FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY CORNER W RI TT E N A N D P H O TO G R A P H ED B Y M ICHAEL T. REARDON, P.E.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS The First Line of Defense
M
odel building and fire codes were created to provide facilities with a high level of safety for both building occupants and fire responders, along with providing property protection. These codes have specific fire regulations for such things as construction materials, interior flammability limits, fire protection, and alarm systems. While these strict requirements may help reduce the probability of a fire occurring or containing the spread of a fire, the risk still exists. Another layer of protection, which is regulated in all building and fire codes, is STAGE 3 Fully-developed fire
TEMPERATURE
STAGE 2
80
Decay
Developing fire well-ventilated flaming
STAGE 1 Non-flaming smoldering
Ignition
STAGE 4
Flashover
TIME
Decay
the installation of fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers provide a first line of defense for occupants who witness a fire in the early stages. The intended use of a fire extinguisher is during the incipient and early growth stages of a fire. Many factors come into play when an occupant attempts to extinguish a fire, such as training, the size/growth of the fire, locality of the fire extinguisher, and, most importantly, personal safety. Building and fire codes recognize these and other factors, thus enforcing additional requirements in order to eliminate the need for human intervention. Fire extinguishers are limited in use based on the type and size of the fire, and the amount of extinguishing agent available. Since there are a variety of fire scenarios, the use of fire extinguishers may not always be effective for some types of fire events. Furthermore, tenability conditions within a building during an emergency may hinder any attempt to extinguish a fire and could lead to dangerous situations for occupants. Tenability conditions such as rooms filling with smoke, limits in visibility leading to disorientation, and radiant heat exposure from the fire can lead to injury or death. Training on the use of fire extinguishers and recognizing the dangers of fire and products of combustions are important and should be taught to key employees or all employees. Many local fire extinguisher maintenance companies, along with some local fire departments, provide hands-on training. There are many types of extinguishing agents which are W W W . ARTISANSPIRITMAG . C O M