Fire Fighting Equipments

FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENTS

Fire fighting is the act of preventing the spread of and it extinguishes unwanted fires.

Fire fighter suppresses and extinguishes fires to protect lives and to prevent the destruction of property and environment.

Fire-fighting equipments are of two categories:

(a) It is designed for use by persons, such as portable fire extinguishers and hose reels etc.

(b) It is a fixed installation, such as sprinkler system which Ishodam works automatically in the event of fire.

Fire Fighting equipment

Fire-fighting equipment can be used to prevent a small fire developing into a large one. For the purpose of selecting fire extinguishers, fires generated by different materials can be classified as in the following table.

1. Water Extinguisher (Red body)

It is only used on Class A fires. It allows the user to direct water onto a fire from a considerable distance.

This type of extinguisher is not suitable for use of live electrical equipment because water is a conductor of electricity.

2. Water Extinguisher with Additives (Red body)

It is suitable for Class A fires and can also be suitable for use on Class B fires.

3. Foam Extinguisher (Red body with cream label/band)

It can be used on Class A or B fires. It is particularly suitable to extinguish liquid fires.

4. Powder Extinguisher (Red body with blue label band)

It can be used on most classes of fire. It can achieve a good 'knock down' of the fire. It can be used on fires involving electrical equipment.

5. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extinguisher (Red body with black label / band)

It can be used on class B fires. It is particularly suitable for fires involving electrical equipment as it is a non-conductor.

6. Class 'K' extinguisher (Red with canary yellow label/band)

It is particularly suitable for commercial establishments with deep-fat fryers.

Water expelling extinguishers

The various types of water expelling extinguishers are:

(a) Soda acid type

(b) Gas pressure actuated type

(c) Constant air pressure Type

The soda acid type is the most commonly used.

Soda acid type - water extinguisher

Construction:

The various parts and contents of soda acid extinguisher is shown in the fig. 5.12.

The total liquid capacity of the body (solution containers) is filled to the specified level (9 litres).

Working

When the plunger is struck, the acid phial (bottle) ruptures. The sulphuric acid and sodium bicarbonate solution react together to release carbondioxide (CO₂) gas.

The CO₂ generated creates internal pressure which forces the water out of the extinguishers.