Chapter 18 - Fire Prevention, Detection, and Response

Abstract

The best defense against fire is preventing the fire before it begins. Through effective controls and inspection, this threat can be significantly reduced to the benefit of everyone. This chapter describes the fire basics, the typical hazard areas, the types of fire, the use of fire extinguishers, and the necessity of developing a fire plan. Fire requires three components to occur and to be sustained, including fuel, oxygen, and heat. Areas that are cluttered tend to have an increased chance of fire hazards and should be frequently inspected until they are properly cleaned. The important methods of fire detection are human observations and electronic systems. Fires can be divided into four basic types, A, B, C, and D; determined by the nature of fuel component. It is important that the equipment used to extinguish fire, matches the fire type, and should also be checked and inspected on a regular basis. The common extinguisher types and the class of fire they are used on are: dry chemical, carbon dioxide, water-based, and halogenated units. Prior to an actual event, designing a fire plan is the most effective step in any fire prevention, fire detection, and fire response program. Developing such a plan must be done in cooperation with those expected to execute the plan and they should be involved from the beginning. The most important point about fire plan is that they must be put into effect. Fire can be a devastating event, especially if the response is uncoordinated or slow.