This document provides guidance on fire safety procedures for staff working at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) General Clinical Research Center (GCRC). It outlines actions to take in the event of a fire, including pulling the fire alarm, notifying security, removing subjects from the room of the fire, and following the "protect in place" method. It describes fire equipment locations, evacuation procedures, responsibilities as a disaster worker, and contacts for additional information.

1. Fire Safety Training

2. What if there is a fire?
All study staff who will be working on
the floor must know the fire plan. This
ensures subject safety. It is also a
JCAHO requirement.

3. Disaster Responsibilities
As an employee of Massachusetts
General Hospital, you are considered a
disaster worker for the city of Boston.
In a fire or any other disaster, you must
help in any way you can.
In a disaster, you may not leave the
hospital until dismissed by your
supervisor.

4. Fire Plan
If you see a fire, yell “Code Red” and
the room number. Remove all subjects
from the room of the fire and close the
door.
Any employee hearing “Code Red”
should pull the nearest fire pull station.
If the alarm does not sound, call
Security at 6-3333.

5. Where are the fire pull stations?
At the far end of
each wing
Next to the service
elevator
Next to the main
elevator bank

6. What does the alarm
sound like?
The alarm sound specific to White
13 is “!!!… !… !!!… (3, 1, 3)”

7. What is “Protect in Place”?
The GCRC follows the “Protect in
Place” method during a fire. This
method is described below:
First, remove all subjects from the room
of the fire. Then, close the doors to all
other patient rooms and all corridor
doors.

8. Fire Extinguisher
Bring a fire extinguisher to the
location of the fire.
Operate the extinguisher using
the “pass” method.
 Pull the safety pin
 Aim at the base of the fire
 Squeeze the trigger
 Sweep back and forth

9. Where are the fire
extinguishers?
At the far end of each wing
Next to the service elevator
Next to the main elevator bank
Note: These are the same
locations as the fire pull stations.

10. What do I need to report?
At all times, you must know where your
subjects are, their condition and their
mobility level.

11. What about medical gas?
Only a clinician or
emergency personnel can
shut off medical gas.
However, everyone must
be able to point out the
medical gas shut-off
valves if necessary.
The shut-off valves are on
the wall between the
shower and the tub room.

12. What else do I do?
If you have any medical records at the
time of the fire, secure them in the
nearest file cabinet.
Clear the corridors by moving nonessential equipment into patient and
exam rooms.

13. Where do I go?
Meet at the elevator lobby to await
orders.
You may not leave the unit unless an
evacuation is ordered.

14. When do I evacuate?
Orders for a horizontal evacuation will be
given by either the Nurse Manager, resource
nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Operations
Coordinator, Buildings & Grounds, or
emergency personnel.
Orders for a vertical evacuation will be given
by either the President of MGH or the Boston
Fire Department.

15. What types of evacuations are
there? To Bigelow 13 and
Horizontal
evacuation: move
across to either
Bigelow 13 or
Ellison/Blake 13.
Vertical
evacuation: move
downstairs to
White 12 or White
11. Do not use
the elevator.
Ellison/Blake 13
Fire pull
Stairs
Fire extinguisher

16. How do I evacuate?
Be ready to assist in moving subjects
(even those who are not your own) if an
evacuation order is given.
If any of your subjects are able, ask
them to assist those who cannot
evacuate on their own.

17. What else do I need to
know?
If asked, you must be able to furnish the
MSDS binder to emergency personnel.
This is located on the wall next to the
study staff computers.
The binder is bright yellow, with red
lettering.

18. What about a clothing fire?
Follow “Stop, Drop, and Roll”.
Wrap the person in a blanket before
rolling.

19. What if I have more
questions about fire safety?
You can visit the MGH Fire and Life
Safety website at
http://intranet.massgeneral.org/ehs/ehs_prog
.

20. Contacts
Gerry Cronin, Operations Coordinator
 617
726-1292
 gmcronin@partners.org

21. Go Back to GCRC Orientation