# Fire Safety Training



## erosing (Feb 10, 2013)

Chaus's thread about the fire alarm, made me realize something. I haven't received formal fire safety training (as in, having the local fire dept. come for a day and running everyone through putting out a fire, using and carrying an extinguisher, and then actually putting out a real, but controlled, flame), in over 5 years. Which is what we did the second week of my stagecraft class in college, and I if I remember correctly we were told it was the University standard at the time to do it every two years. I've heard some colleagues occasionally mention that they had a sessions like this (both college and venues), but it hasn't actually come up anywhere I've been and I'm wondering if it's a thing of the past, or if we were just special and it's rare. And while I do remember what we went through (actually doing it is a really great teacher), it'd be nice to go at it again once and a while.


My question is, in two parts, if you have had similar training, how long ago was it and what did you do, and what was your situation (teacher, student, stagehand, manufacturing/dealer, other) when it happened?




*CYA, Get out of the building and call 911.


----------



## derekleffew (Feb 11, 2013)

The one and only time I've ever been instructed in fire extinguisher use on an intentionally set fire was in 1989, when I worked as a stage technician for Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.


----------



## ruinexplorer (Feb 11, 2013)

We have an annual online course and then a practical that is timed. Last year I was able to put out the fire in 2.8 seconds, the fastest on the crew. We also review fall protection and blood borne pathogens.


----------



## Chris15 (Feb 11, 2013)

ruinexplorer said:


> a practical that is timed. Last year I was able to put out the fire in 2.8 seconds, the fastest on the crew.



Out of curiosity, what sort of extinguisher are you using in this and what sort of fire?


----------



## LavaASU (Feb 11, 2013)

We take an in-person class the first time and online refreshers yearly after. No hands on though (which I wish they'd do for all of us on fire watch at least).


----------



## ruinexplorer (Feb 11, 2013)

Chris15 said:


> Out of curiosity, what sort of extinguisher are you using in this and what sort of fire?



It is a natural gas fire. It is a fire simulator that I believe is to represent a small office fire in a trash can. We use an A type extinguisher (pressurized water) so that they are easily able to refill with both water and pressure on site. From what I understand, it can be particularly realistic since some people take as much as 10 times as long to put out. It will also self extinguish if it has continued past a certain point (somewhere around 45 seconds), giving you a failing grade on your practical. I just finished my online portion last week and will be doing the practical next month. I can ask about the details if you are interested.

My employer also has us take the OSHA 10-hour course. Supervisors go to the longer OSHA course (I think it is the 30 hour?). Two weeks ago, I also took the NFPA 70e safety course. I have to admit, I like getting all of the training. Their philosophy is that it is much less expensive to properly train their employees than it is to pay for mistakes/injuries.


----------



## gafftaper (Feb 11, 2013)

ruinexplorer said:


> It is a natural gas fire. It is a fire simulator that I believe is to represent a small office fire in a trash can. We use an A type extinguisher (pressurized water) so that they are easily able to refill with both water and pressure on site. From what I understand, it can be particularly realistic since some people take as much as 10 times as long to put out. It will also self extinguish if it has continued past a certain point (somewhere around 45 seconds), giving you a failing grade on your practical. I just finished my online portion last week and will be doing the practical next month. I can ask about the details if you are interested.



Is this course something done by your employer or do they bring in an outside training program to do the training and testing. If it's an outside company, post a name. There may be people who want to do similar fire safety training at their venue. 


Random side note: They have a fire training center in Juneau Alaska that includes a special marine fire simulator. It's three stories of simulator designed to simulate fires inside a cruise ship. When cruise ships are in town, they always send part of their crew out to the fire simulator. They get training and then go into the simulator and put out real fires inside a real looking cruise ship. It's really cool.


----------



## techieman33 (Feb 12, 2013)

We had course a couple of years ago. The company that maintains all of the fire extinguishers in the building has an instructor on staff. He gave a 30 minute or so talk on various fires and what to do in those situations. Then we went outside for the practical part. He had a 2'x2' metal pan and poured a little gas in it, threw in a match and we each took turns extinguishing the flame with an ABC extinguisher since that is what we mainly have in our building. At that point he also talked us through using an A type since there is one of them on the city's side of the building.


----------



## Chris15 (Feb 12, 2013)

Interesting given water is not really the right extinguishant to be used on a flammable liquid or gas fire, and frankly has almost no place on a stage where you can't afford the risks of a conductive extinugishant in a panic situation...

The reason I note this is that different extinguishants require different techniques to get the most out of them because they attack fires in different ways...


----------



## JChenault (Feb 12, 2013)

When I used to teach ( back in the stone ages. Ie pre DMX). I talked to the safety officer on campus and he was delighted to do a show and tell for my Technical TAs We also went outside and put out fires with a powder extinguisher.

Not only was it great fun, it showed him that we were serious about fire and safety. In one case he let me build a set which blocked the fire curtain by making the blocking piece collapsible. I doubt he would have let me if I had not developed that relationship.


----------



## ruinexplorer (Feb 12, 2013)

Chris15 said:


> Interesting given water is not really the right extinguishant to be used on a flammable liquid or gas fire, and frankly has almost no place on a stage where you can't afford the risks of a conductive extinugishant in a panic situation...
> 
> The reason I note this is that different extinguishants require different techniques to get the most out of them because they attack fires in different ways...



