FIRE EXTINGUISHER CLASSIFICATIONS

Watch, and read the transcript below:

 

 


Transcript:

 

In this tutorial, we will explore the foremost common classifications of fire extinguishers.

The first, and most common type of extinguisher is used for a Class A fire. These are fires fueled by ordinary combustible materials such as paper, wood, carbon, most plastics. The Class A fire extinguisher uses the water to smother the fire.

Class B fires are fueled by flammable liquids such as gasoline, kerosene, grease, and oil. Remember this classification extinguisher – think « B » for Boil, or oil. Class B extinguishers typically use liquid foam agent to smother the fire. You never want to use water on a Class B fire, as the water can cause the flammable liquids to spread like we accidentally drip water on a frying pan, and the grease pops, and in boiling liquid into the air.

Class C fires are fueled by electrical current traveling to wires, circuits, and outlets. Class C extinguishers most commonly use a dry chemical powder to smother the fire. In more sensitive environments such as a recording studio, a Class C extinguisher may use a halon gas that does not leave a residue. These are often referred to as clean agents. You would also never want to use water on a Class C fire for obvious reasons.

Most household extinguishers are a combination of Class A, B, and C ratings. These extinguishers can be used on ordinary combustible fires, liquid fires, and electrical fires.

The last of the four common classifications of fire is the Class D fire. The Class D fires fueled by combustible metals such as magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Class D fire extinguishers are used exclusively for Class D fires, and use materials such as sand, and dry chemical powders to smother the fire.

 

Special thanks to RVTCDEN who shared this video on Youtube.

 

And… Thank you Vince for your help! 😉

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FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR ACCIDENT FALLOUT

Firefighters, as well as military personnel might be involved in a CRO (Crisis Response Operation – WARNING as this acronym has many other meanings in the military).

To whom it may concern, a short vocabulary review could be useful in case of (let’s hope you won’t deal with it) either natural disasters or a nuclear powerplant accident.

For instance:

  • « Fallout » is used in the headline above, and it means « consequences » but it also means « fallout » like in « radioactive/radiological fallout » (retombees radioactives/radiologiques)
  • NRBC (Nuclear, Radiological, Biological, and Chemical) or CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear)
  • Meltdown scenario = scenario de fusion du coeur du reacteur
  • Plume of smoke = Panache de fumee
  • Tidal wave, tsunami = Tsunami
  • Earthquake, quake = Tremblement de terre
  • Tremor = Secousse, replique
  • Shake, shaking = Secousse
  • Mud slide (prononcez [meud slaïd])/Land slide = Coulee de boue/Glissement de terrain
  • Flood/Flooding (prononcez [fleud] ou [fleuding]) = innondation
  • Fire/Arson = Incendie/Incendie criminel

…and so on. Watch, and listen carefully to this PBS News-Hour video:

  

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JUMBO JET EMERGENCY LANDING

The incident happened at Dallas Airport on Sunday 24 July 2011. An American Airlines Boeing 777-200 apparently had an engine fire just after takeoff, and was forced to make a U-turn and dump fuel before performing an emergency landing. You can hear the pilot’s voice in the video hereafter as well as a part of the transcript:

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Australian Zeppelin crash

It happened over a field of Reichelsheim, near Frankfurt, Germany yesterday evening, June 13, 2011.

The Australian pilot died in the crash of the Goodyear blimp. The Zeppelin’s captain managed to save the lives of the 3 passengers when he heard a loud noise from an engine, and as it smelled gasoline, he urged the passengers to jump out at only 6 foot above the ground. The aircraft then dashed 50 meters higher. It blew out, before diving in flames. Video:

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Flight safety in question after guilty verdict in Concorde crash

On 6 December 2010, Continental Airlines was found criminally responsible for the disaster by a Parisian court and was fined € 200,000 and ordered to pay Air France € 1 million. Continental mechanic John Taylor was given a 15-month suspended sentence, while another airline operative and three French officials were cleared of all charges. The court ruled that the crash resulted from a piece of metal from a Continental jet that was left on the runway; the object punctured a tyre on the Concorde and then ruptured a fuel tank. Another Continental employee, Stanley Ford, was found not guilty. Continental’s lawyer, Olivier Metzner, said it would appeal the verdict.

The court also ruled that Continental would have to pay 70% of any compensation claims. As Air France has paid out € 100 million to the families of the victims, Continental could be made to pay its share of that compensation payout. Source – Wikipedia

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