16 Emergency Response Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. In fire response training, what does the acronym RACE stand for?

   • A.Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish/Evacuate✓ Answer
   • B.Report, Assess, Contain, Exit
   • C.Respond, Announce, Control, Enforce
   • D.Run, Alert, Cover, Escape

   RACE stands for Rescue, Alarm, Confine, and Extinguish (or Evacuate). It is an ordered fire-response protocol: first move anyone in immediate danger to safety, then activate the alarm and notify the fire department, then confine the fire by closing doors, and only then attempt to extinguish a small fire if trained and safe to do so.

   Source: Fire-safety RACE protocol (NFPA / NY DCJS pre-assignment fire-safety module)Report a problem with this question

2. 2. During a fire alarm, an unarmed guard's primary role in the evacuation is to:

   • A.Re-enter the building to retrieve valuables and records
   • B.Wait at the front desk until the fire department gives orders
   • C.Direct occupants to the nearest safe exit and keep stairwells clear✓ Answer
   • D.Use the elevators to move people down faster

   A guard's job in an evacuation is life safety: guide occupants to the nearest safe exit, keep exit routes and stairwells clear, and direct people away from the fire. Elevators are never used in a fire because they can fail or open onto the fire floor, and re-entering for property risks the guard's life.

   Source: NY DCJS pre-assignment training — fire safety / evacuation proceduresReport a problem with this question

3. 3. When taking a bomb threat by phone, the guard should:

   • A.Announce the threat loudly to clear the lobby at once
   • B.Argue with the caller to prove the threat is a hoax
   • C.Hang up immediately and pull the fire alarm
   • D.Keep the caller talking, note details, and signal a coworker to call police✓ Answer

   Keeping the caller on the line lets the guard gather critical details — the exact wording, background noises, the caller's voice, and any stated location or time of the device — while a coworker quietly notifies police. This information is essential for the response, whereas hanging up or shouting destroys evidence and can cause panic.

   Source: Bomb-threat call-handling checklist (DCJS pre-assignment; DHS/ATF bomb-threat guidance)Report a problem with this question

4. 4. After receiving a written or phoned bomb threat, why are guards generally told NOT to use two-way radios or cell phones near the suspected area?

   • A.Radios interfere with the fire alarm system
   • B.Police can trace the guard's location
   • C.It drains the batteries needed later
   • D.Radio signals can potentially detonate certain electronic triggering devices✓ Answer

   Radio frequency and cell-phone signals can trigger the electronic detonators used in some improvised devices, so transmissions are prohibited near a suspected device. Guards use landlines or move well away before radioing, following the principle of not introducing any energy source that could initiate the device.

   Source: Bomb-threat response safety guidance (DHS/ATF; DCJS pre-assignment)Report a problem with this question

5. 5. An unarmed guard finds a collapsed person who is not breathing. Within the guard's training limits, the FIRST action is to:

   • A.Call 911/EMS (or have someone call) and get an AED, then provide care to trained level✓ Answer
   • B.Drive the person to the hospital in a company vehicle
   • C.Search the person's wallet for medical information first
   • D.Give the person water and wait to see if they recover

   For an unresponsive, non-breathing person, the priority is to activate EMS immediately by calling 911 and retrieving an AED, because survival from cardiac arrest drops with every minute of delay. A guard then provides only the care they are trained and certified to give, such as CPR, and never transports a critical patient privately.

   Source: Medical-emergency response; AHA chain of survival (DCJS/BSIS basic first-aid limits)Report a problem with this question

6. 6. A security guard with basic first-aid training is asked to give a bystander medication for chest pain. The guard should:

   • A.Diagnose whether it is a heart attack before acting
   • B.Give the person any aspirin found in the first-aid kit
   • C.Tell the person to walk it off and rest
   • D.Not administer the medication and instead call EMS and stay with the person✓ Answer

   Administering or diagnosing medication is outside an unarmed guard's scope of training and creates liability; guards render only care they are certified for. The correct action is to activate EMS, keep the person calm and still, and monitor them until professionals with medical authority arrive.

   Source: Scope-of-practice limits for security first-aid (DCJS/BSIS training standards)Report a problem with this question

7. 7. The "Run, Hide, Fight" concept for an active-threat (active-shooter) situation means that the FIRST and preferred option is to:

   • A.Hide — stay at your post no matter what
   • B.Run — evacuate and get away from the danger if a safe path exists✓ Answer
   • C.Freeze — wait for instructions before moving
   • D.Fight — confront the attacker to protect others

   In the DHS-endorsed Run, Hide, Fight model the options are in priority order: running to escape is safest and comes first if there is an accessible escape route. Hiding and barricading is second when you cannot flee, and fighting is an absolute last resort only when your life is in imminent danger.

   Source: DHS "Run, Hide, Fight" active-shooter guidanceReport a problem with this question

8. 8. A guard discovers a leaking drum with a diamond-shaped hazard placard. The correct hazardous-material response is to:

   • A.Wash the spill down the nearest floor drain
   • B.Move the drum outside to contain the spill
   • C.Try to identify the chemical by smelling it
   • D.Stay upwind/uphill at a safe distance, deny entry, and notify the fire department/hazmat✓ Answer

   A guard is trained to recognize a hazmat placard, not to handle the material. The safe response is to keep upwind and uphill at a distance, isolate the area and deny entry, and summon the fire department or hazmat team, because moving, smelling, or draining an unknown chemical can cause injury or environmental contamination.

