18. Have chemical extinguishers been recharged within a year? Is date of recharge shown on tag attached to extinguisher?

19. Is building equipped with standpipe and hose having nozzle attached? Is hose in good serviceable condition?_

20. Is a large woolen blanket readily available in the domestic science laboratory for use in case clothing is ignited?

Remarks (Note any changes since last inspection)

The following items to be included in each quarterly inspection

21. Building construction: Walls_

Roof_

No. classrooms.

Floors.

No. stories.

22. Which sections of the buildings are equipped with automatic sprinklers?

23. Are there at least two means of egress from each floor of the building? Are these so located that the distance measured along the line of travel does not exceed From the door of any classroom, 125 feet? point in auditorium, assembly hall or gymnasium, 100 feet?__.

24. Are all windows free from heavy screens or bars?.

25. Do all exit doors open outward?

26. Are all interior stairways enclosed?.

enclosures of self-closing type?___

From any

Are doors to these

27. Are windows within 10 feet of fire escapes glazed with wire glass?

28. Are manual training, domestic science, other laboratories and the cafeteria so located that a fire in one will not cut off any exit from the building?

29. Is a smoke-tight projection booth, built of noncombustible materials, and vented to the outside, provided for the motion picture machine?_

30. Are heating plant and fuel supply rooms cut-off from the main corridors by fireresistant walls, ceiling and doors?.

31. Do all ventilating ducts terminate outside of building?_

32. State type of construction of any temporary buildings in school yard

33. Is nearest temporary building at least 50 feet from main building?. 34. How often are fire drills held?

exit?

Average time of

35. Are provisions made for sounding alarm of fire from any floor of buildIs sounding device accessible?

ing?

marked?

36. Give location of nearest city fire alarm box.

How far distant from the premises?.

Plainly

XVI. Extinguishment

THOSE IN CHARGE of school buildings should have some knowledge of the principles and procedures involved in fire extinguishment. The local school fire extinguishing program is not to be considered a substitute for fire department service. However, some school fires may be checked or extinguished in the early stages by using first aid extinguishers. If unchecked, the fires might in many cases gain headway and become major fires before the department fire fighting units arrive. It is anticipated that the school employees will give first attention to the protection of pupils. Property protection while secondary in importance, should not be neglected. In order to provide essential protection school officials and employees need to understand something of the nature of fire, the classes or types of fires, the principles of extinguishment, types and use of extinguishers, and the care of sprinkler or other extinguishing devices.

Principles of fire extinguishment

1. Nature of fire.

(a) Fires do not start or continue until the materials to burn are heated to the kindling point. The temperature of this kindling or ignition point is very low for some of the volatile gasses or liquids and higher for the less flammable materials.

(b) Fires will not persist if there is no fuel near them.

(c) Fires cannot continue unless there is enough oxygen available to support the chemical action of burning.

2. Extinguishing principles.

(a) The elimination of all combustible fuel is desirable but not always feasible in constructing and equipping school buildings. It is often difficult to remove fuel from the vicinity of a fire that has started. However, this measure is used in reducing the danger from heating coal piles.

(b) Cooling or lowering the temperature so that it is below the kindling point is one way to stop fires. Water is the cooling agent most used.

(c) A third method of checking fires is to cut off the oxygen supply. This is ordinarily called smothering or blanketing.

3. Effectiveness of local extinguishment.

(a) Some school fires originate on roofs around chimneys, in attics or other secluded or enclosed areas not easily reached by school hand or hose extinguishing devices and where detection often comes too late for effective use of these devices.

(b) Many school fires start as small fires and could be extinguished, or controlled until help arrives, if adequate extinguishing devices were available and are properly used.

4. Regulations and plans for using the school extinguishing devices.

(a) Sprinklers should operate automatically when activated by heat. (b) Custodians and others should be taught how to use the first aid fire extinguishing devices.

(c) It is generally desirable to instruct those in charge to attempt extinguishment when:

the fire is small and extinguishment seems possible; when extinguishment procedures will not delay or hamper safe pupil evacuation.

(d) Notifying the fire department should not be delayed. Plans for notifying the fire department should be developed and the responsibility for notifying them assigned to certain people

Types of fires

Extinguishing procedures are based partly on the classes of fires and extinguishing equipment should be located according to the type of risk. 1. Class "A" fires-of ordinary combustible materials such as paper, wood, straw, textiles, and solid fuel. The cooling process is generally used in extinguishing.

2. Class "B" fires-of such materials as flammable oils, greases, and volatile liquids. The usual extinguishing procedure is by smothering or cutting off the oxygen supply. Some cooling may be effected by the smothering

elements, but the use of streams of water on oil fires may help spread the fire.

