Types Of Fires Which Can Arise From Kitchen

Posted By: Coh Ka  //  Category: Planning For A Fire

Types Of Fires Which Can Arise From Kitchen

Time is money in today?s world. And because of this it is a common to see people rushing from one place to another. In this rush, jobs are usually left incomplete, especially things are forgotten on a burning stove. Only when smoke begins to arise or a fire starts, attention is grabbed. If there is someone present in the house at the very moment, he will react instantaneously. But suppose if no one is at home and the pan is still burning on the stove, it is only when you return home will you find out about the incidence. If you are lucky, the neighbors will notice the smoke or the fire coming out of the house and will report to the fire department.

There are different kind of fires which can start in the kitchen and each one needs a different approach to handle it. Out of all, the most common type of fire which can start in kitchen is dry cooking fire. This type of fire starts from the residue of the liquid that boils out of pan. Food residue that dry out on the stove top catches fire and begins to smoke. Dry cooking fire isn?t dangerous but the heat produced by it can damage the area around it and the smoke can leave a bad odor and a tough residue. Cleaning the stove top regularly is a good habit to prevent this kind of fire.

When greasy or oily foods are ignited then grease fire occurs. This type of fire is very dangerous. The flames of grease fire can rise and reach out to the cabinets or the surrounding combustible items. And if this fire isn?t taken care of within a given time period, it can grow into a big house fire. It will not only burn the entire kitchen, but the neighboring rooms as well as the attic of the house. Grease fire can be big threat to the life of the people present in the house at the time of fire. If the fire is small, different techniques can be used to put out the fire. First is to cut the supply of oxygen by covering the fire with a lid. Pouring huge amount of baking soda is another good idea. Baking soda also acts a good fire extinguisher. When the fire stops, it is very important to turn off the stove, in order to avoid any further damage. But if the fire is too high, it is better to seek for help. Because if you try to handle the fire yourself, you can face the risk of getting burned. Another important point to remember is never to use water to put out grease fire. This will cause the grease to splatter, increase the fire size. This also increases the risk of getting burned.

Fires arising from the oven are called as oven fires. Many a times this kind of fire isn?t very serious. Oven fires starts in oven, which is constructed in such a way to deal with high heat. Since the supply of air is insufficient in the oven, the oven fire gets easily extinguished because of lack of sufficient oxygen.

These are the different types of fires which can start in the kitchen. The first step to be taken in case of any fire is to evacuate the place as soon as possible. Everyone should be asked to leave the place and children especially should be escorted out of that place. The next important step is to call the fire department and report about the fire. If the fire is small, a fire extinguisher can be used to put out the fire. Therefore, it is necessary to keep a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket in the kitchen. But if the fire is spreading rapidly and is getting out of control, it is better to get out and wait for help.

A stitch in time saves nine. So it is always better to clean the stove top regularly and to cook greasy and oily food on a low flame. Always keep distance from the burner and avoid wearing loose and synthetic clothes.

Fire Safety in the Home: An Effective Escape Plan

Posted By: Coh Ka  //  Category: Planning For A Fire

Fire Safety in the Home: An Effective Escape Plan

In accordance with the USFA (U.S. Fire Administration) thousands of deaths and injuries were caused by house fires. It is a good idea to come up with an escape plan just in case a fire breaks out in your home. This way everyone will know what to do in case a fire breaks loose in your home. You and your family should discuss and design and easy to remember plan that is informative, efficient, and speedy. Remember, fires spread quickly so you and your family should also plan to move just as quick.

Some of the topics that should be brought up when discussing a fire escape should include what every individual responsibilities will be assigned to each family member, what the two most safe escape routes are in your home (every room), as well as where to meet up once everyone is outside and safe from the fire. It would be wise to let every family member know that there will be no time to save anything, also that if possible, try to alert others by screaming loudly ?Fire!? or something to let everyone know there is an emergency. Once everyone has been alerted individuals should crawl quickly to a safe exit.

