As part of the training in emergency preparedness at the Goducate Training Center, a fire seminar was held on June 23 for our regular as well as our temporary staff. Two officers from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) us about the different substances that cab create fire and what precautions to take.. They also taught the different kinds and parts of a fire extinguisher and and how to use it. The mnemonic for using a fire extinguisher is to simply PASS it:
Pull the pin.
Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire.
Squeeze the trigger.
Sweep the extinguisher from side to side.
We also learnt about different kinds of fire and different kinds of extinguishers. Class A fires are fueled by ordinary solid combustibles such as wood, cloth, and paper products. Class B fires arise from flammable liquids and gases. Class C fires are electrical fires (which must not be extinguished with water because that carries the risk of electrocution). Class D fires are those that arise from flammable metals. Class K (“K” for kitchen) are fires in cooking oils and grease fires (which should never be extinguished with water because that could cause the flames to explode and spread).
Fire extinguishers for specific types of fires are distinguished by different color codes.
There was seminar was not only instructive but also enjoyable. There was a question and answer session, and our instructor entertained us with the Firefighter song.
*Our guest writer in Jezzah May Regalado, a community development worker