IRISH COAST GUARD

IN THE HOME & THE WORK PLACEBy :Chris Reynolds

Introduction To;

Design By VINCENT FARRDesign By VINCENT FARR

Cork City Fire Brigade / Crosshaven Coast GuardCork City Fire Brigade / Crosshaven Coast Guard

OBJECTIVES:-

Basic Fire Science & Fire Extinguishers

Procedures To Be Followed On Discovering a Fire

Procedures To Be Followed On Hearing The Fire Alarm

Good House Keeping

FIRE SAFETY, Part 1 : About Fires and Fire Types

The information given here is intended as an introduction to fires and fire extinguishers.

It is NOT a comprehensive reference. Be aware that fires are dangerous, and many aspects of fire safety are not discussed here.

For more in-depth information and hands-on training, contact your local Fire Prevention Office.

IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND HOW FIRE WORKS, YOU FIRST NEED TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT

Three Things Must be Present At the Same Time In order To Produce FIRE

i. Enough OXYGEN to sustain Combustion,

ii. Enough HEAT to raise the material to its Ignition Temperature,

iii. Some sort of FUEL or combustible material,

Altogether The CHEMICAL, EXOTHERMIC REACTION that is……

TO EXTINGUISH A FIRE YOU THEREFORE , MUST DENY THE FIRE ONE OR MORE OF THESE THREE THINGS

EXCLUDE OXYGEN FROM THE FIRE.

REMOVE THE FUEL ON WHICH THE FIRE IS FEEDING.

LOWER THE TEMPERATURE

Essentially, Fire Extinguishers Put Out Fire By Taking Away One Or More Elements Of The Fire Triangle.

Fire Safety, at it’s most basic, is based upon the principle of keeping fuel sources and ignition sources separate

CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF FUELSFUELS

D

Not all fuels are the same, and if you use the wrong type of extinguisher on the wrong type of fuel, you can, in fact, make matters worse.

It is therefore very important to understand the Four different classifications of fuel.

Class A Class B Class C Class D

D

Class A – Wood, Paper, Cloth, Trash, Certain Plastics.

Class B – Flammable Liquids: Gasoline, Oils, Propane

Class C – Electrical: Energized Electrical Equipment

Class D – Metals : Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium

TYPES OF FIRESTYPES OF FIRES

FIRE SAFETY, Part 2 : Putting Out Fires

Different types of FIRES EXTINGUISHERS are designed to fight different classes of fire. The three most common types of fire extiguishers are :

WATER {APW} (Air-Pressurized Water)

CARBON DIOXIDE ( CO2 )

DRY CHEMICAL ( ABC,BC,DC )

WATER1

WATER EXTINGUISHERS DESIGNED FOR CLASS A FIRES ONLY

(wood, paper, cloth, certain plastics)

RED BODY WITH RED BAND

NEVER use Water to extinguish flammable liquid fires.

NEVER use Water to extingush an electrical fire.

WATER APWs extinguish fire by taking away the “HEAT” element of the fire triangle

2 CARDON DIOXIDE

CARBON DIOXIDE EXTINGUISHERS

DESIGNED FOR CLASS B AND C ONLY

( FLAMMABLE LIQUID AND ELECTRICAL)

RED BODY WITH BLACK BAND

CO2 may be ineffective at extinguishing Class A fires

You can recognize a CO2 extinguisher by its hard horn

CO2 extinguishes fire by displacing OXYGEN or taking away the oxygen element of the fire triangle

3DRY CHEMICAL

ALL PURPOSE DRY POWDER EXTINGUISHERS DESIGNED TO EXTINGUISH CLASS A,B,AND C FIRES

RED BODY WITH BLUE BAND

Dry chemical extinguishers put out fire by coating the fuel with a thin layer of dust, separating the fuel from the OXYGEN in the air. The powder also works to interrupt the chemical reaction of fire, so these extinguishers are extremely effective at putting out fire.

It’s easy to remember how to use a fire extinguisher if you can remember the acronym

PASS, which stands for

PULL, AIM, SQUEEZE,

and SWEEP.

P = PULL THE PIN

This will allow you to discharge the Extinguisher

A = Aim at base of the

fireIF YOU AIM AT THE FLAMES ( WHICH IS FREQUENTLY THE TEMPTATION), THE EXTINGUISHING AGENT WILL FLY RIGHT THROUGH AND DO NO GOOD. YOU WANT TO HIT THE FUEL

S = Squeeze the top handle or

lever

THIS DEPRESSES A BUTTON THAT RELEASES THE PRESSURIZED EXTINGUISHING AGENT IN THE EXTINGUISHER.

S = Sweep from side to side

SWEEP FROM SIDE TO SIDE UNTIL THE FIRE IS COMPLETELY OUT. START USING THE EXTINGUISHER FROM A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY, THEN MOVE FORWARD. ONCE THE FIRE IS OUT, KEEP AN EYE ON THE AREA IN CASE IT RE-IGNITES.

PULLPULL

AIMAIM

SQUEEZESQUEEZE

SWEEPSWEEP

PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED ON DISCOVERING A FIRE

Fire can be very dangerous and you should always be certain that you will not endanger yourself or others when attempting to put out a fire. For this reason, when a fire is discovered :

ASSIST ANY PERSON IN IMMEDIATE DANGER TO SAFETY, IF IT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT RISK TO YOURSELF.

IF YOU CAN SAFELY DO SO, CLOSE THE DOOR OF THE ROOM WHERE THE FIRE HAS STARTED AND CLOSE ALL OTHER DOORS BEHIND YOU.