Remember if you live in an apartment or some other type of residential building that houses more than one family there are alternate ways to escape. It would be a good thing to get to know where the fire exits in the building are located, to ensure everyone in the building is safe during a fire. The owner of the building or property manager should let tenants know where these escapes are located upon move in. Knowing these types of things will assist you in coming up with an effective escape plan with your family. Escape plans are not something that can be told once and it is ?down packed? immediately. You and your family should practice the escape plan at least once a month to ensure that everyone is refreshed on what to do in case of a fire.

Also include in the escape plan a way to alert the local fire department once outside the burning home. Most of the time a neighbor will contact the fire department; but it is always good to have a backup plan to cover all tracks. You should include a couple of close by neighbors in the plan so they will know that if a fire breaks out they will be one of your safety resources. Keep in mind though, you should first make sure everyone escapes safely, then alert the fire brigade, do not try to stop and make a phone call during a fire because every second counts, time will be your biggest enemy during fires so it is not wise to use time unnecessarily.

One way to make an informative and easy accessible plan is to draw out a floor design. Include all rooms, doors, as well as windows in your home. Mark all escape routes and smoke alarms in the residence with vibrant colors to make certain that the family knows how, and where to escape if the fire does break out. Keep in mind that a fire may break out when just the kids are home, so it is good to discuss what they should do in case this happens. Leave telephone numbers for emergency contacts, give them detailed but understandable directions on exactly what to do, also make sure if you know that only the children will be home that there is always someone you trust there to keep a check on them just in case there is an emergency. Educating and preparing you and your family on fire safety or any other type of safety during an emergency, will lower your chances of any deaths or injuries during that fire. It may also help reduce the amount of fires that occur in your home.

Few Easy Steps to Prevent Fire in Your House

Posted By: Coh Ka  //  Category: Planning For A Fire

Few Easy Steps to Prevent Fire in Your House

Building a home is the dream of every individual and it is this dream, which pushes you to work harder everyday to achieve your goal. Every member of our family is important to us and safety is a major concern when we live together. But there are certain things that we need to take care of while living in a home. With the passage of time our homes go through the normal wear and tear, it can be taken care off. However there are a few points which we need to know about home safety and which should be kept in mind while living in the home. We invest a lot of money on building our home and we would not damage our lovely homes intentionally. Many times disaster strikes and we are left in shock with the loss of our belongings and at times our loved ones. At such times we are helpless, but we can be prepared and must consider every aspect of safety in our home. Although people often overlook the possibility of danger in their own homes it can actually cause a great amount of trouble and can even leave them homeless.
One such aspect is the dangers that can be caused due to a fire.

There are many reasons for which a house can catch a fire and the cause of fire cannot be ascertained immediately. Most of the times a house catch fires because of the negligence of one or more people living in that house or due to a natural disaster. Let?s visualize that you are in the kitchen, using a gas stove to cook your delicious turkey but as soon as your turn that gas stove valve on, the phone rings. You drop what you were doing and go to attend to the phone call. It was your friend so you have a long chat with her and you plan for the evening to meet at a nearby pub. Now after you put down the phone and go to the kitchen you do not think about the valve, which you switched on, and light a match, there it goes. Not knowing about the gas leakage you turn the match and it catches a huge fire. This is not just a scene from a Hollywood movie but in fact it has happened a lot of times.

The first and most important in any kind of safety is presence of mind and its importance cannot be stressed enough. There is always a need to keep a check on different things in the house, which can spark a chain reaction or a house fire. There are many things around you that can cause such a reaction and consequently become the root cause for a house fire. Let?s talk about certain measures that can be taken to prevent the home you live in from catching fire. What?s needed is that you check on certain things in the home every time you are in the house and you need to make sure that everything is at its proper place. Only after you keep this check you can have a sound sleep. These are the following things that need to be checked for preventing the house from a fire:

Kitchen and gas appliances: these are normally the biggest threat that we can have in our homes and are the most common cause to trigger a house fire. You need to check your all house appliances that are concerned with the kitchen and those running on the gas. Gas heaters or gas stoves are a few of them. You should make sure that the connection is turned off after the use.

