Maintenance & Testing Fire Extinguishers

Video Transcript

"Hi. This is Deputy Chief Henry Watson with the New Bern Fire-Rescue in New Bern, North Carolina. In this session, we're going to talk about routine maintenance and servicing of your fire extinguishers. All fire extinguishers have to be routine maintained on a monthly basis. Each month, someone has to physically go around and look at each fire extinguisher. You want to look at the fire extinguisher to make sure that it's readily available and ready for use. Some of the maintenance techniques are looking at the locking pin, making sure that the tamper seal is properly in place. If the seal is missing, or the pin is missing, then the fire extinguisher needs to be pulled from service. You want to look at the hose or nozzle assembly to ensure that it's not showing any signs of deterioration, and that nothing has climbed up inside and built a home. Finally, you want to take the fire extinguisher and turn it upside-down to break up the powder that's inside the fire extinguisher. This powder has a consistency of baking flour, and easily packs over time."