CERT SKILLS HOSA Unit 2: Fire Safety

Examples of hazardous materials

(include but are not limited to:) - explosives - flammable gases and liquids - poisons and poisonous gases - corrosives - nonflammable gases - oxidizers - radioactive material

Series of questions to ask before attempting to fight fire with extinguisher

- Are there two ways to exit safely and quickly? - Do I have the right type of extinguisher for the type of fire - Is the extinguisher large enough for the fire? - Is the area free from other dangers? IF YOU ANSWER NO TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS OR UNABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE IN <5 THEN LEAVE AND SHUT ALL DOORS TO SLOW SPREAD OF FIRE

Electrical Hazards Prevention

- Avoid electrical octopus: (tangles of electrical cords and do not overload electrical outlets, don't plug power strips into other power strips) - Check for and replace broken or frayed cords - Maintain electrical appliances properly

3 ways hazardous materials are marked

- Department of Transportation (DOT) - The United Nation (UN system) - The North American (NA) warning placards

CERT's role in fire and utility safety

- Extinguishing small fires: general rule: if you can't put out a fire in 5 seconds, its too big and you should leave premise immediately - Preventing additional fires by removing fuel sources: ensure that once extinguished, fire won't come back (process called overhaul) - Shutting off utilities - Assisting with evacuations: establishing a permitter if disaster is too large to handle

Fire requires three elements to exist:

- Heat: elevate temperature to ignition point - Fuel: may be a solid, liquid or gas (type of fuel determines method of extinguishing) - Oxygen: most fires will burn in any atmosphere of at least 20% O2

Simple fire prevention measures

- Locate potential source of ignition - Do what you can to reduce or eliminate it

Flammable Liquid Hazards

- Reads label to identify flammable products - store them properly using LIES method

Type of Fire Extinguishers

- Water - Dry chemical - carbon dioxide - specialized fire extinguishers

Cert members ALWAYS:

- Work with a buddy - Wear safety equipment

Anhydrous Ammonia

- a flammable gas - placarded as a nonflammable gas for domestic transport, but flammable for international transport

Natural gas presents two types of hazards

- asphyxiant: robs the body of oxygen - explosive: that can easily ignite

Materials are considered hazardous when:

- corrode other materials - explode or are easily ignited - react strongly with water - are unstable when exposed to heat or shock - are toxic through absorption, inhalation, injection, or injection

CERT members must NOT

- get too close (stay near the outer ranger of your extinguisher) - try to fight fire alone - try to suppress large fires - enter smoke filled areas

Common Locations of Hazardous Material

- industrial locations - dry cleaners - funeral home - home supply store - big box store - delivery van

Monitering natural gas

- install a natural gas sector near the furnace, hot water tank, and gas appliances (clothes dryer, stove) - install a carbon monoxide detecter near the sleeping area - Locate and label the gas shut off valve ( know how to shut off the gas and have a proper non sparking tool for shutting off gas)

Proper Fire Suppression Procedures

- job of team member 1 is to put out a fire with an extinguisher - job of team member 2 is to watch for hazards and ensure the safety of both team members and protect team member 1

Responding to Electrical Emergencies

- locate the circuit breakers or fuses and know how to shut off power - unscrew individual fishes or switch off smaller breakers first , then pull the main switch or breaker - when turning the power back on, turn off the main switch of breaker first, then screw in the fuses or switch on the smaller breakers, one at a time

The most common firefighting resources are:

- portable fire extinguishers - interior wet standpipes Other resources include confinement and "creative resources"

Fire Suppression Safety Rules

- use safety equipment (if not, leave the building) - work with a buddy - have a backup team, whenever possible - always have 2 ways to exit the fire area - look at the door (if air is being sucked under the door or smoke is coming, DO NOT TOUCH THE DOOR - feel closed doors with back of hand working from the bottom up (do NOT touch the handle before feeling the door) - confine the fire by closing doors - maintain a safe distance - never turn your back on a fire when backing out - overhaul the fire to be sure it is extinguished and stays that way

Additional Symbols in NFPA 704 Diamond

ACID: indicates material is acid ALKL indicates that material is a base COR: indicates material is corrosive (3 triangles): indicates material is radioactive

Common characteristics of dry chemical extinguishers:

Capacity: 10-20 second discharge time Range: 8-12ft Pressure: 175-250 psi

Classes of Fire

Class A: ordinary combustibles: (paper, cloth, wood, rubber, plastics) Class B: flammable liquids (oil, gasoline) only burn at the surface Class C Fire: energized electrical equipment ;(Wiring motors) Class D: Combustile metals (aluminum, magnesium, titanium) Class K: Cooking Oils (veggie, animal, fats)

Class C Fires: Electrical Equipment

EXTINGUISHING AGENT: CO2, Dry Chemical EXTINGUISHING METHOD: CO2: removes air, dry chemical: breaks chain reaction

