BASIC

FIREFIGHTING
 DID YOU KNOW THAT FOR CY 2011…
… a total of 3,658 fire incidents occurred throughout the
Philippines?
… the two leading causes of fire are due to electrical and
open flame/cooking?
3% 2%
17% 1%
2%

36%

13%

29%

Electrical Combined Heat

Open Flames/Cooking Cigarette Butts
Fireworks Flammable Liquids
LPG Tanks Unknown
 DID YOU KNOW THAT FOR CY 2010…
… more than two-thirds of these fire incidents or
4,396 have been accidental in nature?

28%

69%

3%
Intentional
Accidental
Under Investigation
 DID YOU KNOW THAT FOR CY 2010…

… most of these fire transpired in residential

houses and structural buildings?

31%

5%

22%

42%
Structural Vehicular/Ship
Forest/Grass Others
DID YOU KNOW THAT FOR CY 2010..

… 241 civilians have died while

86 firefighters and 420 civilians were
injured due to these fires?
… for the past 9 months, a total of
P3,187,290,444.68 was the estimated
damages?

SOURCE:
Fire Safety Enforcement Division (FSED)
Bureau of Fire Protection-National Office
as of 31 December 2011
What is fire?
 FIRE

is a chemical reaction.

It is a combination of
burnable materials or fuel
with heat and oxygen.
  A fire will double every 30 Seconds under normal
conditions.

 In as little as 3 minutes, a small fire can erupt into a

“FLASHOVER”.

 A small fire can produce enough smoke to fill a

building in minutes.

 Smoke results in:

 Teared eyes
 Choking sensation
 Impaired judgment due to Carbon Monoxide
(CO)
 Sedation effect - Respiratory failure
 Within minutes, air temperature in a burning room can
reach 300 degrees Celsius. This temperature is hot enough
to melt clothes, skin and scorch your lungs in one breathe.

 Temperatures can climb to between 650-760 degrees

Celsius.

 Most people who die in fires, die from breathing

smoke and toxic gases.

 Carbon Oxide, Hydrogen Cyanide, Ammonia and

hundreds of other irritants attack your eyes, nose,
throat and lungs.
CLASSIFICATION OF FIRE

 CLASS A
 CLASS B
 CLASS C
 CLASS D
 CLASS K
 CLASS A FIRES

Defined as fires involving ordinary

combustible materials, such as wood,
cloth, paper, and other solid burnable
fuel
 CLASS B FIRES

Defined as fires involving flammable

petroleum products such as gasoline,
kerosene, diesel, and other flammable
liquids.
 CLASS C FIRES

Defined as fires involving electrical

equipment, appliances, etc.
 CLASS D FIRES

Defined as fires involving combustible

metals such as titanium, zirconium,
sodium, and potassium.
 CLASS K FIRES

 Recently recognized by NFPA 10.

 Fires involving combustible vegetable or animal
non-saturated cooking fats in commercial
cooking equipment.
CLASSES OF FIRE SYMBOL

 A – Ordinary combustible
 B - Flammable liquids
 C - Electrical equipments
 D – Combustible metals
 K - Vegetable, animal cooking fats
THE FIRE TRIANGLE
ELEMENTS OF THE FIRE TRIANGLE

EN
G
XY
O
ELEMENT OF THE FIRE TRIANGLE

N
GE

HE
AT
Y
OX
 THE FIRE TRIANGLE

HE
EN

AT
YG
OX

BURNABLE MATERIALS
 1. OXYGEN

Makes up 21% of normal air and for this

reason, the term ‘’air’’ is often used in place of
oxygen. The availability of oxygen in the air
permits materials to burn and when air is
reduced sufficiently, burning ceases. The
excluding of oxygen from the fire triangle is
one of the fundamental principle in the
extinguishment
 2. HEAT
It is a form of energy, if sufficiently
intense, will ignite a combustible
material. Various fuels that are
normally in the solid or liquid state will
remain in their respective conditions
until their temperatures are raised to a
point where flammable vapors are
given off.
 3. FUEL
– IT EXIST IN THE FOLLOWING FORMS
• SOLIDS : wood, paper, coal, cloth, wax,
grease, leather, plastic, grain, hay, cork and
others

• LIQUIDS : gasoline, kerosene, turpentine,

alcohol, paints, varnish, lacquer, olive oil, and
others.
• GASES : propane, butane, hydrogen,
acetylene, carbon dioxide, and other
flammable gases.

