Q1.
Where is the fire extinguisher kept in your school?
Answer
Do not guess this one. Go and look, today, and remember the place. A fire extinguisher is of no use if nobody knows where it is.
Where they are usually kept
- In the corridor, fixed to the wall at about the height of a grown-up's shoulder
- Near the staircase and near every exit door
- Outside the office and the staff room
- In and near the kitchen or mid-day-meal room, where cooking gas is used
- Near the computer room and the electrical panel or main switch board
- In the science laboratory, in schools that have one
Sample answer: “In our school there are four fire extinguishers. One is in the corridor outside the office, one at the bottom of the staircase, one outside the computer room, and one in the mid-day-meal kitchen. They are red cylinders fixed on the wall, with a pin and a black hose. Our teacher told us that only grown-ups may use them, but every one of us should know where they are.”
| What to check when you find it | Why |
|---|---|
| Is anything stacked in front of it? | It must be reachable in three seconds |
| Is the little pointer in the green part of the dial? | Green means it is full and ready |
| Is the date on the label still valid? | Extinguishers must be refilled every year |
| Can you see it from a distance? | A sign above it helps in smoke |
Mark it on your map: put a red dot for every fire extinguisher on the school map you drew in Activity 1, and a green arrow for every exit. Pin the map up in your classroom.