Electric appliances: a lot of people do not believe that electric appliances cause a fire but in reality electric appliances can trigger a house fire. This is especially in the case of a short circuit. For that reason we should avoid or rather never put an unnecessary load on a single switch.

Burning candles: candles which are kept for the purpose of decoration or for other use are to be handled with care and you need to make sure that they are not kept close to the curtains or other material which can catch fie easily.

Besides these there are other smaller concerns that you will observe after spending a while in your home. These possible threats should be taken care of as soon as you can since safety comes first.

The Importance of a Fire Alarm?s Design in Large Buildings

Posted By: Coh Ka  //  Category: Planning For A Fire

The Importance of a Fire Alarm?s Design in Large Buildings

When a building is designed, fire alarms should be one of the main things that are included in the buildings? layout. They are designated to ensure the protection of the individuals inside the facility. If the alarms are installed correctly, preferably by a professional they should work one behind the other, as a coordinated compound network designed to determine the existence of danger in the shape of smoke and fire. Just as the alarm itself is important, the way they are installed is also important. In order to guarantee the maximum amount of safety and efficiency, a licensed professional by preference should create a complete fire alarm design that is going to work well for the particular building.

As we all know a smoke alarm is patterned to alert us when there is a danger caused by either smoke or fire. Their ability is capable of letting us know that we are at risk and gives us enough time to vacate the premises and ensure our safety. When a fire alarm is designed, the engineer should take into account the composition of the building; Including how many levels it has, where it gets its heating sources from, as well as where the exits are located in the building and how many. They should also keep in mind the degree of complexity that is required for each separate building. For example, a one family home requires a far less difficult design when it comes to fire alarm systems than a 4-story hotel building would.

When securing large public buildings, supplementary fire safety features are essential. Things that maybe included are sprinkler systems in the ceiling as well as intricate communication devices. Once again these features would not be a necessity for a private or single family property. All of these things should be taken into consideration when an engineer designs the alarm; They make it their goal to survey the specifications on each dimension of the property as well as specify where the fire alarms should be located in order to provide maximum efficiency and ensure the best safety features possible. Most of the time an outline of the building is created, pin-pointing the exits as well as the projected locations of smoke and fire alarms. Also any electrical needs or wiring that is required for installation may be included.

On the contrary, when looking at a public building which is much larger engineers and alarm technicians collaborate with licensed electricians, which manage the wiring making sure it is up to code. Having the building wired correctly is a crucial point to ensuring the safety of its occupants. Most likely the fire alarm unit is going to be connected directly to the local fire officials who monitor alarm activity. This will provide a guarantee that help is on the way as soon as possible, which also increases the safety measures provided to all inside the building. If the alarm systems are assembled correctly as well as properly placed in the building; provided that the engineer has devised a reliable enough plan to in time safeguard the building as well as the people inside. Good advice to most large companies is to pay attention to quality and not necessarily the amount spent, because it is well worth the time and money to have the system correctly installed.

Fire Safety and Insurance

Posted By: Coh Ka  //  Category: Planning For A Fire

Fire Safety and Insurance

Insurance is one of the things which is thought about until when asked for. If you own a house, the whole responsibility is on you. But if you are living in an rented apartment, and there is fire due to a burning pan left by your neighbor unattended, it will be your responsibility again because you didn?t buy a renter?s insurance. Therefore, everyone is prone to danger, no matter if the fire is due to human err of a natural disaster.

Renter?s insurance dose not cost more than a pizza deliver in a month. Majority of the renter?s insurance plans cover fire damages too. Discussions can be made with the insurance agents and insurance plans can be selected which covers the needs. Some insurance plans even cover really valuable objects such as your wedding rings. When buying a fire insurance policy it is necessary to think more than the house value. Suppose if the cost of the house is %200,000 and the insurance only covers the structure cost, then it would easily take more than this amount to rebuild the house in case of any disaster. This estimate included everything from rebuilding the house to possessions like jewelry to flatware. It is important that owners and renters make an inventories of the objects they posses in their homes. It would be very smart to take pictures of the contents of your home and store it in a sage or a lock box in order to achieve peace of mind. When you go through the process of claims, many questions such as ?How many dishes were there in the flatware?? will arise, which will be very difficult to answer then.

