Boost Fire Safety with a Fire Extinguisher

The National Fire Protection Association says that about 494,000 structure fires occurred in 2014, which led to 2,860 people losing their lives as a result and property damage costs of about $9.8 billion. Alarming, isn’t it?

An Added Safety Measure

One way to improve fire safety measures whether you’re home or at work is to have a fire extinguisher handy. It’s not just going to sit in a corner and gather dust. If and when the time comes, it’ll prove handy and help you save lives as well as property by nipping a small fire in the bud or being able to contain it long enough for help to arrive and take over.

Fire Safety Tips

Choose the right size

Choosing the right fire extinguisher is key. Go for a small, portable one if you have a small space to cover. If you have a lot of ground to cover, though, a small one will hardly suffice. Opt for a bigger one instead.

Contain the fire

You can confine the fire to a wastebasket so it won’t spread to the rest of the area. Do your best so it won’t spread anywhere else. Fire can spread rapidly, if you aren’t careful.

Call 911

Make sure you already put in a call to the fire department before you use the fire extinguisher. That way, you can buy the firemen some time until they get on the scene and deal with the problem. If you don’t call first, your extinguisher might eventually run out and leave you at the mercy of a bigger fire. By the time you make the call and the firemen get there, it might already be too late to save your property.

Remember PASS

Keep that front and center when you need to use the extinguisher. First: pull the pin. Never point the nozzle at you when you try to release the locking mechanism. Then, aim low. Go for the base of the fire instead of trying to kill it by aiming at the flames. Squee the lever—do it slowly and evenly. You don’t want sudden moves here. You want to make sure you don’t let too much out, or you could run out faster than what’s wise. Lastly, sweep the nozzle. Side to side is the best way to do it.

Get proper training on how to use a fire extinguisher

This way, you can confidently deal with any emergencies in case they happen. Reach out to us for more details on portable fire extinguisher.