Tips for fire Extinguisher safety
Which fire extinguisher should I get?
One of the best ways to protect your home from fire
is to simply have a fire extinguisher on hand. This fact raises a few questions:
What are the common fire extinguisher types available?
How do I know which one to get for my home?
Lets go ahead and tackle one of these questions one at a time.
What are the common fire extinguisher types available for me to invest in?
First of all, not all fire extinguishers are the same. In fact, each fire extinguisher is designed to tackle a specific type of fire. Why is
it so important to understand this? Simply put, having the wrong extinguisher on hand will be of no assistance to you.
There are four classes of fire extinguishers: A, B, C and D. Each class of fire extinguisher can put out a different type of fire.
Class A Fire Extinguishers:
these will put out fires in ordinary combustibles such as wood and paper.
Class B Fire Extinguishers:
these are for use on flammable liquids like grease, gasoline and oil.
Class C Fire Extinguishers:
These are suitable for use only on electrically energized fires.
Class D Fire Extinguishers:
These are designed for use on flammable metals.
Multipurpose Fire Extinguishers:
These can be used on different types of fires and will be labeled with more than one class,
like A-B, B-C or A-B-C.
So, which fire extinguisher is the right one for me?
You first need to ask yourself, where will I be using the
fire extinguisher?
Are you concerned about a grease fire in your kitchen?
Then a Class B fire extinguisher that is used on flammable
liquids, such as grease, is the right one for you.
Do you have a wood stove, a fire place or a fire pit?
Then a Class A fire extinguisher that is used to put out fires
from wood and paper is the right one for you.
However, the safest thing to do is to get a combination
multipurpose extinguishers that covers type A, B and C. This
way, 3 out of 4 of these classes are covered.
Tips to help you use your extinguisher:
Make sure you have the right class of fire extinguisher for what you need.
These are relatively inexpensive so get an extinguisher for each level of your house. (Including the basement and your garage)
Get an extinguisher you can lift easily by yourself.
Make sure you keep it in an area that is easy to get it out in case of an emergency
Train each member of the family on how to use it
Make sure your smoke detectors have fresh batteries so they will work properly in an emergency. Change them annually and
test them monthly.
Source
If you are unsure on the proper use of a Fire Extinghuisher and you live or your place of business is inside the M&M Fire district you can
contact the Madison Fire Dept. and request to have a training class scheduled (Minimum participation per class) is 8 to 10 interested
individuals. Please contact Pete Webster Asst. Fire Chief
If you live or your place of business is outside the M&M Fire district then please contact Melissa Joyce Asst. Fire Marshal
- REFLECTIVE ADDRESS SIGNS
- BURNING PERMITS (outside the city)
- FIRE INCIDENT REPORTS - Email Chief J.Ritchey
- FIRE INSPECTIONS
- FIRE TRAINING - Email Asst. Chief P. Webster
- PUBLIC EDUCATION OUTREACH - Email Chief J.Ritchey
- SMOKE DETECTORS / ALARMS
- HYDRANT FLOW TEST DATA - Email Deputy Chief K. Hall
- KNOX BOX PURCHASING
Tips for fire Extinguisher safety
Which fire extinguisher should I get?
One of the best ways to protect your home from fire
What are the common fire extinguisher types available?
How do I know which one to get for my home?
Lets go ahead and tackle one of these questions
one at a time.
What are the common fire extinguisher types
available for me to invest in?
First of all, not all fire extinguishers are the same. In fact,
each fire extinguisher is designed to tackle a specific type
of fire. Why is it so important to understand this? Simply
put, having the wrong extinguisher on hand will be of no
assistance to you.
There are four classes of fire extinguishers: A, B, C and D.
Each class of fire extinguisher can put out a different type
of fire.
Class A Fire Extinguishers:
these will put out fires in ordinary
combustibles such as wood and paper.
Class B Fire Extinguishers:
these are for use on flammable liquids
like grease, gasoline and oil.
Class C Fire Extinguishers:
These are suitable for use only on
electrically energized fires.
Class D Fire Extinguishers:
These are designed for use on flammable metals.
Multipurpose Fire Extinguishers:
These can be used on different types of fires and will be
labled with more than one class, like A-B, B-C, or A-B-C
So, which fire extinguisher is the right
one for me?
You first need to ask yourself, where will I be using the
fire extinguisher?
Are you concerned about a grease fire in your kitchen?
Then a Class B fire extinguisher that is used on flammable
liquids, such as grease, is the right one for you.
Do you have a wood stove, a fire place or a fire pit?
Then a Class A fire extinguisher that is used to put out fires
from wood and paper is the right one for you.
However, the safest thing to do is to get a combination
multipurpose extinguishers that covers type A, B and C. This
way, 3 out of 4 of these classes are covered.
Tips to help you use your extinguisher:
Make sure you have the right class of fire
extinguisher for what you need.
These are relatively inexpensive so get an extinguisher
for each level of your house. (Including the basement
and your garage)
Get an extinguisher you can lift easily by yourself.
Make sure you keep it in an area that is easy to get it out
in case of an emergency
Train each member of the family on how to use it
Make sure your smoke detectors have fresh batteries so
they will work properly in an emergency. Change them
annually and test them monthly.
If you are unsure on the proper use of a Fire Extinghuisher
and you live or your place of business is inside the
M&M Fire district you can
contact the Madison Fire Dept. and request to
have a training class scheduled
(Minimum participation per class) is 8 to 10 interested
individuals. Please contact Pete Webster Asst. Fire Chief
If you live or your place of business is outside the
M&M Fire district then please
contact Melissa Joyce Asst. Fire Marshal
Source