Insurance companies will reduce the periodical premium to be paid if there are no bushes or flammable materials surrounding the house. In case of fire, the bushes or the flammable materials engulf the house and burns it down earlier than otherwise. Clearing these materials also helps to create defensible space for the firefighters. Although bushes provides a beautiful view, they also risks the life the inhabitants of the house.

If the insurance is claimed in case of accident, on one hand it will help to restore the damages but on the other hand this process will increase the periodical premium. So in every case, prevention is better than cure. Firstly install smoke detectors in the house, especially in kitchen and rooms in which the family sleeps. They should be checked every month and must be replaced if they are older than ten years. The oil burner should be checked periodically by a professional. Do not leave electric appliances such as dishwashers, washing machine, heaters on when not at home or when you go to bed. Every floor of the home must be equipped with at least one fire extinguisher.

House should have two exits so that if one of them is blocked, the other one can be used. It is better to have a fire safety plan before hand and let the whole family know about it. If there is a pet in the house, the plan should also include the pet. Be careful while burning candles because they produce lots of soot which can damage the ceilings, floors and walls. It can also damage the personal belongings. They should be burned in a safe place away from curtains, loose furniture fabric, people, children and pets. According to a research done by the Consumer Product Safety Commissions in 2001, fires caused by candles were due to existence of a combustible substance within close proximity of the candle. Another major reason for candle fire is tipping of candle by pets or children or knocking over by the wind. Extra care must be taken when burning gel candles as they burn longer than the wax candles, thus increasing the risk.

People usually are seen wondering whether they turned off the stove burner or not. People should make it a habit to double check electrical appliances and other instruments which can lead to fire, before leaving the house or before going to sleep.

Fire Safety and Mattresses

Posted By: Coh Ka  //  Category: Planning For A Fire

Fire Safety and Mattresses

One of the last thoughts that come in the mind when we go to sleep in that soft pampering mattress is the fire safety. In fact how many times in life did we ever think about fire safety when going to bed? The answer is probably never. According to statistics from CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) about 365 people die every year from mattress related fires every year i.e. about one death a day due attributed to mattress related fires. After reading this statistics you might be compelled to rethink about the present sleeping arrangements and have a look at the insurance policies. Mattress manufacturers per federal requirements are required to comply with a fire repellant regulation that saves many lives. The new regulation will make it more stringent for the manufacturers to make mattresses which are more fire proof to fires that take place due to lighters, matches, candles etc.

While the regulations dealing with mattress fires do not completely eliminate the chances of fires but these regulations may give that extra little time to save them from fire. As many of us know that it?s only a matter of few seconds for fire to surround a mattress. But the mattresses that are manufactured keeping in mind the above regulation burns much slower thus giving more time for the victims to escape fire and save from injury or death. Fires caused due to mattresses are one of the leading causes of death for kids, one of the reasons why it?s so important to take safety precautions of highest order. Some of them are discussed as follows.

First thing to be careful about is not to smoke in bed, according to many statistics, smoking in bed is one of the biggest causes of mattress fires. Smoking in bed has led to many unintentional fatal fires in many homes. It should be noted that if the mattress is manufactured after the year of 1973, it must resist cigarette ignition, so always look for this important factor. The new regulation of July, 2007 would also require manufacturers to make mattresses to resist against open flame also. The next thing to take care of is the candles. Everybody likes to decorate their homes with beautiful and aromatic candles but would they every want to turn their house into an ugly burnt house with the same candles? Nobody would ever want to do that. So, always be watchful when lighting candles and put them off as when done. Also, do not ever leave the candles to burn and go to bed, this can be a potential fire hazard which can engulf whole house into flames within minutes.

Also, teach the children to not to play with matches or lighters or candles. Children are always fascinated by something that burns, so always keep a watchful eye even if you have taught them not to light them. An important step towards the safety of every inmates of the house is to install fire and smoke alarms in every bedroom of the house. But, do not forget to check the alarm batteries regularly; failing to do so could result in alarm failing when actually needed. Make it a point to replace the batteries of the alarms yearly.

