For full service fire protection for your home or business, several different methods should be used in conjunction. It is also important to use the specific protection equipment for fires that are likely to occur. A residence will need a much different set of equipment as opposed to a metal fabrication plant. Fire protection equip can be either active or passive. It can be automatic or made for manual operation. It also includes cursory items such as exit signs, alarms, and lighting. Here are some examples of different fire equipment and their uses:
Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers come in many shapes, sizes, and for specific types of fires. The smallest type of fire extinguisher is a disposable mini-foamer. These small hand-held cans look similar to air-dusters but they contain nitrogen foam. These extinguishers are perfect for small grill or kitchen fires. They keep grease fires from relighting.
One type of kitchen fire extinguisher that is used in most restaurants is the Stove Top Fire Stop. These are automatic extinguishers that attach via magnets above a stove top in the vent hood. Open flames open the one-use extinguishers, dropping fire-suppressing powder.
The most common fire extinguisher is the red hand held “ABC” extinguisher. These are designed for putting out fires in classes A, B, or C. Other variations include the BC and the PK that use either carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Class K extinguishers use wet chemicals and are for kitchens while class D is a dry powder extinguisher made for combustible metals. A newer type of extinguisher is the Hydro Chlorofluorocarbon. This type leaves no residue after use.
Ancillary Passive Fire Protection
Ancillary passive fire protection is extremely important but not often thought of as being so. This class of fire protection includes aluminum or vinyl signs, exit lighting, and exit signs. These products are important in educating and informing people of how to prevent fires (by not smoking) and what to do in case a fire breaks out.
Other Equipment
Other types of equipment that can be useful in fire protection are fire blankets and emergency smoke hoods. Fire blankets can help put out fires quickly on individuals. Emergency smoke hoods are a type of disposable gas mask that covers the entire head.
