Fire Extinguishers

Fire Extinguishers are located throughout campus facilities, including residence halls, academic buildings, maintenance areas and dining services areas.

Faculty, staff and students are not expected to use fire extinguishers in the case of a fire emergency; however, everyone should be aware of the location of fire extinguishers to prevent damaging or blocking access to the units. Additionally, occupants should direct first responders to the location of a fire extinguisher, if needed.

Fire extinguishers are not toys. Any unauthorized use of an extinguisher or tampering with an extinguisher is a violation of Life Safety Code, warranting disciplinary action and fines.

Contact EHS with any questions, or to report a concern with a fire extinguisher.

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TYpes of FIre Extinguishers

There are various types of fire extinguishers located in different locations on campus, depending on the type of fire that could be expected, and/or the presence of specialized equipment in a space.

• Dry Chemical ABC – The vast majority of extinguishers on campus are multipurpose, dry chemical units that are rated for use with Class A, B and C fires. All residence halls and administrative buildings are equipped with Dry Chemical ABC extinguishers.
• Carbon dioxide units are the second most common type of extinguisher on campus, and are rated for use with Class B and C fires. These are typically located in laboratories with sensitive equipment.
• Class K extinguishers are installed on campus in areas of commercial cooking operations. Typically, these are only accessible to staff members assigned to that area.

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FIre extinguisher Inspections & maintenance

Fire extinguishers are monitored regularly by facilities operations, EHS and outside vendors.

Monthly visual inspections are conducted by facilities operations team members to verify the extinguishers have adequate pressure and all safety ties are in-place.

Annual inspections are performed by EHS to verify the date of last maintenance, to check the pressure and ensure all safety ties are in-place. If necessary, the fire extinguisher is sent out for maintenance and replaced by another extinguisher.

Maintenance of fire extinguishers is required every 6 years, which is done by an outside vendor. Maintenance includes testing to verify the integrity of the unit and/or removing and replacing the contents of the extinguisher.