1. Keep a fire extinguisher in your home and car, and read the directions.
2. Dial 911 before attempting to attack the fire yourself, no matter how small the fire seems.
3. Remember that lives are much more valuable than property. If you're out of the building, STAY OUT! Visit our Planned Escape from a Fire page for further information.
4. Don't smoke in bed.
5. Don't leave your cigarettes or other lit smoking materials unattended.
6. Keep ashtrays away from curtains, upholstered furniture, and other combustibles.
7. Always look for the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM) labels when purchasing appliances, storage containers or electrical accessories.
8. Remember that smoke, heat and toxic gases from fires can kill you long before flames get to your part of the structure. KEEP LOW when evacuating.

9. IS YOUR NUMBER UP? 

   Do you have a number on the front of your house? Can the number be seen easily from the street during the day and night? This is very important in case the police, the driver of a fire truck or ambulance needs to find your house quickly. House numbers can be purchased at a low cost from a hardware store.

How Fires Start
Fire is a chemical reaction involving rapid oxidation or burning of a fuel. It needs three elements to occur:

	FUEL - Fuel can be any combustible material - solid, liquid or gas. Most solids and liquids become a vapor or gas before they will burn.
	OXYGEN - The air we breathe is about 21 percent oxygen. fire only needs an atmosphere with at least 16 percent oxygen.
	HEAT - Heat is the energy necessary to increase the temperature of the fuel to a point where sufficient vapors are given off for ignition to occur.

CHEMICAL REACTION - A chain reaction can occur when the three elements of fire are present in the proper conditions and proportions. Fire occurs when this rapid oxidation, or burning takes place.



Take any one of these factors away, and the fire cannot occur or will be extinguished if it was already burning.
 

• Fire Extinguishers

  Portable extinguishers are classified according to their capacity for handling specific types of fires. Fire extinguishers must be readily accessible, properly maintained, regularly inspected and promptly refilled after use.

Class "A" Extinguishers For fires in ordinary combustible materials such as wood, paper and textiles where a quenching, cooling effect is required.
Class "B" Extinguishers For flammable liquid and gas fires, such as oil, gasoline, paint and grease where oxygen exclusion or flame interruption is essential.
Class "C" Extinguishers For fires involving electrical wiring and equipment where the non-conductivity of the extinguishing agent is essential. This type of extinguisher should be present wherever functional testing and system energizing takes place.

For additional fire safety information please visit the Center For Disease Control Fire Safety Page

Sound Beach Fire Department
Copyright © 2004 by S.B.F.D. All rights reserved.
Revised: 07/05/05 16:57:31 -0500.

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