Fire Safety at St. Catherine’s
Where are the emergency exits at St. Catherine’s? Where are the fire extinguishers?
St. Catherine’s has seven exits that lead outdoors and can be used in an emergency. Each of these exits is indicated by a green sign and has a fire extinguisher nearby.
1. Back of Church (Main Floor)
Note: There is a fire extinguisher on either side of the main aisle and another fire extinguisher upstairs in the sound booth.
2. Lobby (Main Floor)
3. Memorial Garden (Main Floor)
4. Kitchen (Main Floor)
5. Gym (Main Floor)
6. Preschool (Lower Floor)
7. Greig Hall (Lower Floor)
There are additional fire extinguishers in other rooms. Other rooms also have green signs with arrows to direct people to the nearest emergency exit. Fire alarms are bright red and mounted to walls several feet off the ground.
The designated evacuation zone for St. Catherine’s is our parking lot.
What do I do in the event of a building fire?
Use the R.A.C.E. acronym:
Rescue – Look for an exit route and for people who need help exiting. Calmly leave the building, giving or receiving assistance as needed.
Alarm – If safe to do so, pull the nearest fire alarm. Direct people in your immediate area to leave the building. As you leave, alert other people to the fire and direct them to leave the building. When in a safe location, call 911.
Confine – If safe to do so, close windows and doors as you leave the building. Make sure you are not trapping anyone inside a room by doing so.
Extinguish – If the fire is wastebasket-sized or smaller, the room containing the fire is not filling with smoke, you are familiar with how to use a fire extinguisher, and a fire extinguisher is nearby, attempt to put the fire out with the fire extinguisher. If this does not put out the fire quickly, stop using the extinguisher and exit the building.
How else can I stay safe if a fire is spreading?
Feel closed doors for temperature before opening them. If a door is hot or has smoke coming from underneath it, look for another exit route.
If there is smoke filling the area, stay close to the ground.
What do I do if my clothing catches fire?
Use stop, cover, drop, and roll:
Stop where you are and stay calm.
Cover your face with your hands to protect your eyes and airways.
Drop to the ground.
Roll back and forth to smother the flames.
What do I do if either myself or someone else sustains burns?
To be prepared, familiarize yourself with this resource on burn first aid from the American Burn Association:
https://ameriburn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/burnfirstaid.pdf
How do I use a fire extinguisher?
Use the P.A.S.S. acronym:
Pull – Pull the pin on the fire extinguisher.
Aim – Aim the fire Extinguisher.
Squeeze – Squeeze the trigger on the fire extinguisher.
Sweep – Sweep the fire with the fire extinguisher’s Spray.
Watch this video to see P.A.S.S. in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQV71INDaqY
To be prepared, familiarize yourself with this resource from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety:
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/fire_extinguishers.html
What are fire danger ratings? What do they mean?
Familiarize yourself with this resource from the Government of British Columbia:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prepare/weather-fire-danger/fire-danger
What does fire safety look like in other contexts? What considerations come with cooking, fireplaces, electronics, and camping?
Familiarize yourself with this resource from the City of North Vancouver:
https://www.cnv.org/home-property/fire-department/fire-safety-prevention
Is there anything else I can do to prevent and prepare for house fires?
Check the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home every month.
Create an emergency plan for your household as per these recommendations from the Canadian Red Cross:
https://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/emergencies-and-disasters-in-canada/be-ready-emergency-preparedness-and-recovery/make-an-emergency-plan
You may check the PDF file below to see the guidelines from FireSmart BC on what fire safety looks like outdoors.