Class B Fires: Flammable Liquids

EXTINGUISHING AGENT: Foam, CO2, Dry Chemical EXTINGUISHING METHOD: Foam: removes air, dry chemical breaks chain reaction

Class D Fires: Combustible Metals

EXTINGUISHING AGENT: Special Agents EXTINGUISHING METHOD: Usually remove air

Class K: Kitchen Oils

EXTINGUISHING AGENT: chemical EXTINGUISHING METHOD: usually remove air

Class A Fires: Ordinary Solid Materials

EXTINGUISHING AGENT: water, foam, dry chemical EXTINGUISHING METHOD: water removes heat, foam removes air and heat, dry chemical breaks chain reaction

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 704 Diamond Placard:

Found in places where hazardous material is stored. Numbers range from 1-4 (the higher the number, the higher the risk)

Components of a Portable Fire Extinguisher

Hose, Pressure Gauge, Carrying Handle and Trigger, Cylinder

It is EXTREMELY important to:

Identify the type of fuel feeding the fire in order to select proper method to extinguish it

LIES Method

Limit, Isolate, Eliminate, Separate

DOT Placard Warning

Orange: explosive (bombs) Red 2: flammable gas White 2: Inhalation Hazard Red 3: Flammable Red/White Striped: flammable solid Red/White 4: spontaneously combustible Blue: Dangerous when wet Yellow: oxidizer White 6: poison Yellow/White: radioactive Black/White: corrosive HEY DON LOOK AT THE ACTUAL MANUAL SO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE

PASS

Pull: test after pulling the pin Aim Squeeze Sweep be sure to aim at the base of the fire

NFPA 704 Diamond Colors

Red: describes flammability Blue: health hazard Yellow: reactivity White: special precautions

What is number one priority?

Rescuer safety

Circuit Box with Shutoff

Step 1: Shut off individual breakers Step 2: Shut off main breaker

Fuse Box with Shut off

Step 1: pull out individual fuses Step 2: Pull out main fuse

2 Symbols specified in National Fire Codes

W: indicates a material that displays unusual reactivity with water and should never be in contact with it (ex: magnesium metal) OX: indicates a material that possesses oxidizing properties (ex: ammonium nitrate) materials that are oxidizers increase the potential for explosions or fires

Always ____ when working with interior wet standpipes

Work in two person teams TEAM MEMBER 1: remove hose from the cabinet and make sure hose is free of bends TEAM MEMBER 2: after the go-ahead, open the water valve

CERT should consider placards as

a stop sign. When they see them, CERT members only duty is to evacuate person who are downwind to an uphill and upwind location

Carbon monoxide detectors should not:

be placed within 15 feet of heating or cooking appliances or in humid areas (note to test detector monthly)

Common characteristics of water extinguishers include

capacity: 2.5 gallons range: 30-40 ft pressure: 110 pounds

What extinguishers are becoming less common

carbon dioxide and other specialized extinguishers

Confinement

closing doors (interior and exterior) to prevent and restrict smoke and heat

Just because there are no placard...

do not assume there are no hazardous material present, treat any unknown situation as a hazardous materials incident

CERT Goal:

do the greatest good for the greatest number of people

most common chemical extinguishers

dry chemical extinguishers

You should not

enter a flooded basement or standing water to shut off electrical supply because water conducts electricity

Multipurpose dry chemical extinguishers

have a monoammonium phosphate base and are effect for Class A-C fires

Chemical extinguishers:

have a sodium bicarbonate base and are effective on class B and Class C fires

Note that some gas meters:

have automatic shutoff valves that restrict gas during an emergency, these are installed by a licensed plumber DOWNSTREAM OF THE UTILITY POINT OF DELIVERY (only a professional should restore it)

Gas meter inside the home

if gas meter is located inside your home, you should only shut off gas flow when instructed by local authorities (evacuate premise if the meter shows gas is flowing)

Keep in mind:

no placard is required for less than 1,000 of hazardous material

Any fire extinguisher that has been completely depleted

should be laid down and stored on their side so no attempt will be made to use them

If you extinguish the fire in 5 seconds, you should

stay and overhaul the fire: process of searching a fire scene for hidden fire sparks in an effort to prevent the fire form rekindling (COOL, SOAK, and SEPARATE)

To turn off a natural gas valve

use a non sparking wrench to turn the valve clockwise one quarter turn (note that natural gas valve should only be turned ON by a licensed technician)

Interior Wet Standpipes

usually in commercial and apartment buildings CONSISTS; of 100ft of 1.5 inch jacketed hose that have 125 gallons of water per minute

Gas meter outside the home:

you should turn off the meter from outside the building if you see dials on the meter showing gas is flowing - never enter the basement of a structure that is on fire to turn off any utility