3. Class "C" fires-around motors or electric wires. In some cases oils around the electric units may add to the fire hazard. The extinguishing medium must be a non-conductor of electricity or else the operator may be endangered. Fortunately some of the nonconducting extinguishing agents are also valuable for smothering fires.

School fire extinguishers

1. Sizes

Hand extinguishers are generally preferred for schools. These are mobile and can be carried easily by one man to the point of use.

2. The number of extinguishers needed will depend on building size, type of construction and finish, and the hazards involved. It is desirable to provide extinguishers for each floor. If the usual soda-acid (class A) or cooling type of extinguishers is used one of these for each 5000 square feet of floor area may be sufficient if the hazards are light. This number does not include the special smothering types of extinguishers that may be installed in shops and laboratories, or around motors.

3. Locations will be determined by the hazards present or anticipated. (a) General use cooling extinguishers should be located in corridors accessible to all. It is usually desirable to locate these so that one need not walk over 100 feet to get an extinguisher.

(b) It is generally desirable to locate these in wall niches or to hang them about 5 feet above the floor where they are not easily upset or disturbed by pupils.

(c) Other extinguishers, of a type adapted to the particular need, should be located in shops, in fan or furnace rooms, and other hot spots.

4. The type of extinguisher should be adapted to local needs.

As

There is no one type of extinguisher best adapted to all uses. indicated in this section, the cooling type fire extinguishers are usually preferred for ordinary or class "A" fires; blanketing types for oil fires; and nonconducting types for fires around electrical units.

(a) Several extinguishers are designed primarily for cooling. Some of the most common are the soda-acid with a chemically created pressure; the water with pressure created by a CO2 cartridge; and the water pumper with hand-created pressure. These extinguishers and others using water are subject to freezing. For use in locations where freezing is possible, extinguishers using an antifreeze solution are available. These may be charged with a calcium chloride solution or with an alkaline-metal salt solution (termed a loaded stream). The foam and carbon-dioxide extinguishing agents also have some cooling effect.

(b) There are several types of blanketing or smothering extinguishers. (1) Foam type extinguishers have separate ingredients (sodium bicarbonate and aluminum-sulphate solutions). When these ingredients are combined by tipping the extinguisher, these expel carbon-dioxide bubbles that help to blanket or smother oil fires.

(2) The vaporizing liquid extinguishers usually have a carbon tetrachloride base. In some cases a hand pump is used to develop pressure and in other cases pressure may be created

by stored air or carbon dioxide. The blanketing vapors choke off the oxygen supply. Consequently, these extinguishers are most effective in areas where the wind does not dissipate the blanketing fumes. The stream should be directed at the base of the fire.

(3) Carbon-dioxide extinguishers operate from a pressure tank. The range of throw is limited.

(4) Carbon-tetrachloride bombs or grenades are sometimes bought for attic installation. Timely applications from these attic units at the base of the fires cannot be guaranteed and their value for such use is questioned.

(5) Dust or powder spraying extinguishers are also used to give a blanketing effect, but these are not much used in schools. (c) Nonconducting extinguishing agents are needed for fires around motors and electric wiring or applicances. The carbon tetrachloride vaporizing liquid and the carbon-dioxide extinguishers are usually recommended for such locations. The carbon-dioxide extinguishers for such use should have non conducting horns.

Building standpipe and hose installations

Many of the older and some of the newer school buildings have partially effective standpipe and hose fire-extinguishing facilities. Such facilities can be made effective.

1. Ample pressure should be available for the standpipe. Feeder lines should be large enough to provide continued pressure in case of need. 2. Hose outlets on each floor should be close enough together to permit reaching any point with a stream from a 75-foot hose.

3. Unlined linen hose is recommended. The hose should be racked ready for instant use.

Sprinkler protection

Sprinklers should operate automatically when subjected to heat. Hazardous combustible buildings should be completely sprinklered.

1. Some sprinkler values.

(a) They are ever-ready watchmen and operate whether or not the building is occupied.

(b) They automatically apply the extinguishing agent, water, at the point of fire (heat) and reduce fire spread.

2. Installations.

(a) More complete protection is obtained if a building is fully sprinklered. (b) Even where it is not feasible to provide a complete sprinkler job, it is often desirable to install sprinklers in certain hot spots such as storage rooms and basement areas.

(c) Where there is danger that sprinkler lines and heads may freeze it is possible to install a dry pipe sprinkler system. These work in about the same manner as the wet line system except that the water head is held back of the freezing area by valves and air pressure.

Use and care of school fire extinguishing facilities

1. Sprinklers.

(a) Valves in water feed lines should be sealed open.