ACTIVATE THE BUILDING FIRE ALARM SYSTEM OR NOTIFY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BY DIALING 999 OR 112

( or designate someone else to notify them for you )

BY DOING SO YOU WILL NOTIFY OTHER OCCUPANTS, OF THE DANGER OF THE FIRE

GET EVERYONE OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. DON’T TRY TO PICK UP VALUABLES OR POSSESSION. MAKE YOUR WAY OUT AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE AND TRY NOT TO PANIC.

PLAN YOUR ESCAPE ROUTE NOW. DON’T WAIT UNTIL A FIRE STARTS.

When Should You Fight A Fire

IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE, YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT CONCERN. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO FIGHT A FIRE.

IF ALL THE CONDITIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT ARE MET, THEN YOU MAY CHOOSE TO USE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AGAINST THE FIRE.

IF ANY OF THE CONDITIONS IS NOT MET, OR YOU HAVE EVEN THE SLIGHTEST DOUBT ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY, DO NOT FIGHT THE FIRE.

HOWEVER, BEFORE DECIDING TO FIGHT THE FIRE, HOWEVER, BEFORE DECIDING TO FIGHT THE FIRE, KEEP THESE RULES IN MIND :KEEP THESE RULES IN MIND :

NEVER FIGHT A FIRE IF :

YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IS BURNING. If you don’t know what is burning, you don’t know what type of extinguisher to use. Even if you have an ABC extinguisher, there may be something in the fire which is going to explode or produce highly toxic smoke. Chances are, you will know what’s burning, or at least have a pretty good idea, but if you don’t, let the Fire Brigade handle it.

THE FIRE IS SPREADING RAPIDLY. The time to use an extinguisher is in the incipient, or beginning, stages of a fire. If the fire is already spreading quickly, it is best to simply evacuate the building, closing doors behind you as you leave.

NEVER FIGHT A FIRE IF :

YOU DON’T HAVE ADEQUATE OR APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT. If you don’t have the correct type or large enough extinguisher, it is best not to try to fight the fire.

YOU MIGHT INHALE TOXIC SMOKE. If the fire is producing large amounts of smoke that you would have to breathe in order to fight it, it is best not to try. Any sort of combustion will produce some amount of carbon monoxide, but when synthetic materials such as nylon in carpeting or foam padding in a sofa, burn, they can produce highly toxic gases such as hydrogen cyanide, acrolein, and ammonia, in addition to carbon monoxide. These gases can be fatal in very small amounts.

NEVER FIGHT A FIRE IF :

YOUR INSTINCTS TELL YOU NOT TO. If you are uncomfortable with the situation for any reason, just let the Fire Department do their job.

THE FINAL RULE IS TO ALWAYS POSITION YOURSELF WITH AN EXIT OR MEANS OF ESCAPE AT YOUR BACK BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO USE AN EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT A FIRE. In case the extinguisher malfunctions, or something unexpected happens, you need to be able to get out quickly, and you don’t want to become trapped. Just remember, ALWAYS KEEP AN EXIT AT YOUR BACK.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE CUT OFF BY FIRE

It’s not easy, but try to remain calm. Save your energy to help you survive.

If you are prevented from getting out because of flames or smoke, close the door nearest to the fire and use towels or sheets to block any gaps. This will help stop smoke spreading into the room.

Go to the window. If the room becomes smoky, go down to Floor level – It’s easier to breathe because the smoke will rise upwards.

Open the window, try to attract the attention of others who can alert the fire brigade. Wait for the fire brigade, they should arrive in a matter of minutes.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE CUT OFF BY FIRE

If you are in immediate danger, drop cushions or bedding to the ground to break your fall from the window. Get out feet first and lower yourself to the full length of your arms before dropping ( 1st floor only).

If your clothing catches on fire, it is a natural response to panic and run to the nearest shower or fire blanket. DON’T DO IT ! Running will just fan the flames and increase the potential for serious injury. The correct response is to : STOP, DROP, & ROLL, onto the ground to extinguish the flames. Cover your face with your hands to protect your face and lungs. If one of your colleagues catches fire, panics, and starts to run, tackle him or her and smother the flames.

PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED ON HEARING THE FIRE ALARM

ASSIST ANY PERSON IN IMMEDIATE DANGER TO SAFETY, IF IT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT RISK TO YOURSELF.

GET EVERYONE OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. DON’T TRY TO PICK UP VALUABLES OR POSSESSIONS. MAKE YOUR WAY OUT AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE AND TRY NOT TO PANIC.

ASSEMBLE AT YOUR ASSIGNED ASSEMBLY POINT OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.

PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED ON HEARING THE FIRE ALARM

IF YOU ARE THE DESIGNATEED FIRE MARSHALL, START YOUR HEAD COUNT OF THE STAFF, AND GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AS YOU CAN, FOR THE FIRE BRIGADE, ie

WHAT IS ON FIRE,

WHERE IS THE FIRE LOCATED,

IS THERE ANYBODY MISSING,OR INJURED.

FIRE FIGHTING TO DATE.

NEVER GO BACK INTO YOUR HOME OR BUILDING UNTIL A FIRE OFFICER HAS TOLD YOU IT IS SAFE.

REMEMBER

GET OUT

STAY OUT

CALL THE BRIGADE OUT

Another good item for firefighting is a fire-blanket, particularly useful in the kitchen. It works by smothering the flames, and starving the fire of oxygen.

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