A History of Saving Lives and Property

            The very first recorded fire extinguisher patent was done in 723 England. Chemist Ambrose Godfrey ingeniously used small concentrated portions of gun powder strategically located inside a cask of fire-extinguishing liquid. The gunpowder is connected via series of fuses. One has to simply light the fuse and leave. Once the gunpowder explodes, it scatters the fire-extinguishing liquid all across the area and extinguishing any flame it reaches. This ingenuity was effective to some extent, since it posed a lot of limitations. The cask had to be set at an area where fire is all around, lit, and left to explode. This caused worries to “fire fighters” since they’d have to be where the fire is to properly set it. Next is they tried lighting it outside and throwing the cask into the flames. It sometimes worked, but oftentimes broke into pieces after hitting the floor. It was fairly effective on small fires but didn’t do that much with medium to huge fires.

The modern fire extinguisher developed by British Captain George William Manby in 1818 was composed of 3 gallons of pearl ash solution contained in a copper vessel with compressed air. Continuous development of the fire extinguisher saw it move from a simple one and into dry powder fire extinguishers. Dry powder fire extinguishers make use of powder chemicals that get sprayed at high velocities via air pressure. This type of fire extinguisher is suitable for various situations since it blankets the fire, immediately cutting off oxygen supply. This can also be used when dealing with fires caused by flammable liquids such as gasoline and oil. One major setback on this type of fire extinguisher is that it leaves a lot of residue. Well, it is better to clean up residue from a dry powder fire extinguisher than sweep the ashes from a burned house. To those who would want fewer residues, they can always opt for water fire extinguishers or CO2.

People may be wondering why CO2 is used. The major qualm about this is it may contribute further to global warming. However, it is not every minute that a fire happens in every establishment so CO2-based extinguishers are used only when needed. Fire extinguisher providers such as essential fire safety , recommend CO2 when dealing with fires caused by faulty electrical equipment. CO2, when dispersed at high speeds, immediately cools the air around it as well as anything it touches. It gets rid of the oxygen in the fire therefore smothering it with carbon. Since CO2 is cold, CO2 fire extinguishers also cool the burning equipment therefore preventing from further heat build-up and stop it from reaching its melting point. Words of caution though; never place your hand on the delivery nozzle lest you experience frostbite!

CO2 is not that dangerous after all. Plants need this for survival since they can break it down and release oxygen. It is a compound that helps save lives in times of need. What is dangerous is Carbon Monoxide (CO). Carbon Monoxide is an odorless gas that can prove fatal when inhaled in medium to large quantities. A small amount of carbon monoxide can already cause dizziness, headaches, and nausea. Wonder why, people lose consciousness when there’s a fire going on at their area? Fire can actually cause smoke that is abundant in Carbon Monoxide, say a fire through a clogged chimney or faulty gas appliances. Since this is an odorless gas, people would not notice it. All they smell is smoke but they pass out quickly even if the smoke has not smothered them completely. Exhaust from a running vehicle is mostly composed of carbon monoxide as well.

So how can we be safe from such incidents? Aside from regularly checking your place from possible fire hazards, installing a Carbon Monoxide Alarm is advisable. Thanks to modern technology, carbon monoxide alarms are highly sensitive to carbon monoxide levels in the air. It will clearly give an audible sound even before carbon monoxide levels reach a potential harmful state, giving ample time for everyone to clear out and reach safety. It will also give firefighters an idea of what to look out for when they enter the premises.

What if you’re just a simple passerby that got reeled into an emergency fire situation? Most people have the instinct to either panic or look for help. A lot of brave souls have risked their lives and skin to help put out a raging fire. If you happen to be in this kind of situation and you see yourself rushing in to help, what would your first thoughts be? Would you rush to the nearest faucet and start throwing water into the fire? Would you survey the area for injured individuals and look for possible fire escape routes? Such thoughts can swirl through your brain as adrenaline rushes all over your body to give you a boost of energy. One possible thing to look for in this situation is a sign that might indicate a cabinet that’s holding fire fighting equipment. This is surely the best place to look for helpful things when there is fire.

Although most fire extinguishers that we are familiar with come in cylinders or canisters, there are also fire extinguishers that have been embedded into the wall. Take a building for example. Try to roam around. You will notice different signs showing where the nearest fire exit is or where the fire extinguishers are. You might also notice special glass-covered cabinets that have been set into walls. These cabinets can either contain canisters of fire extinguishers or a water hose. If a cabinet has a water hose, one end would be connected to a water pipe, where water is controlled by a valve and the other end of the hose would have a nozzle to concentrate the water stream into the fire. This is a fire safety standard that almost all buildings, warehouses, and factories must have lest they get penalized for violating the fire safety code. These water hoses require at least two people to operate. One person pulls the water hose out of the cabinet and goes toward the fire while the other turns the valve to release water. Some office floors make use of automatic fire extinguishers that needs only one person to operate. He just stretches the hose out and turns the nozzle to release pressurized water. Such equipment has been made possible by the never ending need to improve safety.