Here on the Central Alarm blog, we spend a good deal of time talking about the various aspects of home security. Most of the time, we focus on ways to protect your home and your family from thieves and criminals. However, thieves and criminals are not the only danger facing your family. In 2013 alone, 2,755 people were killed in home fires. In fact, over 369,500 homes caught fire that year resulting in $6.8 billion in property damage. Don’t let our home become a statistic. Familiarize yourself with home fire safety. We will begin by looking at the importance of fire extinguishers.
Everyone home should have several fire extinguishers on hand. There is no better way to extinguish a growing home fire before it has the chance to get out of control. The National Fire Protection Association acknowledges four different types of fire extinguishers, each useful for different types of fires. Class A is good for wood, paper, rubber, and trash fires. Class B is used to put out gasoline, oil, and paint fires. Class C is used for electrical fires. Class K is used in the kitchen to put out oil and grease fires.
Just having the correct fire extinguishers in your home is not enough. You must also learn how to use them. When operating a fire extinguisher, use the PASS method.
First, Pull the pin.
Second, Aim low at the base of the fire.
Third, Squeeze the lever slowly and gradually.
Fourth, Sweep the nozzle of the fire extinguisher side-to-side along the base of the fire.
It is a good idea to practice this so that you will be ready should a home fire ever occur. The better prepared you are, the safer you and your family will be.