Fire Safety - How to Operate a Fire Extinguisher

Pathy Anne Massidy: Hi, I am Pathy Anne Massidy(ph) with the Alexandria Fire Department in Alexandria, Virginia. We have been talking to you about fire safety. Now, we are going to talk about fire extinguishers. A fire extinguisher is only one part of fire safety and a home safety plan. First you should have a plan with your family that you practice. You should also make sure your home has working smoke alarm. A type of fire extinguisher that you would have in your home would be a combination ABC fire extinguisher. ABC refers to the type of fires.

Type A fire is for paper, wood and other ordinary combustibles.

Type B fires are for flammable liquid, grease fire.

And type C fires are for electrical equipments.

If you do decide to fight a small fire, make sure you consider some things first. Make sure the fire is small. Make sure that other members of the household are out of the house, and one of the members of the household is out of the house and calling 911.

Next, we are going to talk about how to operate a fire extinguisher. Here is an acronym to remember when, using a fire extinguisher, PASS .

P is for Pull. Pull the pin. The A is for Aim. Aim the nozzle. Squeeze and sweep. Pull, aim, squeeze and sweep. So, I am going to pull the pin, aim the nozzle at the base of the fire, squeeze the handle and sweep from side to side until the fire is extinguished. Even if you think the fire is extinguished, contact your fire department to come and check the fire site just to make sure.

Next we are going to talk about cooking safety