Final answer:
The first step an employee should take upon discovering a fire is to activate the fire alarm, alerting everyone in the building and enabling a swift response from trained professionals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first step that should be taken by an employee upon awareness of a fire is C. Activate the fire alarm. This action is crucial as it alerts all building occupants of the danger and initiates emergency protocols. Trying to extinguish the fire is not the first step because without proper training and equipment, this can be dangerous.
Instead, once the alarm is activated, professionals trained to control and extinguish fires, such as firefighters, can take the necessary steps to rescue victims from burning buildings and administer first aid. It is also important to know the locations of fire safety equipment such as fire extinguishers and eyewash stations, but these are to be used after raising the alarm.