The CPSC estimates say that more than 1,330 injuries and 365 deaths will be prevented every year due to the new regulation brought into ordinance in July, 2007. While it?s very hard to predict a fire for anyone but there are always ways to prepare just in case if one occurs. Apart from taking precautionary measures we must also make sure that we have home insurance or renter?s insurance to cover monetary and life damages. Insurance pays for the unexpected and it is not unusual for unexpected to happen. We may not be able to eliminate the chances of unexpected but we can definitely prepare for it and insurance is one of the best ways to prepare for the unexpected.

Outdoor Fire Safety

Posted By: Coh Ka  //  Category: Planning For A Fire

Outdoor Fire Safety

When fire proofing your home the inside is a very big part of the inspection indeed but do not forget that the outside is also a safe haven for fires. You should keep in mind that the outside is also part of your home, so do not neglect to check the patio, the backyard, the roof as well as the garden. Minimizing the hazards in these areas is just as important as the dangers indoors. One example of a fire hazard that exists outdoors is storing of wood. When warehousing wood in your backyard it is imperative that you follow the basic preliminary fire prevention rules in order to diminish the chance of wood catching fire which can cause much larger scale disaster. That is why it is important to maintain your wood in safe manner, in order to reduce the occurrence of the fires as well as the strength and size of the fire. One of the first steps to take when making sure that the fire is stored safely is to make at least a 30 feet safety perimeter around the area that the wood is being stored.

An example of a good safety clearance is a green lawn that is free of any types of fire hazards such as flammable debris, toys or lawn ornaments. Now when it comes to plants and fire, there are a lot of plants that are fire resistant; some more than others, it is good to plant these in the area designated as the safety zone. Even though these plants may be fire resistant, it is imperative that you get rid of any dry leaves, dead limbs, twigs, and rubble that surround the plant(s); preventing these things from fueling a small fire that can escalate into a larger much more intense fire.

Also take time to survey the roofing material on your home. In previous years many roofs on homes were built with many risky, combustible materials causing a large amount of homeowners to lose their homes; these losses were directly linked to the roof catching fire. Nowadays there are new and improved roofing materials offered to promote fire safety. When having your home built or either when choosing a home, it would be wise to choose a home that uses non-combustible roofing materials. There are many non-combustible roofing materials available, including: Class A Shingles, Metal or Terra Cotta. If your roof has already been built and it doesn?t need to be replaced, then you do have the option of treating your roof with fire retardant procedures to reduce the flammability of the roof until it can be replaced.

One last thing to pay attention to when fire proofing the outdoor is barbecue grills. Barbecue grills involve a lot of upkeep. You should clean your grill regularly, and make sure to keep it free of dirt and dust buildup. It would be much easier on you to maintain if you made it your goal to clean the grill after every use paying close attention to dust and cobwebs that may have accumulated. Also make it a habit to check all water hoses in the yard for cracks and to make sure it is in good condition; these are also fire hazards. Last but not least if you use propane tanks, check to see if it is damaged in any way. It is very dangerous to use damaged propane tanks. They are very combustible and can cause major damage.

Choosing a Fire Extinguisher for your Home

Posted By: Coh Ka  //  Category: Planning For A Fire

Choosing a Fire Extinguisher for your Home

When it comes to the correct steps in battling against house fires, having a fire extinguisher handy is the first rule of thumb to follow. This will be your number one line of defense before the fire officials arrive. It is a good idea to have at least two fire extinguishers in your home. There are five elements that are present when a fire occurs: oxygen, heat, fuel, and some type of chemical reaction. All of these five elements form what is known as the fire triangle. Once the fire triangle is identified then the fire can be eradicated by either taking away or isolating any one of those elements of the triangle from all the rest of the elements in order to prevent a house fire.

