Emergency codes are a standardized system used in hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutional settings to communicate an immediate threat or emergency situation. This coded language allows facility staff to quickly alert trained personnel to a specific event without causing widespread fear or confusion among residents and visitors. The system’s primary purpose is to initiate a rapid, coordinated response that protects everyone within the facility. Code Red is consistently recognized as an alert for one of the most serious and time-sensitive emergencies.
Defining Code Red in Healthcare Settings
Code Red is the universal indicator for a fire emergency or the confirmed presence of smoke within the facility. While emergency codes can vary slightly between different regions, the color red is nearly always reserved for fire across North America and many other parts of the world. This standardization ensures that staff immediately understand the nature of the crisis.
The deliberate use of a code word, rather than announcing “fire” over a public address system, is a fundamental safety measure. This helps prevent panic that might lead to chaos or blocked exits, which is especially important in a nursing home where many residents have limited mobility. Once the presence of smoke or fire is confirmed by a staff member or an automated detection system, the Code Red is broadcast along with the location of the incident, such as “Code Red, West Wing, Room 305.”
The Staff Procedure During a Code Red
When a Code Red is announced, staff members immediately initiate a structured emergency response plan summarized by the acronym R.A.C.E.
R – Rescue
The first step, Rescue, involves moving any residents or visitors who are in immediate danger away from the fire’s location to an adjacent safe area. In a nursing home, this often means rapidly moving non-ambulatory individuals, sometimes using wheeled beds or specialized blanket drags.
A – Alarm
The second step, Alarm, involves activating the fire alarm pull station closest to the incident and calling the facility’s internal emergency line or 911. Timely notification ensures that external first responders are dispatched and that the facility’s internal safety team is mobilized. These first two steps are often performed simultaneously by two different staff members.
C – Confine
The third action, Confine, focuses on isolating the fire and smoke to the smallest possible area. This is accomplished by immediately closing all doors in the affected area, including resident room doors, fire doors, and windows. Closing a door significantly limits the spread of smoke and heat, buying time for rescue and evacuation efforts.
E – Extinguish or Evacuate
The final step, Extinguish or Evacuate, is a decision based on the size of the fire. Staff trained to use a fire extinguisher may attempt to extinguish a very small, contained fire using the P.A.S.S. method (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep). If the fire is larger than a wastebasket or if smoke is heavy, staff must prioritize evacuation, moving residents horizontally to a safe zone on the same floor. Vertical evacuation to another floor or outside is only used as a last resort.
Safety Guidelines for Residents and Visitors
Non-staff individuals, including residents and visitors, have a simple role during a Code Red: remain calm and follow all directives issued by staff. Trained employees are responsible for executing the R.A.C.E. procedure and managing the evacuation, and independent actions can interfere with life-saving efforts. Visitors should immediately identify the nearest exit and be prepared to move, but they must never use an elevator during a fire emergency.
If you are a visitor in a resident’s room, your immediate action should be to close the room door to help confine the smoke. Evacuation in a nursing home is typically a horizontal movement, where people are moved across the floor to an adjacent smoke compartment. This is safer than a vertical evacuation down stairs, which is only used when the entire floor is compromised. Visitors must avoid attempting to move a resident without staff guidance, as staff know the proper techniques and designated safe areas.