EXTINGUISHING A FIRE : The techniques and equipment which you will learn about in this section relate to the standard kinds of fire fighting equipment found in buildings open to the public. This equipment is meant only to contain and extinguish small fires and is a first-aid fire fighting measure only. .It does not in any way turn the user into a fireman. If for some reason you were unable to contain or extinguish a fire immediately, you would be well advised to evacuate the building and await the arrival of the fire brigade who are better able to control fire.

It is difficult for you to judge when it is best to desert the fire. Obviously if you've exhausted your extinguisher and 'the fire is still raging, it would be time to go. If you are using a fire hose, the decision is harder to make. Just remember that lives can easily be lost in an effort to rescue an over-zealous but unwise amateur fireman! Let us give a look at the different types of fire extinguishers in the next subsection.