Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department1

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

•Delmar; Firefighter’s Handbook-Chapter 2•IFSTA Essentials 5th Edition – Chapter 6•NFPA 10; Portable Fire Extinguishers

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• Evaluate if a fire should be attempted to be put out with an extinguisher.

• Calculate a fire extinguisher’s potential fire fighting capability.

• Describe fire extinguisher classes and what type of fire it is designed to extinguish.

• Operate a fire extinguisher properly. 3

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

How Is Fire Extinguished

1. Remove fuel – burn house to the ground or remove logs from fireplace

2. Remove Oxygen

3. Remove heat

4. Break Chain Reaction

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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

Can this be put out with a fire extinguisher?

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Example of fire in Free Burning Phase.

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Example of a fire in a later stage.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

What You Must Know BeforeUsing a Portable Fire Extinguisher

Location of the fire

Extent

Risk/benefit

Which fire extinguisher

Location of exit

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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

Not An Extinguisher Fire

Too Big Too wide an area Location of exit or unknown exit

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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department10Can this put out with an extinguisher?

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

Fire Extinguisher Inspections

Check for Location Check for Inspection Date Check for Hydrostatic Date Check Nozzle for Obstructions Check for Damage Check for Presence of Pin/Seal Check Gauge Check Condition of Hose

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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department12

Obsolete Extinguishers Soda acid. Chemical foam (except film-forming.) Vaporizing liquids. Cartridge-operated water or loaded stream. Copper or brass extinguishers.

Never Operate Obsolete Extinguishers.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

Additional Obsolete Extinguishers

Pressurized water extinguishers manufactured prior to 1971 Stored pressure extinguishers manufactured prior to 1955

(Including common CO2 extinguishers). Class B extinguishers with a 4B, 6B, 8B, 12B or 16B rating. Extinguishers that must be inverted to operate. Stored pressure water extinguishers with fiberglass shell

manufactured prior to 1976. Stored pressure dry chemical extinguishers (common

multipurpose ABC extinguishers) manufactured prior to October 1984.

Fire extinguishers that can not be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s maintenance manual.

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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department14

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

Class A Extinguisher Ratings Extinguisher Rating of 1A – 40A A rating of 1A has the same fire fighting

capability as 1.25 gallons of water

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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

Math Quiz

How many gallons would a 20 A rated extinguisher be equivalent?

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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

Class B Extinguisher Ratings

Extinguisher Rating of 1 - 640 A rating of 1B has the fire fighting

capability for a non-expert to extinguish 1 square foot of flammable liquids

The rating assumes that a non-expert has 40% capability of an expert

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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

Math Quiz

How big of a class B fire should a non expert be able to extinguish with an extinguisher rated at 20 B?

What about an expert?

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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department19

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

ORDINARY COMBUSTIBLES-Class A

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ANumerical Rating Based on Effectiveness

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department21

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS-Class B

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BNumerical Rating Based on Effectiveness

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department23

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department24

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department25

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department26

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT-Class C

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CNo Numerical Rating-only a Certification

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

COMBUSTIBLE METALS-Class D

28No Numerical Rating-only a Certification

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

KITCHEN MEDIA- Class K

29No Numerical Rating-only a Certification

K* Artist’s Rendition

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Size6 Liter or 21/2 Gallon

Application

Class ALimited on Class B

Class Cand

Class K

Stored PressureOperating Principle

Kitchen Wet-Chemical

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Effects of using wrong agent

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AcetoneWoodCooking oilPropaneMagnesiumCarCouchTVTrash can

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PASS

PullAimSqueezeSweep

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

Demonstration/Practice

We will demo the skilled use of three types of fire extinguishersWater canCO2Dry Chemical

Each of you will get to practice the use of three different types of extinguishers

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• Evaluate if a fire should be attempted to be put out with an extinguisher.

• Calculate a fire extinguisher’s potential fire fighting capability.

• Describe fire extinguisher classes and what type of fire it is designed to extinguish.

• Operate a fire extinguisher properly.

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Take a 10 Minute Break

and Report To The High Bay36