Tip #7
A fire extinguisher is an important feature on your boat and one that is overlooked as that “thing” you have to have.
Well, every year we need to complete “fire training” at the marina and here are some helpful tips to keep in mind.
If you are ever in a situation where you must use a fire extinguisher, remember PASS – that’s Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep from side to side.
That’s your very quick “how to use” a fire extinguisher.
The other couple of tips to keep in mind, check your fire extinguisher and make sure it’s still “charged’ meaning the dial is in the acceptable range. Remember, this is a legal requirement AND if you need it you want it to work!
Also, a fire extinguisher is meant to put out a small fire OR help you escape by clearing a path you can flee through… I didn’t know that one until about a year ago!
Finally, these tips are helpful for a boat, but about 2 days after we did fire training one of our crew was at a gas station and the dry grass on the hill was burning, he grabbed a fire extinguisher from near the pump and put out the flames.
So…. You’ll never know when this information will come in handy!