GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – During National Fire Prevention Week, the USAG Bavaria Fire Department invites community members to participate in fire extinguisher trainings. This year, the campaign runs from Oct. 4 to Oct. 10, 2020.

 

At these trainings, participants learn about fire safety and practice using a fire extinguisher under the guidance of an instructor. For the remainder of the week, these trainings are offered in both English and German.

 

In case you cannot attend a training, here are main takeaways everyone should know:

 

What to do if a fire breaks out

• If it is safe to do so, call the on-post Fire Department immediately. The DSN for Tower and Rose Barracks, Hohenfels and Garmisch is 112. If using a cellphone on-post, call CIV 09641-83-112 for Tower Barracks, CIV 09662-83-112 for Rose Barracks, 09742-83-112 for Hohenfels and CIV 08821-750-112 for Garmisch. (These numbers should also be used in the case of medical, natural or man-made disasters).
  

  An Assembly Point sign in USAG Bavaria’s Grafenwoehr installation. (Photo by Sidney Sullivan / USAG Bavaria Public Affairs)

• If you need to dial emergency services for an off-post incident, call 112 from your cellphone.
• Do not assume a fire alarm is false, as this may create panic, confusion and misinformation
  – thus potentially putting lives at risk.
• Exit the building using the Escape and Rescue Plan, and make contact with the building’s fire warden at the Assembly Point.
• Do not re-enter the building, unless a fire department official gives the all-clear.

 

What are fire classifications

• Fires are classified by the type of material and fuel used for combustion, which then determines the variety of extinguishing agent needed. According to NFPA 10-2018 and the USAG Bavaria Fire Department, there are five primary classes of fires. All certified fire extinguishers will include a label to identify suitable use.

 

How to operate a fire extinguisher

• Follow the P.A.S.S. system, as exampled in the video below by USAG Bavaria fire inspector Sebastian Baier:

USAG Bavaria fire inspector, Sebastian Baier, demonstrates proper use of a fire extinguisher P.A.S.S. system in Camp Aachen, Oct. 7, 2020. (Video by Sidney Sullivan / USAG Bavaria Public Affairs)

• Pull the pin
• Aim the nozzle
• Squeeze the lever
• Swing nozzle from side to side

 

Lastly, an empty dry chemical powder fire extinguisher is hazardous waste. When disposing this type of extinguisher, Baier instructs that people should contact their building manager or evacuation coordinator for assistance.

 

If you want to individually schedule a training session this National Fire Safety Week, refer to the flyer.

 

If you want to request a training session for your unit, please contact the USAG Bavaria Fire Prevention Program at: usarmy.bavaria.id-europe.list.des-grafenwoehr-fire-prevention@mail.mil. Because these trainings take place outdoors, future sessions will most likely be scheduled in next spring when weather is more favorable.

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