Yes Beautiful People, it's still the FIRE SAFETY series. 

The knowledge on FIRE SAFETY is a Chain, You can't know and work with part, that will be breaking the chain, you must have the complete procedure or else;
Trust when i scream, "effort in futility"!

So people it is absolutely necessary that you complete this journey, you never know for whom you are acquiring this knowledge!

Without much Ado, we will be Learning the CLASSES OF FIRE, as well as other FIRE SAFETY TIDBITS you should be conversant with!

Why CLASSES OF FIRE???
By being prepared and quickly determining the type of fire with which you’re dealing, you have an even better chance of not only extinguishing the fire but also of doing it without risking injury!

However, remember that the safety of everyone in the proximity; including you, comes first!

Remember also that the goal is to be able to reduce the effect of a potential fire, including saving your life and other people's lives and not necessarily to turn you into a Barbecued Chicken (lol) as you attempt to play "super Hero".

Therefore before we proceed, I think it's important that I introduce you to the rules for Fighting Fire.

RULES FOR FIRE FIGHTING
Trust me when i say you are BETTER OFF a thousand times more careful than " Once" Dead and of course nobody dies twice. So people the ground rules are;

Only fight a fire if:

• The fire is small and contained
• You are safe from toxic smoke; smoke Inhalation is the fastest killer in a fire incidence because it will cut off your Oxygen supply even before you get burnt.
• You have a means of escape
• Your instincts tell you it's OK

Where you have carefully considered the afore mentioned and you ascertain your safety then;

Just remember the three A's

REMEMBER: Before you proceed with the 3 A's have an EXIT STRATEGY at the back of your Mind, just in case the fire becomes uncontrollable.

What are these three A's???

• ATTEMPT to extinguish the fire.

• ACTIVATE the building alarm system or notify the fire department by calling 911. Or, have someone else do this for you.

 In my part of the world, I'm well aware this might not be very feasible but you could just try if you live in are area where Emergency Hotline's are active.

• ASSIST any persons in immediate danger, or those incapable on their own, to exit the building, without risk to yourself.

The Next phase of FIRE SAFETY You need to know are FIRE EXTINGUISHING METHODS.
Yesterday, we had dealt extensively on the FIRE TRIANGLE, for want of time we can't go back there but you can look it up.

This is not necessarily repeating the FIRE TRIANGLE EXPOSITION but shading more Light on the best approaches to FIRE FIGHTING.

First this will  help you understand what Fire Extinguishing methods is most suitable for whatever class of fire you may be dealing with.

Secondly your assimilation of this stage will guide you in choosing the KIND OF EXTINGUISHER to be used in a particular class of fire.

FIRE EXTINGUISHING METHODS

COOLING : Removal of HEAT.
Cooling the burning material is the most common method used to extinguish fire. Water is widely available and the best cooling agent to use specially in fires involving solid materials. By evaporating in contact with fire, water also blankets the fire, cutting off the oxygen supply. There is a warning however to the use of water, you should never apply water to fires involving hot cooking oil or fat; water can cause the fire to spread.

STARVATION : Removal of FUEL
This is another method of extinguishing a fire in such a way that you remove the fuel supply by switching off the electrical power, isolating the flow of flammable liquids or removing the solid fuel, such as wood or textiles. In woodland fires, In the case of gas fire, closing the main valve and cutting off the gas supply is the best way of extinguishing the fire.

SMOTHERING : Removal of OXYGEN.
In other words, excluding Oxygen from the fire.
Smothering agents are substances used to extinguish a fire by cutting off the oxygen supply. Foam, which is the content of some fire extinguishers, can help to cool down and isolate the fuel surface from the air, eliminating combustion


CLASSES OF FIRES

Class A
Class A fires are fires in ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, cloth, rubber, and many plastics.
So you see, for a Class A fire, COOLING is the best Extinguishing method, we will match the rest of the classes of fires to the right Extinguishers when we deal with FIRE EXTINGUISHERS.

Class B
Class B fires are fires in flammable liquids such as gasoline, petroleum greases, tars, oils, oil-based paints, solvents, alcohols. Class B fires also include flammable gases such as propane and butane. Class B fires do not include fires involving cooking oils and grease.

Class C
Class C fires are also called ELECTRICAL FIRES. These are fires involving energized electrical equipment such as computers, servers, motors, transformers, and appliances. Remove the power and the Class C fire becomes one of the other classes of fire.

Class D
Class D fires are fires in combustible metals such as magnesium, titanium, zirconium, sodium, lithium, and potassium.

Class K
Class K fires are otherwise called KITCHEN FIRES. These are  fires in cooking oils and greases such as animal and vegetable fats.

The whole essence of safety is that you GET AWARE OF THE DANGER and FOLLOW THE RULES with TIMELY ACTION.

Okay People, that's it for today, we have just one episode to go, FIRE EXTINGUISHERS!

I'm hoping you are as excited as I am, because this episode will be covering the TYPES OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS that there, WHAT CLASS OF FIRE REQUIRES EACH OF THESE EXTINGUISHERS and HOW TO USE AN EXTINGUISHER!

If you have come this far, I'm begging you not to break the chain by stopping HERE!

Please Pitch In tomorrow for the CONCLUSION.
I may not be able to give you certificates but trust me, you'll be as good as any certified FIRE FIGHTER after tomorrow.

My only motivation is Love, Love for your well being!

Always with Love,
Your Fragile Giant!