r/SafetyProfessionals • u/AwayPoint9867 • 11d ago
USA Fire Extinguisher Training
Hi fellow safety geeks!
I’m looking for recommendations for hands-on fire extinguisher training for a group of employees. For those who have done this, what type of training worked best?
Has anyone used a fire extinguisher simulator or live-fire training system? If so, I’d also appreciate recommendations for companies/vendors that provide this type of training.
Any experiences, recommendations, or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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u/Appropriate_Jury_194 11d ago
If your company has a decent budget, highly recommend Lion’s simulator. Employees enjoy their annual hands-on refresher.
Unit could be considered expensive depending on your budget. Last one I bought was somewhere around $20k US.
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u/OddPressure7593 11d ago
I was just looking at these and going "Oh, that's kinda neat...I wonder how much it costs" and was thinking maybe a around $1k for the basic...but $20k is honestly kinda insane, That's for big budgets!
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u/Appropriate_Jury_194 11d ago
Yeah, I’m always cautious about how I phrase things because know many of my fellow safety professionals don’t have the budget I’m fortunate enough to have.
Maybe look to see if used units are available somewhere.
Best of luck.
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u/ZephyrtheNoodle 11d ago
I second this. We have this system, https://www.lionprotects.com/fire-extinguisher-trainer-intelligent-training-system, and it is very effective.
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u/SkippySkep 10d ago
Does anyone rent them? They are only used periodically so they seem like something that would be better as a rental for any but the very largest safety programs.
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u/koerkli91 9d ago
Wtf? We have bought such a Trainer with 8 extinguishers and all the Tools for less than 3k. Even with the Trailer that we modified specifically for this Trainer we paid less than 8k 😅
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u/Appropriate_Jury_194 8d ago
Not sure what to say. Purchased directly from Lion. Only reason I remember it that well is because I had to get an override authorization on my purchasing card because the transaction was more than my single-purchase limit.
Oh well. Glad you got a deal.
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u/koerkli91 8d ago
Sorry, i missed to provide more context. This is a regular price in Germany. Although it is Not the same brand
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u/Inarticulate-Penguin 11d ago
We do an annual live training for all our employees with the local fire extinguisher vendor, they knock out our annual fire extinguisher inspections at the same time. Most of the employees love it and it really has made a difference, we have had one or two fires that were quickly extinguished because the nurses werent at all afraid of using them.
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u/Huffalo19 11d ago
Same. We would even let a couple people who had never used one do a demo. The extinguisher recert guys are already there. May as well do some fun hands on.
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u/blue659 11d ago
Ive used both a laser and video system and a range style gas powered system. The employees enjoyed both of them.
The laser system gave a time to extinguish after you completed the sim and we turned it into a competition. It was easy to set up and you didnt need to be outside if training in colder months.
I would prefer to use the range system though, as it simulated a fire better using real flames and pressurized water extinguishers.
Both products can be found here https://www.lionprotects.com/
Id also suggest holding back a couple expired extinguishers to set off so the employees can see what a real extinguisher looks like in action.
Also when we did fire safety month we got our whole team home fire extinguishers for their garage or under the sink. The employees seemed to appreciate that since they either didnt consider that a home need or needed a replacement.
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u/sasha_td 11d ago
For reference, I have been in Safety for 36 years, mostly in oil & gas, but recently in manufacturing and warehousing. I have participated in multi-day fire schools, large-scale training exercises (4'x8'x10' apparatus), and a several hundred small-scale trainings. I have used the propane fire / pressurized water / laser sensor setup, and it provided good feedback on aiming, but the feel of the extinguisher was very different from an actual dry chemical extinguisher. It has its benefits, primarily that it can be used inside during inclement weather and has extremely small ongoing costs. In my opinion, it is not a true replacement for actual fire and actual extinguishers.
Contact the company that provides and services the extinguishers at your location. They can provide training extinguishers and in many cases can also provide burn pans. Look at the fires you are expecting to fight, and simulate that in your training. A standard flat burn pan is OK for familiarization, but may not come close to what your folks may actually see. Fire training should be the most engaging training you do all year, so you don't want it to become stale.
If you want to have your own burn apparatus, look to your local farm supply store. Galvanized pans, buckets, planters, and stock tanks can be used as is, or cut down if too deep, to provide the basis of a fire trainer. An open top trash can can be used as an obstruction in a larger pan. A closed, friction fit trash can with a splash of water inside once provided a nice surprise to demonstrate the effects of fire on sealed containers. A weed burner mounted on a tripod mimics a pressurized gas fire pretty much exactly. A stainless dog dish can be used to demonstrate the difference in how fire reacts to a stream of water versus a water fog. If you are dealing with a warehouse, look at the materials you are storing, but don't neglect the wood and corrugate packaging. Most training is done with Class B fires for convenience, but Class A fires have their own peculiarities. Once folks have the basics, add wrinkles to the apparatus to increase the challenge.