From a fire protection standpoint, anything

that will burn is FUEL.
 METHODS OF PUTTING OFF
FIRE

 STARVATION
 SMOOTHERING
 COOLING
 INHIBITION OF CHEMICAL CHAIN
REACTION
STARVATION

EN

HE
YG

TA
OX
Taking out of
fuel from the
fire triangle.
 SMOTHERING
Taking out of oxygen

HE
AT
from the fire triangle.
FUEL
Another term used in
this procedure is
blanketing.
 COOLING

N
GE
Y
Removing heat from

OX
the fire triangle. FUEL
CHEMICAL CHAIN
REACTION

(O
)
re

x id
tu
ra

izi
OX
T
pe

ng
EA
m

YG

ag
(te

en
CHEMICAL

EN

t)
CHAIN

REACTION
FUEL
(Reducing agent)
INHIBITION OF CHEMICAL
CHAIN REACTION

(O
)
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tu
ra

izi
OX
T
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EA
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H
CHEMICAL

en
EN

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CHAIN

REACTION
FUEL
(Reducing agent)
 The fire safety plan is a very
important part of the overall fire
and life safety program within
the building.
Its purpose is to prevent
potential injuries and deaths and
to protect your residential and/or
company from damage or loss
due to fire.
  PLAN YOUR ESCAPE
  If there’s a fire, you have to get out fast,
so be prepared. Draw a floor plan each of
your room. Go over the plan with your
household so that everyone knows how to
escape if there's a fire, then physically walk
through each escape route. Decide on an
outside meeting place in front of your home
where everyone will meet after they've
escaped. Practice your escape plan by holding
a fire drill once a year.
 The first line of defense against fire is
to prevent it in the first place. It is the
responsibility of all employees to prevent
fires.
All employees should be appraised of
the potential fire hazards in their work area
and they should be trained in safe work
procedures and practices.
Employees are expected to follow
proper procedures to prevent fires and to
notify their supervisor or other
management personnel if they observe any
condition that could lead to the ignition of a
fire or could increase the spread of a fire.
BUILDING FIRE EXITS:
Each area of the building shall
have at least two means of escape
remote from each other that are to
be used in a fire emergency. The
location of exits and the path of
egress should be shown on maps
posted throughout the building.
Fire exit doors must not be
blocked or locked to prevent
emergency use when employees
are within the building.
Exit routes from the building
must be clear and free of
obstructions. All exits are marked
with signs designating exits from
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS:
  Every area in the building should have a
full complement of the proper type of fire
extinguisher for the fire hazards present.
The fire extinguishers should be
inspected annually by a fire protection
equipment company and tagged with the
date of inspection. If a fire extinguisher is
used or discharged for any reason, it must be
removed from service and replaced with
another properly charged extinguisher while
it is being recharged.
   SMOKE ALARMS
  Smoke alarms save lives by warning
you about a fire while there's time to
escape. Install alarms on every floor of
your home, including the basement, and
outside each sleeping area - inside as
well, if you sleep with the door closed -
and test them once a month. Smoke
alarms lose their sensitivity over time.
   AUTOMATIC
Replace alarms 10 or HOME FIRE
more years old. SPRINKLER
SYSTEM
Consider installing an automatic home fire
sprinkler system in your home. Sprinklers can
contain and even extinguish a home fire in less
time than it takes the fire department to arrive.
EMPLOYEE TRAINING:
All new employees
should receive fire prevention
and emergency evacuation
training when they are hired.
All employees should receive
a refresher training and a
review of this plan on an
annual basis.
Fire drills, to include a
practice evacuation of the
building should be conducted
at least annually. These drills
will be used to evaluate
employee response and
behavior and will help us
determine where more
 If a fire starts in your
home you will be
scared, but try very hard
to stay calm.
Having a Fire Escape
Plan, so you know what
to do if there is a fire,
that could save your life.
 FIRE PLAN PART 1
If you are woken up by the sound of your smoke alarm or by the
sound of what you think is a fire, remember:

 Stay calm. Wake up all the members of your family.

ð Make your way out together, through the nearest exit.
ð Do not open any doors other than the ones you need to
escape through.
ð If a door feels hot, DO NOT open it.
ð When everyone is safely outside call the Fire Station from a
telephone or a cellphone.
ð DO NOT GO BACK TO THE HOUSE for any reason until the
Fire Service tells you it is safe to return.
If the fire is blocking your way or you cannot use the stairs for any
reason, you must use the second part of your Fire Escape Plan.
 FIRE PLAN PART 2
In fires, there is sometimes a lot of smoke. This can kill you. If
you have to go through a smoke - filled hallway or room, get
down on your hands and knees and crawl under it.
ð Get all the family into a room from where it would be
safest to drop from a window, onto a flat roof or into the garden.
ð ALWAYS pass children down first. Never leave children
until last.
ð   Remember – never jump!
ð   Lower yourself to arms length and then drop.
ð   When everyone is out safely, find a telephone and dial
035- 4238316.
 If you are trapped by smoke and cannot escape through a
window, use part three of your Fire Escape Plan.
 FIRE PLAN PART 3
If you are trapped in a room by smoke or fire, you need to try to
stop smoke getting into the room.
ð Close the door.
ð Block any gaps into the room. Use towels, blankets or spare
clothes.
ð If there is a telephone in the room dial fire hotline.
ð If there is no telephone, go to the window and shout for
help.
ð Once you know you have been heard and help is on the way,
stay near to the floor by the window. Smoke and heat rise
so you are safer near to the ground.
If your windows are double glazed, use a heavy object and hit the
window in a bottom corner. Make any jagged edges safe with a
towel or blanket.
 IN A FIRE, CRAWL LOW
UNDER SMOKE
  Smoke and heat rise,
so during a fire there's
cleaner, cooler air near
the floor. Always try
another exit if you
encounter smoke when
you are escaping a fire.
But if you have to escape
through smoke, crawl on
your hands and knees
with your head I to 2 feet
(30 to 60 centimeters)
 TEST DOORS BEFORE OPENING
  You can easily be overcomed by heat,
smoke or flames when you open a door to an
area where a fire has spread.
 DON'T LOCK SAFETY
GATES OR WINDOWS


