Title: Portable Fire Extinguishers
Time: 1.5 hrs
Equipment:
Various portable fire extinguishers
Controlled area/pit for small-scale burns
Burning materials
Copies of quiz
Quiz-taking materials
Enabling Objective(s):
At the conclusion of instruction, the student should be able to identify the various types of portable fire extinguishers and familiarize his/herself with the portable fire extinguishers available at his or her station.
At the conclusion of instruction, the student should be able to successfully describe the various classes of fires and determine the appropriate portable fire extinguisher to extinguish each.
At the conclusion of instruction, the student should be able to describe and demonstrate use of the PASS method in employing a portable fire extinguisher on a fire.
At the conclusion of instruction, the student should be able to feel comfortable educating the public on the proper use of portable fire extinguishers for fire prevention.
Overview:
Portable Fire Extinguishers
Classes of Fires
Types of Extinguishing Agents
Fire Extinguisher Classifications
Using a Portable Fire Extinguisher
Practical
Lesson:
Portable Fire Extinguishers
Firefighters carry and utilize portable fire extinguishers to contain and extinguish small (incipient stage) fires of various types, in order to avoid the large-scale damage
Being familiar with types of extinguishing agents and which classes of fire they are best used on is essential to safely extinguishing a fire
NFPA 10 sets the Standing for Portable Fire Extinguishers
Portable fire extinguishers are often made available or required in public, business, or industrial settings for use by citizens in containing small or incipient stage fires to avoid full fire involvement
Firefighters are public educators. Being well-versed and familiar with the proper use of portable fire extinguishers is essential when conducting fire-prevention-related public education to the community
Maintenance
Classes of Fires
Being able to properly identify the fuel burning in a fire is essential in choosing the proper portable fire extinguisher to do the job
Class A Fires
Fire is fueled by an ordinary combustible material
Examples: wood, plastic, paper, cloth, rubber, household trash
Class B Fires
Fire is fueled by any flammable liquid or flammable gas
Examples: gasoline, propane, natural gas, oil, oil-based paints
Class C Fires
Fire is fueled by any electrically charge equipment
Examples: energized appliances, outlets, circuit breakers, lighting fixtures, electronic devices
Class D Fires
Fire is fueled by a combustible metal
Examples: magnesium, potassium, aluminum, titanium, zirconium
Class K Fires
Fire is fueled by cooking oils and cooking greases
Examples: cooking oils and fats
Types of Extinguishing Agents
Water
Method of extinguishment:
Cools the fuel below its ignition point
Best used for:
Class A fires
Dry Chemical
Method of extinguishment:
Interrupts the chemical chain reaction involved in combustion
Absorbs heat
Best used for:
Ordinary Dry Chemical extinguishers are best used for: Class B and C fires
Multipurpose Dry Chemical extinguishers (Ammonium Phosphate) are best used for Class A, B, and C fires
Carbon Dioxide
Method of extinguishment:
Displaces the air surrounding the fuel, removing its oxygen supply
Best used for:
Class B and C fires
Wet Chemical
Method of extinguishment:
Wet chemical agents convert cooking oils into a soap or foam in a process known as saponification
Best used for:
Class K fires
Halogenated (or Clean Agent)
Method of extinguishment:
Halogenated agents disrupt the molecular chain reactions that occur within the combustion process
Best used for:
Halon 1211 extinguishers are recommended for use on Class B and C fires
Larger Halon extinguishers may be used for Class A, B, and C fires
Due to the environmental impact of halogenated agents, these extinguishers are ideally utilized only when necessary, specifically for energized electrical equipment when concern for damaging the equipment is high, as these “clean agents” do limited damage to electronic equipment
Dry Powder
Method of extinguishment:
Forms a crust over the burning metal, removing its oxygen supply
Absorbs heat
Best used for:
Class D fires
Foam
Method of extinguishment:
Class A foam extinguishers cool the fuel below its ignition point
Class B foam extinguishers separate the fuel from its oxygen supply
Best used for:
Extinguishers that utilize Class A foam concentrate are best used for Class A fires
Extinguishers that utilize Class B foam concentrate (such as Aqueous Film-forming Foam and Film-forming Fluoroprotein Foam) are best used for Class B fires
Fire Extinguisher Classifications and Labeling
Classification
The letter corresponds with which class of fire the extinguisher is best suited for. For instance, an ABC extinguisher is best suited for use on Class A, B, and C fires
The number corresponds with the effectiveness of the extinguisher.
