space (walls, ceiling, attic) where you cannot see the extent.
- Your exit could be cut off.
The BST exam treats firefighting beyond incipient stage as a wrong answer. The guard evacuates, closes doors to limit spread, and reports to the fire department on arrival.
Raising the Alarm and Notifying the Fire Department
Sequence on discovering a fire:
- Activate the nearest manual pull station to start the building fire alarm. Do not wait to investigate first.
- Call 911 / the fire department from a safe location. State the address, the location of the fire, what is burning if known, and whether anyone is trapped.
- Begin evacuation per the site fire safety plan. Do not use elevators.
- Meet the fire department at the agreed access point, provide keys, the alarm panel location, and a status report (people accounted for, location and extent of fire, hazards present).
- Do not re-enter until the fire department declares the building safe.
Evacuation, Muster Points, and Accounting for Persons
The site fire safety plan designates muster points (also called assembly points) where occupants gather after leaving. The guard's evacuation role includes:
- Sweeping assigned areas (floors, washrooms, stairwells) only when safe to do so, and knocking on doors as they pass.
- Directing people to the nearest exit and away from elevators.
- Keeping occupants at the muster point and preventing re-entry.
- Accounting for persons against an occupancy list if one is maintained, and reporting missing persons to the fire department — never re-entering to search yourself.
- Maintaining calm; panic is a major secondary hazard.
Assisting Mobility-Impaired Persons
For occupants who cannot use stairs (wheelchair users, recent surgery, severe injury), the guard's role is to:
- Direct them to a designated area of refuge or protected stairwell if the plan specifies one.
- Notify the fire department immediately of their location; firefighters perform the actual carry-down.
- Stay with them if it is safe to do so, or ensure a co-worker or bystander remains.
- Never attempt an unaided carry down a stairwell unless trained and equipped; a fall injures the guard, the person, and anyone below.
The exam tests that the guard reports a mobility-impaired person's location to the fire department rather than attempting a risky carry.
Key Takeaway
On the BST exam, the fire safety answer is almost always: raise the alarm first, evacuate, call the fire department, support the evacuation, and attempt extinguishment only on a small fire with a clear exit. Fighting a large or spreading fire is wrong, and so is re-entering a smoke-filled building.
A guard on patrol discovers a fire in a wastebasket that is small, contained, and not spreading. The guard has an ABC extinguisher and a clear exit at their back. What is the correct sequence?
Which fire class must be extinguished with a non-conductive agent such as CO2 or dry chemical, and never with water?
During evacuation, a wheelchair user on the 14th floor cannot use the stairs. What is the correct action for the security worker?