Today?s market offers various types of fire extinguishers. It is very important that you use the accurate fire extinguisher when trying to put out a fire. If you use the incorrect type of fire extinguisher there may be a problem trying to diminish the fire therefore making the extinguisher ineffective. As a matter of fact using the wrong type of conformity can cause the fire to reignite after seemingly putting out the fire. Make sure you do your research before purchasing a fire extinguisher, since most suppliers are ignorant to the suitable types of fire extinguishers for your home; it is diplomatic to do a thorough check on your extinguishers in your home.

When classifying the types of fires there are three categories they fall up under. The first class is called a Class A fire; these fires are mostly caused by burning wood, paper, cloth, plastics etc. The second class of fires is called Class K fires. These types of fires normally originate in the kitchen; they involve cooking oil, vegetable fats and animal fats. The last class of fires is called Class C fires; these fires occur with electrical equipment such as motors, transformers and other appliances. The recommended fire extinguisher for homes is called a Dry chemical extinguisher. It works efficiently on Class A as well as Class C fires. The way it extinguishes the fire is simply by doing away with the chemical reaction part of the Fire triangle. This extinguisher creates a barricade in between the oxygen and the combustible elements of a Class A fire.

Another type of fire extinguisher available on the market is a Water mist extinguisher which is mainly for wood, paper, or cloth fires; however it is also effective as well as safer for use on Class C fires. It eliminates the heat portion of the triangle. Next there is a Cartridge operated dry chemical extinguisher. These types of extinguisher are very pocket-friendly for small to mid-size fires in the home. Nonetheless there are other types available that can only be used for specific fires. These models include water and foam extinguishers; these are only effective when used on a Class A fire. It should never be used on Class C fires which involve electrical equipment and cause someone to be electrocuted. Also Carbon dioxide extinguishers, which can be used for Class C fires (i.e. electrical).These are just a few of the many products offered to protect your home. Remember a fire extinguisher should be preserved in accordance with the relevant local rules.

Fire Safety Equipment

Posted By: Coh Ka  //  Category: Planning For A Fire

Fire Safety Equipment

When it comes to the safety of our homes or the offices in which we work in, from the threat of fire, we look up to certain equipment or tools which are helpful in providing us with the maximum safety. House fires have become a common subject and every year many homes all around the world fall prey to the ruthless house fires which huff and puff and blow the homes down like the evil fox from the infamous story. They have now become the centre of discussion for many people and these people are constantly looking forward to find better ways to fight against such kinds of house fires.

These methods of prevention need to be very effective and also, very efficient. If you look at recent studies, you will see that in the United States of America alone, homes worth millions of dollars are burnt as a result of house fires. This house fires leave the individual owners completely helpless.

Let?s imagine an individual who works a nine till five job everyday and let’s say he is working in order to be able to build his dream home. He has been working for the last 30 years without a break and has been doing so in order to provide his family with the perfect home. After sometime, he finally succeeds in getting his dream home, by re-arranging the finances that he got as a result of different pension schemes and other retirement benefits. Just as he started enjoying the sweet success and the amazing home that he built, one day a tragedy took place which changed everything overnight.

While he and his loved ones were sleeping, a fire broke out in the house and not one of the family members woke up or realized. This is because he didn’t have a fire alarm. As a result of this disaster, the house was burnt and turned to ash in just a few small hours. His beloved daughter was caught up in the fire and unfortunately she could not be rescued. The firefighters informed the family after a considerable delay, that she had become a victim to the ruthless fire. This is not an imaginary story but a story that you will hear about on the news or in the newspapers in every city around the world. With disasters such as these that are widely known about, you would think that home owners would spend more time and money in fire-proofing their house, and ensuring alarm systems were built, not only to protect their homes, but to protect themselves and their families as well!

Therefore, there has always never been a better time to ensure that you have the best equipment for fighting fire in order to make yourself and your loved ones more secure and safe. You need to have the best equipment in the house available so at a time of an unexpected fire, you can at least rescue your family and get them out of the house as soon as possible.