For Class A extinguishers, the number reflects the amount of water the extinguisher contains
For Class B extinguishers, the number reflects the approximate area (in square feet) of burning fuel the device is able to extinguish
Labelling
Traditional Lettering and/or Pictographs
Retrieved from: http://www.nfpa.org/Assets/files/AboutTheCodes/10/FI10-2013.pdf
Using a portable fire extinguisher
PASS
Pull the pin.
Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire, while standing the recommended distance away from the fire
Squeeze the operating lever in order to discharge the extinguishing agent
Sweep the nozzle from side to side in the direction of the fire until the fire is extinguished
Safety
Choosing the proper portable fire extinguisher is essential in ensuring the fire is extinguished. For instance, using water to extinguish a Class D fire involving a combustible metal, such as magnesium, could result in a violent reaction rather than extinguishment.
Fire extinguishers offer recommendations for user distance in order to effectively and safely extinguish a fire
When educating the public on proper use of fire extinguishers, provide some of the following reminders and tips:
Do not delay calling 9-1-1 in order to extinguish a fire.
Remain a safe distance away from the fire at all times.
Ensure you are using the right extinguishing agent for the job. For instance, kitchen fires involving cooking oil can be exacerbated by the use of water for extinguishment.
Know when to evacuate if the fire exceeds the capabilities of the extinguisher’s ability to extinguish. If you have any doubt about the ability to successfully fight the fire, evacuate immediately.
Practical
Utilizing a controlled area/pit for small-scale burns, burn materials, and various available portable fire extinguishers within your company, practice extinguishment of small fires with your company members.
References
Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (3rd ed.). (2013). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
NFPA 10 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers (2013 edition). (2013). National Fire Protection Agency. Retrieved from: http://www.nfpa.org/Assets/files/AboutTheCodes/10/FI10-2013.pdf.
Quiz Answers
1)The “A” in the PASS mnemonic stands for “Agent” because choosing the appropriate extinguishing agent is essential to successfully extinguishing the fire.
A) True
B) False – While choosing the correct extinguishing agent is essential, the “A” in the PASS mnemonic stands for “Aim.” The PASS mnemonic is used to remember how to use an extinguisher, not how to choose an extinguisher.
2) Class B fires include fires involving gasoline as a fuel.
A) True
B) False
3) Using portable fire extinguishers is simple and firefighters should not have to continue to relearn this information.
A) True
B) False – Firefighters are public educators. Being able to effectively communicate portable fire extinguisher use and safety tips to the public can aid in fire prevention.
4) Aqueous film-forming foams are best used to extinguish Class A fires.
A) True
B) False – Extinguishers that utilize Class B foam concentrate, such as aqueous film-forming foam are best used for Class B fires.
5) Class K fire extinguishers stop the combustion process with a chemical process known as saponification.
A) True
B) False
Quiz
1) The “A” in the PASS mnemonic stands for “Agent” because choosing the appropriate extinguishing agent is essential to successfully extinguishing the fire.
A) True
B) False
2) Class B fires include fires involving gasoline as a fuel.
A) True
B) False
3) Using portable fire extinguishers is simple and firefighters should not have to continue to relearn this information.
A) True
B) False
4) Aqueous film-forming foams are best used to extinguish Class A fires.
A) True
B) False
5) Class K fire extinguishers stop the combustion process with a chemical process known as saponification.
A) True
B) False
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