Get Educated with a quick Fire Extinguisher Education Tutorial
What We Offer
One of the most cost effective and most efficient items of safety equipment your facility needs is a high quality fire extinguisher. American Fire Prevention carries the best assortment of fire extinguishers and extinguishing systems in the business. From portable handheld units to large wheeled units and fixed systems, our products are state-of-the-art to protect your home or place of business.
In addition to sales, American Fire Prevention offers installation, inspection and service on all types of fire extinguishing systems. Lack of maintenance can lead to an extinguisher not discharging when required, or rupturing when pressurized. According to fire code, annual inspections are required by a qualified technician to ensure the unit is pressurized and unobstructed. Hydrostatic pressure testing is also required, generally ever five years for water and CO2 models and up to 12 years for dry chemical models.
Assessing the type of potential fire in a given area – Identifying the types of materials in your building is vital in determining which extinguisher should be used to successfully extinguish a potential fire in a given area. See below for categorization of different fires:
Class A: paper, wood & textile fires
Class B: flammable liquid fires
Class C: energized electrical fires
Class D: burning metal fires
Class K: kitchen fires
Determining which extinguishing agent is best for the hazard:
ABC Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher: class A,B,C fires (multi-purpose)
Standard Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher: class B & C fires
Purple K Fire Extinguisher: class B & C fires
Class D Fire Extinguisher: class D fires only (fires with magnesium & titanium)
Class K Fire Extinguisher: class A & K fires (kitchen compliant)
Water Mist Fire Extinguisher: class A & C fires (non-metallic areas – designed for locations such as CAT scan rooms)
Halotron Fire Extinguisher: class A,B,C fires (clean agent)
CO2 Fire Extinguisher: class B & C fires
Foam Fire Extinguisher: class A,B fires
Determining Proper Locations for Extinguishers
American Fire Protection will do a full hazard assessment of your facility and will determine exact locations for all needed extinguishers while ensuring the correct sizes and types are being used in each area.
Fire Extinguisher Use
Before attempting to extinguish any fire, call 911 for Fire Department response. A fire should be approached with the wind at your back and you should be sure the extinguishing agent will reach the fire; if it cannot, the extinguishing agent is wasted. However, operating an extinguisher too close to the fire can cause liquids to splash or scatter lightweight solid materials, spreading the fire instead of extinguishing the fire.
When using a fire extinguisher, always remember the mnemonic PASS:
P – Pull (pull the pin that locks the handle)
A – Aim (aim the nozzle at the base of the fire)
S – Squeeze (Squeeze the handle to discharge the extinguishing agent)
S – Sweep (Sweep the nozzle from side to side, to cover the fire)
For Class A fires, the extinguisher should be aimed at the base of the fire then moved up or out as the fire is extinguished.
For Class B fires, the extinguisher should be aimed at the base of the fire and spread along the surface of the liquid, not into it. The extinguishing agent should be placed on top of the fuel to smother the fire.
Aim at the base of the fire
Sweep the nozzle from side to side
Cabinet and Sign Installation
We also provide company employee training in the proper use of fire extinguishers to ensure prompt response in case of emergencies. Please visit Fire Safety Training
Contact us here to see how we can reduce your risk, save you money and give you peace of mind.