Fire Extinguishers
NFPA 1910 Requirements Dry Chemical 80B:C CO2 10B:C 1 2 ½ water extinguisher
NFPA 10 Standards for portable fire extinguishers
Class A Normal Combustables 1-A through 40-A – 1-A= 1 ¼ gal. of water – 2-A = 2 ½ gal.of water Tested with wood crib and pannel Tested by expert or non- expert
Class B Flammable Liquids 1-B through 640-B – Approximate square footage of fire a non- expert can extinguish Test on pan with n- heptane Rating is 40% of what an expert can extinguish
Class C Essentially an electrified class A or B No fire test conducted, only non-conductivity tests
Class D No numerical rating scale Extinguishing agents may handle only a single type of class d fire
Alternative markings for extinguishers This is a Class A
Label information is entered like this. Label Says: A-4 20B:C Where might you use it? What does the label mean?
Pump-Tank Water Extinguishers Often called a backpack or indian pump Class A fires only Used for grass fires and minor overhaul operations only 1-5 gal Need freeze protection
Stored Pressure Water Pressurized with O2 or Nitrogen Class A fires only Grass fires, overhaul gal Foam can be added to water Needs freeze protection
Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) Good for A and B fires Most are 2.5 gal. Air aspirating nozzle (for better foam) Apply as a blanket which will seal out O2 AFFF helps water penetrate better Won’t work on water soluble liquids Works well on pools of class B
Dry Chemical (Multipurpose) ABC or (Ordinary) BC only 2.5 to 30 lbs Don’t confuse with dry powder No need for freeze protection Many agents are used
CO2 Extinguisher Class B and C 2-20 lbs CO2 discharged through horn (don’t touch it) Creates “snow” that sublimes and smothers fire No “film” so reignition is a danger
Halon Halon 1211 – Not really sure how it works Halon 1301
PASS System of Fire All extinguishers are used essentially this way
Special Considerations AFFF – careful not to disturb the foam blanket Dry Chemical – spray at base of the fire CO2 – Sweep across entire fuel surface