Do You Know How To Use a Fire Extinguisher?

10/26/2021 (Permalink)

In today’s busy world it can be easy to forget about the little things. Most of us have been told the process of using a fire extinguisher properly at least once, but in an emergency do you know well enough to not panic? There is a handy mnemonic that makes the steps easier to remember: PASS

1. Pull– Pull the pin from the top of the fire extinguisher near the handle. This pin is in place to prevent the handle from being depressed when the extinguisher is not in use. You should also immediately test the extinguisher after this to ensure that it works and get an idea of how far the stream goes.
2. Aim – Approach the fire while remaining safely as far as way as the extinguisher’s stream will allow you to and aim the nozzle at the base of the fire.
3. Squeeze- Squeeze the handles of the extinguisher together to begin discharging the extinguishing agent.
4. Sweep – Sweep the nozzle side to side as you approach closer to the fire making sure that the extinguishing agent is consistently aimed at the base of the flames.

Hopefully you will never be in a situation where you will need it, but it is important to understand the proper techniques for fire extinguisher use in order to keep your home safe and be able to respond in case of emergency.