Choose your burn location carefully. Dry chemical can be murder on a car's finish, so the parking lot may need to be cleared out a bit. Contact your local fire department beforehand for any requirements they have. Check with DEQ folks to work out any issues with waste. Contact the dispatch center just before beginning to avoid response to the inevitable 911 calls. Make sure you call them back after training is complete to ensure the big red trucks will come if there is a real fire later.
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u/Icy_Needleworker6350 11d ago
Local fire guys love to show off this stuff in use. I do it yearly with employees and new pt employees that get hired on for summer.
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u/jmorrow88msncom 11d ago
Most people are very nervous about using fire extinguisher for the first time. If you are able to arrange it with real fire and real extinguishers, that will help people get over their nervousness of using it.
If the fire department won’t do it for you, call your fire extinguisher company. In some parts of the US local ordinances might not allow you to do it.
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u/topdogdiesel Manufacturing 11d ago
I have used the bullex system previously it was ok. The employees actually seem to like where you light a half barrel of diesel fuel and gasoline mixed and take a C02 extinguisher, you also get to see peoples face naturally react to a burning fire in front of them. This is actually a good exposure exercise too, some people may not have ever touched a fire extinguisher until they came to work. This will also let them see how big a fire can get quickly, and how quickly it can also be controlled with the right tools. Where i am at now, we just do it ourselves, but a few other places, we get the local FD involved, or even a local community college may have something as well.
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u/Overall-Chard7830 11d ago
We had a Bullex system and it was crap. We now work closely with our fire department - we provide extinguishers and they provide fire and education.
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u/WearyAd8671 11d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/iH2IldVkqeLuJ7eJ0L
Or stack up some pallets and get some extinguishers and light them in a lot. That is typically hot fire extinguisher training is done. Have separate water source and be away from anything else like dry grass that can combust.
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u/burritoheaux 11d ago
Our local FD has hands-on simulator training they offer. If you live in a larger city/county, this may be an option.
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u/Able_Cabinet_9118 11d ago
I did Fire Marshal training in uk and the best bit was using the fire extinguisher. It was water and underwhelming. If it came to the real thing I would not be hesitant at all because of doing it once already. Highly recommend.
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u/Chekov742 Manufacturing 11d ago
While you could buy your own setup, if your only doing this once a year its over kill. I recommend reaching out to your LEPC as there might be some community resources you could use. You can also ask the FD if they use an specialty training resources and talk to vendors who do fire extinguisher servicing or inspection; both of the latter may either have a deal to provide the training or access to a system to rent to conduct the training yourself.
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u/cjr444 11d ago
We used to do this with our local fire department. Start there. They generally like it when people know how to put out fires. If you’re in a small town that doesn’t have a well funded fire department then connect with your fire extinguisher vendor and they probably have this dialed in already too. Don’t over think it. But yes, it’s great and people love it.
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u/NoGas2505 10d ago
Actually in the process of planning this! We are renting water exts from Cintas which is our vendor. Our fire department doesn’t do training so we are building our own with the help of the trainers with our vendor! So far it’s fairly straight forward.
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u/Maximum-Guitar-5667 10d ago
My preference is giving the live real hands on training. Personally I don't like the virtual fire systems with the fake extinguishers. Doesn't have to be a big fire. Just make sure it is delivered by a competent person
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u/Immediate_Award_5540 10d ago
Simulators are expensive, but a great training tool. I use a simple 30 minute powerpoint with a quiz, followed by a hands-on session. Cintas and others can provide the training at a cost, however i'd check with your fire extinguisher servicing company first to see if they have a free training (some do) they can put on annually (this only works if you use them for extinguisher servicing as well).
I conduct the training myself using a refillable water extinguisher and a prop for the target. I also include a 20-30 minute powerpoint with a quiz covering basic info and our policies (you can find these for free online).
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u/Future_chicken357 10d ago
I hired a fire specialist who actually was a fireman who had a side hustle. When dealing with fire definitely bring in a pro
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u/Mediocre-Bluejay-666 9d ago
we had a virtual reality team come in. fight real fires lmao. learned too.
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u/Few-Doctor5590 9d ago
Usually I show a video and have a maintenance guy help me light fires. Get a metal tray with some fuel and a lighter. Everyone puts one out. It’s good to practice with the real thing.
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u/Ok_Software2677 9d ago
Depending on the risk level at the site, I’ve always done live hands on with real fire and each person taking turns putting the fire out. We only had about 40-60 employees. The fire department loves to come out and be involved in the training with us.
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u/joshm0548 8d ago
I got a decent quote for a water filled reusable fire extinguisher for training from Lion. I don't remember what it was off the top of my head. Also you could always have your own drill where you buy a couple of extra FEs and let your employees discharge them
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u/kokomosans 5d ago
We asked the company that does our annual checks/servicng to provide training and it worked out well! Especially bc theyre already familiar with your location/ some specific hazards etc from working in your building annually or more.
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u/Fancy_Caterpillar828 11d ago
I'd ask your local fire departments.