KEEP A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AT HOME
THE hot season is fast approaching. During this season, we experience a high rate of fire incidents. The supply of water, which is the major medium used to fight fire at home, is very poor in the hot season. This makes firefighting very difficult. Hence, having a fire extinguisher at home is essential.
It’s rare to find a house in Zambia installed with a fire extinguisher. This forces me to ask myself many questions such as, “why haven’t we developed a habit of owning fire extinguishers in our houses?” Are we waiting for the government to buy and distribute fire extinguishers for free?” Perhaps let me make it personal, “why don’t you own a fire extinguisher in your house?”
Answers to these questions will differ from person to person. Some people will say that they have never thought of it because they think a fire extinguisher is not necessary at home.
Such people have unconsciously concluded that fire extinguishers are needed in companies, not homes. They assume that only companies must own fire extinguishers.
If this is the reason why you do not own a fire extinguisher, I want to challenge you that it is not a valid reason. A fire extinguisher is needed in everyplace where fire is likely to occur. Your home is not an exception. How many houses have we seen being reported in the media as having been gutted to ashes? Since houses can be gutted by fire, they must be installed with a suitable fire extinguisher.
Some people may respond to the earlier questions by saying that fire extinguishers are expensive. If this is your reason for not owning a fire extinguisher at home, I want to challenge you that it is not a genuine one.
There are different types of fire extinguishers on the market. They come in different sizes and prices. There is always something to fit in your budget. Some cellphones are more expensive than fire extinguishers!
If you want to know that fire extinguishers are not expensive, you should think of what you can lose because of not having a fire extinguisher. This way you will realise that a fire extinguisher is worth your investment.
Other people may respond that they do not own a fire extinguisher because they feel that owning a fire extinguisher is complicated and that it is difficult to operate. This reason, too, does not hold water.
Owning a fire extinguisher is as simple as owning a mobile phone. You don’t need to apply for a permit from any authority. You can wake up today, walk into a hardware shop and buy one. It’s that simple! You do not need to be a firefighter to operate a fire extinguisher.
If you know how to spray perfume on yourself, then you can operate the fire extinguisher because the principles are the same. Of course, you will need guidance in choosing a right fire extinguisher and how to operate it correctly.
Our attitude towards fire extinguishers is quite poor in our nation. People buy fire extinguishers simply because they are compelled by law. As a result they will buy the smallest and cheapest fire extinguisher available to satisfy law enforcers.
You find a big vehicle has the smallest possible fire extinguisher.
Most motorists carry fire extinguishers to simply impress Road Traffic and Safety Agency (RTSA) officers. They don’t consider the size of the vehicle or the type of fire that can occur when choosing the fire extinguisher.
In situations where there is no law or where the law is not enforced, people rarely acquire fire extinguishers. For instance, very few homes in Zambia, if any, have fire extinguishers. People build huge mansions furnished with all kinds of expensive household assets. These houses have everything inside except a fire extinguisher.
When fire attacks, the house with its goods worth millions of Kwacha is reduced to ashes by fire which could have been controlled easily by a fire extinguisher.
Churches also rarely have fire extinguishers in place despite having massive electrical musical instruments. These musical instruments and other electrical installations at church pose a risk of electrical fire. You can’t put out electrical fire with water.
Most companies install basic fire extinguishers to just get away with the law. They locate these few fire extinguishers in places that are visible to law enforcers such as at reception. Yet these companies do not take time to train receptionists how to operate the fire extinguisher should a fire occur.
So of what use is a fire extinguisher at reception when the receptionist doesn’t know how to operate it? Such companies are more concerned about keeping up an appearance as if they are concerned about fire safety when in actual sense they are not. When fire attacks, it’s not the law enforcer who will lose. It is you and me who will bear the consequences of our negligence.
Most companies have a tendency of having fire safety systems and procedures which are non-functional. You will find that companies including banks, hospitals and schools have fire extinguishers dotted around their buildings but workers found in those workplaces are not trained in how to operate them.
