Fire Extinguishers: What You Need To Know

I’m doing an internal teleconference / training session this week for my company on various aspects of computer security. One of the topics I was assigned for my presentation was fire detection and suppression techniques. Much of what I’ll be presenting deals with systems for large computer rooms and server farms, but there’s also a section on fire extinguishers that I though was worth sharing here on this blog.

You need a fire detection system (a smoke alarm, for example — don’t forget to change the batteries twice a year) and a fire suppression system. A fire extinguisher can meet your needs for a suppression system if the fire is detected early enough and it is safe for you to use it.

Think of a fire extinguisher as being “cheap insurance” for your home or business (you should discuss your fire insurance requirements with an insurance agent; in some cases, having a fire extinguisher may save you money on premiums, so don’t forget to ask). If a fire is detected quickly enough, a fire extinguisher can prevent further spread of fire and damage. There are a few things to keep in mind regarding the safe use of fire extinguishers and I’d like to cover them here.

First, don’t be a hero. If you cannot use a fire extinguisher with 100% safety, get out! Better to experience some loss than to suffer injury or death.

And as a reminder, if you need to call emergency services to fight a fire, don’t do it from a phone in the building that’s on fire. Call from another building or from your cell phone — AFTER you safely exit the building.

It’s also a good idea to have a “rally point” should you need to evacuate a building, even if it’s just your house. Everybody should know where to go so that you are 100% certain that everybody made it out of the burning building safely. Also have a plan in place for those who may need assistance in exiting a burning building (babies, small children, sick, elderly, etc.).

Prevention is better than having to fight a fire. Keep things neat and clean, get rid of stuff you don’t need, etc. And as ugly as they might be, storing your papers in one of those old-fashioned metal filing cabinets is a great fire prevention tip!

I’d like to go over the varying types of fire extinguishers. You need different types of extinguishers for different types of materials. There are four “classes” of fire extinguishers, and depending on the stuff you have in your office, you’ll want to ensure that you have the right type:

• Class A fire extinguishers are for ordinary combustibles — things like wood and paper. Many times these extinguishers contain nothing but water (and sometimes a propellant). They do not work on electrical and liquid fires.
• Class B fire extinguishers are for flammable liquids — things like gasoline. Hopefully you aren’t storing these in your office (the best place to store them is in a metal shed that is not attached to the building / house — and be sure to put a lock on it for safety).
• Class C fire extinguishers are for electrical fires and is a good choice if you have computers and computer equipment (plus televisions, home entertainment systems, etc.)
• Class D fire extinguishers are used for flammable metals

If you’re looking for the best “overall” fire extinguisher to keep on hand for your office, look for one that can be used on Class A, B, and C fires.

These are just a few things to keep in mind when you go shopping for a fire extinguisher. I do recommend that you also talk to a sales associate at the store where you purchase the extinguisher to ensure that what they offer will meet your needs.

If you prefer to shop online (and live in the United States), here’s a fire extinguisher you can order from Amazon.com that is good for Class A (ordinary combustibles), Class B (flammable liquids), and Class C (electrical) fires — which, in my opinion, would make it a good candidate for a home office (and if you don’t live in the States, this will give you an idea of what to look for in your part of the world):

Kidde 466204 Pro 10 Fire Extinguisher

After your purchase, don’t forget to check it every once in a while to make sure that it’s still in working order (most extinguishers have some type of gauge on it that will tell you if it needs servicing or replacement) — and by all means, read the instructions when you get it. The last thing you want to do is to try to figure out how to use it when your office is on fire! The fire extinguisher I mentioned above uses the simple “PASS” method of operation:

• P = Pull the pin.
• A = Aim at the base of the fire.
• S = Squeeze the handle.
• S = Sweep the nozzle from side to side.

One last note: While my security background is extensive, I don’t claim to know everything about everything. If I’ve messed something up here, could you leave a comment and let me know? I want to ensure that the information I provide is accurate, and any help you can give is greatly appreciated.

While you should get a fire extinguisher for your office, I hope that it never needs to be used.

NOTE: This posts contains one or more affiliate links. If you click on the link(s) and purchase something, I will receive a referral commission. It will not have any effect on the purchase price of the product.