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Putting out a fire while in its incipient stage can prevent it from spreading. Fire extinguishers are located throughout San Francisco State University locations and are available for use by trained employees, on a voluntary basis, when safe to do so.
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Things To Know About Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers are classified for the class of fire they are designed to extinguish:
Class A: fires involving ordinary combustible materials such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, and plastics
Class B: fires involving flammable liquids such as alcohol, gasoline, ether, etc.
Class C: fires involving energized electrical equipment
Class D: fires involving combustible metals such as magnesium, zirconium, sodium, lithium, and potassium
Class K: fires involving cooking oils (both vegetable and animal) and fats.
Type K extinguishers are installed on campus in areas of commercial cooking operations. Typically, these are only accessible to staff members assigned to that area.
The majority of fire extinguishers available on university properties are the dry chemical ABC type that can put out most common types of fires.
The majority of fire extinguishers at SF State are the dry chemical type (ABC) for fire classes A, B, and C. Some areas with special equipment or a specific fire hazard such as server or instrument rooms, have a specific fire extinguisher that have Types B and C carbon dioxide fire extinguishers. The kitchens and cafeterias usually have Type K fire extinguishers effective for animal and vegetable oils and grease.
Visual Inspections
Facilities Services conducts monthly visual inspections of more than1600 fire extinguishers. It is however a good practice for offices, labs, and shops to periodically check their fire extinguishers to ensure that these are not missing, blocked, or damaged. If necessary, contact your Building Coordinator or BERC to open a work request with Facilities Services.
Annual Maintenance Checks and Servicing
As part of the annual service, the maintenance contractor attaches paper tags to the extinguishers that are hole-punched to indicate the month and year of the last maintenance inspection.
Extinguishers are kept in the following locations in university buildings:
- Fire Hose Cabinets - large, red metal cabinets commonly located in the walls of exit corridors. This is the most common location for portable extinguishers on campus.
- Fire Extinguisher Cabinets - smaller, less-conspicuous cabinets usually located in exit corridors and recessed into the walls. This is a common extinguisher location in newer buildings.
- Wall-mounted Brackets hold extinguishers that are not stored in cabinets. This method keeps extinguishers in plain view on the walls, and is most common in laboratory work areas, workshops, and large office suites.
- These extinguishers are commonly installed by exit doors.
An incipient stage fire is a fire that has just started and is small enough to be controlled or extinguished with a portable fire extinguisher. Fires are considered to be in the incipient stage when:
- The flames are small and not spread out
- There is enough visibility in the room due to smoke
- The heat from the flames is low
What do we mean by "small"?
Small typically means no larger than an office trash can fire.
OSHA Definition
29 CFR 1910.155(c)(26) defines "incipient stage fire" as a fire which is in the initial or beginning stage and which can controlled or extinguished by portable fire extinguishers, class II standpipe or small hose systems without the need for protective clothing or breathing apparatus.
Using Fire Exinguishers
When confronted with the decision to try to put out a fire or simply evacuate the building, you need to evaluate the size of the fire, classification of fire (A,B,C,D,K), training received, and the time needed to evacuate occupants. Remember these facts about portable fire extinguishers:
- A fire extinguisher has limited capability.
- A fire extinguisher is only effective on small incipient-stage fires.
Never attempt to fight a fire if you do not have extinguisher training.
The Emergency Action Plan course, assigned to all employees, reviews the types of fires, the type of extinguisher effective on them, and the basics of putting out a fire.
Hands-on training on how to put out a fire is scheduled during Campus Safety Week in October and upon request from EH&S. The class provides hands-on training in a safe, controlled environment in which students and staff will have the opportunity to use a real fire extinguisher to extinguish an actual fire.
Text plus short video
To request a new or replacement fire extinguisher, contact your Building Coordinator or BERC to open a work request with Facilities Services. If you are not sure who they are, contact your department office.
⇒ Do I have the training necessary to extinguish the fire?
⇒ Do I have a reliable escape route?
⇒ Is the fire small enough to be controlled by a portable fire extinguisher?
- Rule of thumb is to not fight a fire larger than a small office trash bin.
- Do I have a back up person with another fire extinguisher with me, just in case?
⇒ Do I have the right extinguisher?
⇒ Is there too much smoke to see clearly?
⇒ Is there a possible build-up of toxic smoke, gases, or flammable vapors?
⇒ Do my instincts tell me I am safe to fight the fire?
If you do not feel comfortable trying to extinguish the fire, evacuate the building and let the fire department do their job.
Prepare to Extinguish the Fire
Grab the fire extinguisher and remove the seal. Position yourself between the fire and your escape route, approximately six to eight feet from the fire
Remember the acronym P.A.S.S.:
- P – Pull the pin that unlocks the operating handle
- A – Aim the extinguisher low at the base of the fire
- S – Squeeze the lever on the extinguisher to discharge the contents
- S – Sweep the nozzle or hose from side to side, and continue to sweep the extinguisher back and forth at the base of the flames until the fire is out or the extinguisher is empty
After the Fire is Out…
Call UPD and tell them about the fire and its location. They may want to follow-up to make sure the fire is out and there is no more danger.
If you can't put out the fire and it is spreading, make sure everyone in the area has evacuated and back out of the room.
- Leave the room or area and close the door to minimize its spread. Start to evacuate.
- Activate the fire alarm system to notify building occupants of the emergency so they can evacuate.
University Police will be automatically notified when the building alarm activates.
Once out of the building, call 911 (campus phone) or University Police at 415.338.2222 (mobile phones) or instruct someone to else to call to provide details of what has occurred. 9-1-1 from a cellular device will not connect you to the appropriate jurisdiction
- UPD dispatch will notify San Francisco Fire Department and escort them to the correct location.
Other Fire Incident Response Options
At the first sign of a fire, stop work. If the fire has spread or you don't feel comfortable trying to extinguish it yourself, LEAVE IT.
Close the door, evacuate the room and leave. Don't put yourself in danger!
Activate the fire alarm system to notify building occupants to evacuate.
- As you evacuate, knock on doors to let people in the surrounding area that there is a fire
- Notify UPD at 415.338.2222 (from a mobile phone) or call 911 from a campus landline about the fire and its location.
- Tell the dispatcher if there are hazardous chemicals or equipment involved or other hazards fire fighters should know about.
- Remain outside until notified by first responders or a University Official that the building is safe to re-enter
Do not use elevators! Take the stairs.
- Use the closest safe evacuation route
- Feel closed doors with the back of your hand. If it feels hot, do not open it!
- Find another evacuation route.
If trapped in the building, hang an article of clothing, towel, sheet, etc. from a window to signal Emergency Responders.
- Stay near a window and close to the floor. Stay in a stairwell with a window if available.
- Close (do not lock) as many doors as possible between you and the fire if you can do so safely.
- Shout at regular intervals to alert emergency personnel and responders
Remain outside in your designated evacuation location until notified by first responders or a University Official that the building is safe to re-enter