Safety guides
A guide to everything a ResQ‑R badge goes on.
You don’t need a badge in front of you. Each entry covers what the thing is, why it matters, and what to actually do with it — the same guidance you’d get from scanning one.
9 guides across 5 categories.
Fire suppression & response
- Fire extinguisher Public infrastructure
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Pull, aim, squeeze, sweep - and know when not to
Four steps cover the whole job. The harder judgement is whether to fight the fire at all. An extinguisher is for a small fire that is staying small. Anything larger than a wastebasket, anything between you and the way out, or anything still growing after one sweep is a fire to walk away from.
- Fire hydrant Public infrastructure
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A hydrant only helps if crews can reach it
The colour of the cap on top tells firefighters how much water pressure to expect before they connect a hose. What it can't tell them is whether anything is in the way. Hydrants are inspected on a schedule, so most of what goes wrong between visits is caught by whoever happens to walk past.
- Home fire extinguisher In-home device
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The one nearest the stove is the one most likely to be used
Most home fires start where the cooking happens. A home extinguisher typically lasts ten to twelve years, and the gauge tells you whether it is still pressurised - the needle should sit in the green band.
Medical & emergency response
- AED / defibrillator Public infrastructure
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An AED is built to be used by someone who has never used one
It reads the heart rhythm itself and will only deliver a shock if one is needed, so it cannot be used on someone who doesn't need it. Open the case and it talks you through the rest. In most states, Good Samaritan laws protect anyone who uses one in good faith.
Evacuation & wayfinding
- Emergency exit Public infrastructure
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Know two ways out, not one
Smoke has a way of taking the exit you were counting on. Counting the doors between you and your nearest two exits takes a few seconds, and it is the difference between deciding under pressure and already knowing. Exit signs are battery-backed and required by code to stay lit through a power cut.
Shelter & refuge
- Storm shelter Public infrastructure
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Lowest floor, interior room, away from windows
That is the rule when a dedicated shelter isn't within reach. When one is, the useful thing to know is how long it takes to get there from where you actually spend your time, and whether it will be open. Capacity and hours vary by city, and some shelters open only once an emergency is declared.
Detection & monitoring
- Carbon monoxide detector In-home device
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Carbon monoxide gives you no warning of its own
No smell, no colour, no taste. The detector is the only warning there is. Incidents rise through heating season, as furnaces, fireplaces and generators come back into use - which is exactly when it is worth knowing yours works.
- Radon monitor In-home device
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Radon is invisible, and the number is the only way to know
Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked, and it cannot be detected without an instrument. The EPA's action level is 4 pCi/L. Levels shift with the season, the weather and how well a house is ventilated, which is why a continuous monitor catches what a single test kit can miss.
- Smoke detector In-home device
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Ten years from the date on the back, not the day you installed it
Every smoke alarm has a manufacture date printed on the back or the side. That is the clock that matters: the unit is due for replacement ten years from that date, whatever the battery happens to be doing. Testing it takes about two seconds.
Seen one of these with a Dalmatian on it?
That’s a ResQ‑R badge. Point your phone’s camera at the dog’s spots and you’ll land on a page about that exact piece of equipment — including where it is and who looks after it. See how it works.
In an emergency, always call 911.