   Source: Hazmat awareness; DOT placard recognition (NFPA 704 / ERG isolation principles)Report a problem with this question

9. 9. In crowd control at a large event, an unarmed guard should primarily:

   • A.Keep exits and aisles clear and guide people calmly to prevent crushing✓ Answer
   • B.Lock the exit doors to stop people from leaving
   • C.Physically push back against the crowd to hold a line
   • D.Stand in the densest part of the crowd to be visible

   The chief danger in crowds is a crush caused by blocked exits and bottlenecks, so the guard's core task is to keep exits and aisles open and manage flow calmly. Physically pushing a crowd or locking exits increases pressure and can turn a surge into a fatal crush.

   Source: Crowd-management safety principles (NFPA 101 egress; DCJS access/crowd-control module)Report a problem with this question

10. 10. During a building-wide power failure at night, the guard's immediate priority should be to:

    • A.Lock everyone in place until power returns
    • B.Assume it is a drill and continue normal patrol only
    • C.Ensure occupant safety, use a flashlight, and check that emergency exits/lighting work✓ Answer
    • D.Leave the post to find the main breaker and restore power

    A power failure can disable lighting, alarms, and electronic locks and can cause panic in the dark, so the guard's first duty is occupant safety: use a flashlight, reassure people, and verify that emergency lighting and exit routes are functioning. Chasing the breaker or locking people in abandons that safety role and can trap occupants.

    Source: Emergency-procedures / power-failure response (DCJS pre-assignment)Report a problem with this question

11. 11. An intrusion alarm activates at a rear door. Before assuming it is false, the guard should:

    • A.Silence the alarm and reset it without checking
    • B.Ignore it because rear-door alarms are usually false
    • C.Treat it as real, investigate cautiously, and be ready to summon police✓ Answer
    • D.Post the incident on social media to warn others

    Every alarm must be treated as genuine until proven otherwise, because assuming a false alarm is how real intrusions succeed. The guard investigates carefully from a position of safety, observes rather than confronts, and is ready to call police if there are signs of a break-in.

    Source: Alarm-response procedures (DCJS pre-assignment; BSIS guard training)Report a problem with this question

12. 12. What information is MOST important for a guard to give first when calling 911 for an emergency?

    • A.The exact location/address of the emergency and what is happening✓ Answer
    • B.The name of the security company's owner
    • C.The guard's employee ID number
    • D.How long the guard has worked there

    The location and nature of the emergency are given first because if the call is dropped, dispatch can still send responders to the right place. Emergency dispatchers prioritize where help is needed and what the problem is, then ask follow-up questions, so the guard should state the address clearly and not hang up until told to.

    Source: Emergency-notification procedures — 911 call priorities (DCJS/BSIS training)Report a problem with this question

13. 13. A confrontation between two visitors escalates into a physical fight beyond the guard's control. The guard should:

    • A.Call police immediately, keep bystanders back, and observe/report details✓ Answer
    • B.Use any force necessary to win the fight
    • C.Wait until someone is seriously hurt before acting
    • D.Jump between the fighters to physically separate them

    An unarmed guard's authority and safety limit them to observing and reporting, not engaging in a fight. When violence exceeds their control they must summon police, protect uninvolved bystanders, and gather accurate details for responders, because physically intervening can cause injury and exceed a guard's legal authority.

    Source: Observe-and-report role / use-of-force limits (DCJS pre-assignment; BSIS Powers to Arrest)Report a problem with this question

14. 14. In the R.A.C.E. fire-response sequence, what is the FIRST action a security officer should take upon discovering a fire?

    • A.Investigate the cause of the fire
    • B.Confine the fire by closing doors
    • C.Rescue anyone in immediate danger✓ Answer
    • D.Extinguish the fire with a nearby extinguisher

    R.A.C.E. stands for Rescue, Alert (Alarm), Confine, Extinguish, and it is performed in that order because protecting human life takes priority over protecting property. The officer first removes anyone in immediate danger, then alerts others and the fire department, before any attempt to confine or extinguish.

    Source: R.A.C.E. fire emergency protocol (Rescue-Alert-Confine-Extinguish); DCJS 01E Emergency Procedures; life-safety-first principleReport a problem with this question

15. 15. An unarmed security officer whose primary duty is to 'observe and report' finds a collapsed, unresponsive visitor. What is the MOST appropriate first action?

    • A.Move the person to a private office before calling anyone
    • B.Wait to see if the person recovers on their own
    • C.Search the person's belongings to identify them first
    • D.Notify emergency medical services (911) and the designated authority immediately✓ Answer

    The observe-and-report function requires the officer to promptly notify the appropriate authorities rather than intervene beyond training; for a medical emergency this means calling EMS and the designated contact immediately so professional care arrives quickly. Delaying to move, search, or wait can worsen the outcome and exceeds the officer's role.

    Source: DCJS unarmed security officer definition (observation, detection, reporting, notification of appropriate authorities); 01E Emergency ProceduresReport a problem with this question

16. 16. During an active emergency, an unarmed observe-and-report officer witnesses a person committing a serious crime and fleeing. What does the officer's legal authority permit?

    • A.Detain any bystander who might be a suspect on suspicion alone
    • B.Observe from a safe distance, note details, and report to police✓ Answer
    • C.Use a weapon to stop the fleeing suspect
    • D.Pursue and physically restrain the suspect regardless of risk

    An unarmed security officer's authority is limited to observing, documenting, and reporting; it does not include pursuing dangerous suspects, using weapons, or detaining people on mere suspicion. The safest and legally correct response is to observe from a safe distance, record accurate details (description, direction of travel), and report to police, who have arrest authority.

    Source: DCJS unarmed security officer scope (observe/detect/report, no firearm); legal limits on detention and use of force for private securityReport a problem with this question

Practice questions cover the uniform security-guard training core (observe-and-report, legal limits, emergencies). Not affiliated with any state agency. State licensing requirements and statutes vary — study your state's official course. Guard licensing info →