Fumbling for a key
or combination during
an emergency will
reduce the opportunity
for a safe exit.
 Rules for Fighting Fire
Fires can be very dangerous and you should
always be certain that you will not endanger
yourself when attempting to put out a fire.
For this reason, when fire is discovered:
•Assist any person in immediate danger to
safety, if it can be accomplished without risk
to yourself
 Rules for Fighting
Fire cont……

• Activate the building fire alarm system or

notify the fire department. If your fire
alarm system is in accordance with the
standards prescribed, it will automatically
notify the fire dept. It will also sound the
alarms to notify other occupants, and it will
shut down the air handling units to prevent
the spread of smoke throughout the
building.
Rules for Fighting
Fire cont……

• Only after having done this things, if the

fire is small, you may attempt to put it out.
However, before deciding to fight the fire,
keep these rules in mind:

• Know what is burning. If you don’t know

what is burning you don’t know what
extinguishers to use.
 Rules for Fighting
Fire cont……

• The time to use a Fire Extinguisher is

in the incipient, or beginning stages of
fire.
• For bigger fires, fire hoses should be used
with a good supply of water & pressure. If
the fire is already spreading quickly & you
lack the necessary equipments, it is best
to simply evacuate the building, closing
doors & windows as you leave.
 Do not fight the fire if:
• You don’t have adequate or appropriate
equipment
• You might inhale toxic smoke, some of
these may be fatal even in small amounts.
• Your instincts tell you not to
• The final rule is always position yourself
with an exit means of escape at your
back.
 IN CASE YOUR CLOTHES
CATCHES FIRE . . . .

DO NOT RUN! IT WILL FAN

THE FIRE…..
THE FOLLOWING ARE
SOME GENERAL FIRE
PREVENTION
PRACTICES:
  SMOKERS'
SAFETY
  Don't smoke in bed
or when you're
drowsy.
Give smokers large,
deep, non-tip ash
trays, and soak butts
and ashes before
dumping them.
Don’t throw cigar &
cigarette butts into
waste basket.
Strictly obey no
COOK SAFELY
  Always stay with
the stove when
cooking.
Always turn off the
stove after cooking.
Keep your heat
producing appliance
clean. Old food
particles and greasy
build-up can ignite.
Do not let your
electric heater ,pot,
kettle ,etc boil dry.
Always check your kitchen
before going to sleep.
Remember, most fires in the
home occur at night.

Make sure that the valves are

close when you are not using
the gas range.

Keep stove at least a foot

away from any surrounding
combustible walls or sidings.

When a leak is detected in

your gas range/stove have it
repaired or replaced
immediately by a qualified
  USE ELECTRICITY
SAFELY
  Know the warning signs of
problems for electrical appliances:
flickering lights, smoke or odd
smells, blowing fuses, tripping
circuit breakers or frayed or
cracked cords.
Check carefully any appliances
that display a warning sign, and
have it replace or repair by a
qualified service man.
Don't run extension cords across
doorways or where they can be
walked on or pinched by furniture.
Don’t leave your electric iron with
 Unplug electrical
appliances after use.

 Avoid octopus
connection

Make sure that all the

electrical wirings in the
house are properly installed
and regularly inspected by
competent electricians.
KEEP MATCHES &
LIGHTERS OUT OF
SIGHT

Keep matches and

lighters away from
children. Lock them up
high and out of reach.

Don’t allow children to

play near bonfires.

When buying clothes for

your children, avoid
 FOREST FIRES

 Extinguish camp fires

before leaving.

 Avoid smoking in the

forest. You might set
fire on dry leaves and
twigs causing serious
blaze.
 INDUSTRIAL FIRES
Any use of flammable
liquids must be done in
a manner that prevents
spills and prevents the
flammable liquid or its
vapor or spray from
coming in contact with
any ignition source.
All flammable liquids
must be stored in
proper flammable liquid
storage containers and
kept in the proper
storage cabinets.
 GARBAGE FIRES

Housekeeping and
storage practices are
critical to preventing fires.
Any combustible materials
must be stored in neat
stacks with adequate aisle
space provided to prevent
easy spread of fire and to
allow for access to
extinguish any fire that
may start. Trash, scrap,
and other unnecessary
combustibles must be
cleaned up immediately
and placed in proper
IN ACTION
THANK YOU !