FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FOR APARTMENT BUILDINGS Fire extinguishers are an essential tool for fire preven- tion, and every apartment should have at least one. However, it’s just as important that residents know how to use them. Consider providing periodic training ses- sions for your tenants to review the proper way to use fire extinguishers. It’s also critical that apartments are equipped with the right type of fire extinguisher since different classes of extinguishers are used for different types of fires. The classes of fire extinguishers are:
UNDERSTANDING THE LIMITATIONS OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Even if you have the right fire extinguishers in the right locations in the apartment and residents are trained on how to use them, the safety of your building still relies on tenants being able to catch the fire while it is still contained, reach the extinguisher, and safely put out the fire. Almost three-fourths of all apartment fires start in the kitchen, and they’re most often the result of leaving a stove unattended, according to the National Fire Protection Association. In more than half of the cooking fires between 2013 and 2017, injuries occurred when people tried putting out the fire themselves. You can’t completely eliminate the threat of cooking fires, so the ability to control what happens once they break out is the next best thing. Using StoveTop FireStop provides a key element of protection because it reacts to fires and suppresses them before it’s too late. And, since 30 percent of people killed by cooking fires were asleep at the time, it ensures that the stove is being monitored - even if your tenants have forgotten they’ve left a burner on or left something cooking on the stove.
Class A
Class B
Effective for fires involving combustible objects such as wood and paper
Can be used on flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, and oil
Class C
Class D
Class K
Should only be used on electrical fires
Designed for use on flammable metals
Specifically for food products like cooking oils and animal fats
While a Class A fire extinguisher is great for fires in a home office, it won’t be effective in a kitchen fire, so another solution is to buy a multipurpose extinguisher. These are usually A-B, B-C, or A-B-C and help avoid confusion about where the device can be used.
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