There are many things that are used for the safety of an unexpected fire within your home. We all know about the different things, which can save us in times of a firebreak out in the house. Let?s talk about fire extinguishers. They are the greatest fire fighting tool that has been ever created by humans and it is the best thing that we can have in our homes in order to extinguish a fire or at least try to have some sort of control over it. Fire extinguishers can be easily found in many stores and shops and there should be at least a couple of them in your home. They should be hanging on the walls instead of being dumped in the storerooms or cellars! They should be somewhere where they can be easily found and used.

After fire extinguishers, another thing that can help us in taking control over the house fire is the fire alarm. It is the best equipment and a very useful thing that can easily tell us about the fire. There should be a large quantity of fire alarms in your home. There should be a single fire alarm in every room of the house and in the washrooms also. They should be everywhere as to provide you with the maximum levels of safety.

These are just two of the most important pieces of fire equipment which can be used in the house in order to ensure you can not only tell when there is a fire in your home, but also so that you can attempt to put it out, circumstances allowing. You should make sure that this is the minimum level of fire safety equipment that you have in your house to be able to keep you and your loved ones safe!

Fire Safety and RV?s

Posted By: Coh Ka  //  Category: Planning For A Fire

Fire Safety and RV?s

RVs which stand for Recreational Vehicles, the name itself tells the whole thing i.e. RVs are meant for recreational purposes. But have we ever thought about things that deal with the safety of the RVs. Most RVs whether it be small or big, or any type are pretty sophisticated when it comes to safety devices and are equipped with state of the art devices to ensure the safety of the passengers. So, every owner of the RV should know what they are and how to use them in case of an emergency. Some of them are for fire safety too.

There are 4 common types of fire safety devices or extinguishers available i.e. A, B, C & D. Every alphabet represents an extinguisher for specific kind of a fire. But it is not unusual to find an extinguisher which as ratings like AB or BC or even ABC. What this signifies is that one kind of extinguisher can be used to extinguish the fires of other types. The NFPA requires that all RV?s have a BC rated extinguisher near the key exit. These types of extinguishers are primarily used to extinguish fires that are caused by liquids which are combustive in nature and also gases like oil, gasoline and grease. A BC type can also be used to extinguish electrical fires.

Most fires that breakout in the RVs are type A which are mainly caused due to combustive materials like paper for instance which means it would need a extinguisher of Type A to extinguish the fire. But, it wouldn?t be a bad idea if you have more than one kind of fire extinguisher in the RV, preferably a BC type. Also, it would be a nice idea to keep the extinguisher as handy as possible so that if a fire breaks out it is very easy to find. Also, if one is towing a trailer it is a good idea to have a BC type extinguisher handy.

But, would keeping these extinguishers in the RV alone serve the purpose? The answer is no. Unless and until one doesn?t have the correct knowledge of which extinguisher is used for which type of fire they serve no purpose. So, one should for what type of fire a particular type of extinguisher is used and also let everyone know in the RV about it. It is a good idea to have an orientation before starting the journey to let everybody know about its usage and location in case of an emergency. Labeling the extinguishers A or B or C or D is outdated and one should have a picture showing what kind of fire it may be used for. If is used to extinguish multiple kinds of fires then it should have the pictures for all types. It should also have a picture with a diagonal line indicating for which kind of fire it shouldn?t be used. After everybody learns about various kinds of extinguishers they should be trained to use the extinguisher properly.

Although there are many kinds of extinguishers, they more or less work in the same fashion. The most important thing is to remember ?PASS? which is an abbreviation of Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep. Pull means, you have to pull the pin that is located right extinguisher?s top. Aim means, to aim extinguisher?s nozzle on fire?s base. The next command Squeeze means, squeezing the handle standing about eight feet away from the blaze. One should free the handle if one wants to stop. The last command, Sweep, is to extinguish the fire by sweeping the extinguisher across the fire until it is extinguished. Remember to wait and see to make sure that it doesn?t get reignited again. Also, the foremost thing to remember is the self safety and other?s safety and it shouldn?t be risked in the course of extinguishing a fire. The wisest thing would be to take everyone out and away from fire. Then the immediate step to take is to call 911 at the earliest.