Narooma Fire and Rescue has stressed the importance of fire-safety, even in the colder months of winter.
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The message was part of Fire and Rescue’s morning training course at Big4 East’s Holiday Park on Wednesday, June 20.
Regional duty commander Alan Gerrard said heater fires were common, and urged householders to insure they were tested and working properly.
“If the heater does catch on fire, leave the room,” Mr Gerrard said.
“If it’s possible, turn it off. Then call us, and we’ll come and put it out.
“Some people believe we charge, but we don’t. We don’t charge to go to actual fires, or any kind of domestic fire. The only thing we charge for is some automatic fire alarms.”
Mr Gerrard explained the fire safety acronyms PASS (Pin, Assess, Squeeze, Sweep) and RACE (Remove, Alert, Contain, Evacuate), but also stressed the importance of reading the situation.
“You have to react to what’s in front of you, not go through some box-ticking exercise,” he said.
“The number-one priority is you, second is people you work with, third is everyone else.”
If you do fight the fire yourself, there are a number of steps you must take.
“Always test the extinguisher to make sure it works, that it’s the right extinguisher, and to determine the range,” Mr Gerrard said.
“Aim at the base of the fire, and get as much carbon dioxide or powder in the room, then let it do its job.
“When it starts to become empty, the extinguisher gets louder. So when it gets louder, you know it’s time to reach in and close the door to the room.
“Lay a used extinguisher on its side once it’s done so are people aware it is empty.”
A common mistake is to assume the danger is over when the fire is out.
“When you smother the fire, you don’t cool it, so there’s still a risk (of reignition),” Mr Gerrard said.
“Always call Fire and Rescue, even if you’ve already used the extinguisher, or a fire blanket has already been used.”