When fire attacks in such places, workers run away. Some workers pass fire extinguishers without noticing them due to fear and panic. Some workers are so afraid of a fire extinguisher thinking that it can also burn! Some companies even go an extra mile of writing down an emergency procedure but fail to train workers on how to follow the procedure during an emergency.
When fire attacks, workers run in all directions. They even fail to locate the fire assembly points. Some workers don’t even know the importance of the fire assembly point. Do not just be concerned about what would happen when the law enforcer visits but be concerned also about what would happen when fire visits you.
In fact, if you do a good job in preparing for the unwanted visit by fire, the unwanted visit by a law enforcer will not scare you. Strive to keep fire away and when it attacks, be prepared to fight back with a fire extinguisher.
You must possess a fire extinguisher especially at home. But having a fire extinguisher is not enough. The fire extinguisher does not put out fire on its own. It has to be used by a trained person. Just because you have a fire extinguisher in your vehicle does not mean your vehicle will not be burnt.
A fire extinguisher does not “scare away” fire. The fire extinguisher does not prevent fire from occurring but it prevents fire from worsening. A fire extinguisher is not a fire-preventing tool but a firefighting tool.
Go beyond owning a fire extinguisher. Learn how to use it. The day of fire is not the best time to buy a fire extinguisher because by the time you reach the shop and return, your company or home or car will be in ashes.
It’s not even the best time to learn how to use it.
Don’t wait for fire to strike your home for you to know that you need a fire extinguisher. Do not entirely rely on the fire brigade for fire you can easily control. By the time firemen arrive at your place, it might be too late. Invest in owning fire extinguishers at your workplace, at home and at church. A fire extinguisher is good for your own safety.
You should know the limitations of fire extinguishers. Know when to simply evacuate the building. When you are not trained in how to use fire extinguishers, simply evacuate safely. You need proper training for you to know how to operate a fire extinguisher correctly.
You should also evacuate if the fire extinguisher fails to work or if you fail to operate it. If the fire is spreading too fast or has spread too widely, simply evacuate. The amount of extinguishing agent in the fire extinguisher is limited. It can only put out a certain size of fire. Therefore if fire has spread widely, the extinguishing agent may not be adequate.
Even if you attempt to fight fire, you will run out of the extinguishing agent before fire goes out. If the fire extinguisher has become empty after running out of the extinguishing agent and yet the fire is still burning, simply evacuate or get another fire extinguisher.
If the fire extinguisher is not the right one for the type of fire burning, simply evacuate. Most importantly if, for whatever reasons, your instincts tell you not to fight fire, simply evacuate.
As you evacuate, remember to close doors behind you. Open doors allow more oxygen to enter the room which will promote fire to burn even more.
Fire protection is very important to any home especially with the current unpredictable power interruptions. Fire can reduce the entire house to ashes in a matter of minutes.
There is nothing more painful than to see your investment which took you many years to acquire being reduced to ashes in seconds.
All fires start small before they become big and uncontrollable. Therefore, if you can detect fire early while it is still small, a fire extinguisher is a useful tool that can save you a huge loss. Fire will not only leave your property in ashes, it will leave you in tears as well.
Before you cry, try owning a fire extinguisher. Unlike a gun, you don’t need to obtain a permit to own a fire extinguisher. A fire extinguisher is the “gun” for fighting fire. Own one today.
Feel free to contact me if you need free guidance on how to choose a suitable fire extinguisher and where to install it in your house.
Do not wait until the government introduces the law for all homes to own a fire extinguisher to know that you need one.
On your own, simply buy a fire extinguisher. This year, we will discuss fire safety quite often because the rate of fire incidences in our country is alarming. Follow me. Until next week, stay safe. Zambia needs you.
*The author is the CEO of SafetyFocus, a safety company committed to providing safety training and consultancy. For your comments, contact the author on cell +260 975 255770 or email: marksucceed@ gmail.com