Important Fire Information

It is important for all employees and students to be aware of the various types of fires and fire extinguishers.

Types of Fires - There are three types, or classes, of fires which are denoted by letter codes.

Class A : used to denote wood, paper, cloth, trash, and other ordinary materials.

Class B : gasoline, grease, oil, paint, and other flammable liquids.

Class C : denotes live electrical equipment.

Types of Fire Extinguishers - There are four basic types of fire extinguishers:

Water: This should be used on Class A fires only.

Dry Chemical(BC): This type of extinguisher discharges a sodium bicarbonate powder and should be used on Class B and Class C type fires. Carbon dioxide (CO2) which discharges liquid carbon dioxide and should only be used on Class B and C type fire.

ABC: This is a multi-purpose dry chemical extinguisher which discharges ammonium-phosphate powder and can be used on any class of fire.

Most fire extinguishers on campus are the ABC type and can be used for any type of fire. To operate an extinguisher, hold upright, pull ring pin on handle, squeeze the lever and sweep side to side.

Any employee who uses a fire extinguisher should report it to the maintenance department so the fire extinguisher can be recharged.