As a part of the classroom (online) portion of the training, all types of extinguishers are covered as well as the types of fires. This is absolutely essential to anyone who chooses to fight a fire. In addition, the course gives you guidelines on how to make a decision to fight or flee a fire. I will post the link to the website that covers our OHSA training (including fire extinguishers), but the practical is covered by the company (sent people to be trained expressly for this). However, I am certain that most metropolitan areas have a company who could provide the service.

FYI, Class B is the type of extinguisher you would need for flammable liquids.


----------



## Chris15 (Feb 12, 2013)

International Alert!
Fire classification is not globally harmonised, so be sure to check the classifications appropriate to your locale before you need to work out how to fight a fire in front of you...

If you don't know how to use a fire extinguisher, then in the event of a fire, the most valuable thing to use it for is to smash any window that will allow you safe egress, seriously. Get everyone out and leave the fire to someone who knows how to fight it.

Hang on, isn't a water extinguisher specifically NOT to be used on a flammable liquid / gas fire???


----------



## ruinexplorer (Feb 12, 2013)

> The US system designates all [flammable or combustible liquid or gas] such fires "Class B". In the European/Australian system, flammable liquids are designated "Class B", while burning gases are separately designated "Class C". These fires follow the same basic fire tetrahedron (heat, fuel, oxygen, chemical reaction) as ordinary combustible fires, except that the fuel in question is a flammable liquid such as gasoline, or gas such as natural gas. A solid stream of water should never be used to extinguish this type because it can cause the fuel to scatter, spreading the flames.


 From Fire classes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the case of the trainer unit that we use, this is still a controlled flame. The unit does not have liquid propane, which could spread with the use of water, and is designed in such a way as to mimic a Class A fire.

> "Ordinary combustible" fires are the most common type of fire, and are designated Class A under both systems. These occur when a solid, organic material such as wood, cloth, rubber, or some plastics[1] become heated to their ignition point. At this point the material undergoes combustion and will continue burning as long as the four components of the fire tetrahedron (heat, fuel, oxygen, and the sustaining chemical reaction) are available.


 In this way, the Class A fire extinguisher is cooling the point of ignition, removing the heat factor necessary to sustain the chemical reaction known as fire. In reality, I would not use this type of extinguisher, nor do we have any (that I am aware of) Class A only extinguishers in the building. As recommended by NFPA, all extinguishers located around the facility are chosen to fight fires that are most likely to be common in that environment. For instance, both the extinguishers located near my work station and my projectors are rated for Class A, B, and C fires (Ordinary Combustibles, Flammable Liquids, and Electrical). This is espcially important since there are different sources of fires in my work area (less so at my normal work station).


----------



## Jojomonkeyking (Feb 14, 2013)

At my place of summer employment for the past 4 years they get the local fire department to come in and do training for the whole production and administration departments which involve a little classroom section and then using a extinguisher to put out a contained gas fire. No one is excused from the training, from the production manager who has been with the company for over 20 years down to the part time local facility maintenance workers.

I'm trying to get something like that setup in my academic work place now... but money is an apparent issue for safety training.


----------



## ruinexplorer (Feb 14, 2013)

For our practical testing, we use a unit similar to this.

> ■Use Water, Dry Chemical, Foam, or C02 Extinguishers


Our online training is organized through a corporate partnership which I cannot share, sorry.


----------



## Robert (Feb 15, 2013)

Im 30 years of work, I have had fire training once. That was when I worked on a cruise line. We had a 4 x 6 fire pit of fuel oil to put out with a 20lb CO2 extinguisher. We also had to fill and use a 2 1/2" hose and do a target practice. If training is not provided, the best next thing is to have a fire plan and practice it. Our plan is to 
1. Pass the alarm. 
2. Notify authorities. 
3. Meet in a designated location and take a roll call. 
4. Report to authorities and note any missing and the location of emergency assistance areas for those not able to exit the building on thier own. 
We do this ever year and I do a tour of the building with an assistant every year checking every room and exit. For show venues, I check this every week during production and check every extinguisher and exit light.
You should have a plan.


----------



## Footer (Feb 15, 2013)

We do a yearly with all staff and our ushers. All 150 volunteer ushers are required to go through the evac portion of the training along with a lecture on how fire in theaters occur and kill. This is all done by our on campus fire Marshall. 

Anyone else train ushers? 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD


----------



## MrsFooter (Feb 16, 2013)

Footer said:


> We do a yearly with all staff and our ushers. All 150 volunteer ushers are required to go through the evac portion of the training along with a lecture on how fire in theaters occur and kill. This is all done by our on campus fire Marshall.
> 
> Anyone else train ushers?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD



And yet, it took me working here for almost three years before I realized that I had any responsibility during an evacuation other than getting my own hide out of the building. So I'd use the term "training" very loosely. 

Though I have been shown the video of the Station fire about five times now.


----------



## techieman33 (Feb 16, 2013)

Footer said:


> We do a yearly with all staff and our ushers. All 150 volunteer ushers are required to go through the evac portion of the training along with a lecture on how fire in theaters occur and kill. This is all done by our on campus fire Marshall.
> 
> Anyone else train ushers?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD



Our volunteer ushers were given the option of attending the training, it wasn't mandatory.


----------

