Norco Fire Extinguisher Training

Extinguisher training for Norco workplaces

An extinguisher on the wall helps only if someone near it knows what to do. Most people have never pulled a pin. In a real fire, with smoke building and the alarm going off, nobody has time to read the instructions printed on the cylinder.

There's also a federal rule. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157(g), an employer who provides portable extinguishers for employees to use must train those employees when they're first hired and at least once a year after that. Shops, offices and dealership service bays along Hamner Avenue all count if staff are expected to grab an extinguisher.

To set a training date for Norco Fire Extinguisher Training, call us at (951) 384-0323 or email us at socal@1profire.com

What your staff learn

• When to fight and when to leave. Fight only a small fire, with a clear exit behind you and the right extinguisher in hand. Otherwise, get out.
• The PASS steps. Pull the pin, aim at the base of the fire, squeeze the handle and sweep side to side.
• Matching the class to the fire. Class A is for ordinary combustibles like wood and paper, B for flammable liquids, C for energized electrical equipment, D for combustible metals and K for cooking oils and fats. Wrong class, wrong result.
• The monthly check. The owner does a visual inspection every month: gauge, pin, seal, tag, and nothing blocking the unit. Trained staff can do it in a minute.
• Reading the tag. A plastic tamper seal on the pin is not the service tag. The tag records the annual maintenance done by a certified technician.

Who checks your extinguishers in Norco

Fire and life-safety inspections in Norco go through the Riverside County Fire Department's Office of the County Fire Marshal, at its Norco Eastvale Fire Marshal's Office on Hillside Avenue (951-737-8097). Expect the tag to get looked at. Staff who know the monthly check will spot a missing pin, a low gauge or a blocked cabinet long before an inspector writes it up, and that's a cheaper fix. Not sure what your building needs? Ask that office.

Training covers people. The cylinders need service too.

Each extinguisher has its own schedule: annual maintenance by a certified technician, a 6-year internal teardown for stored-pressure dry chemical units, and hydrostatic testing every 12 years for dry chemical or every 5 years for CO2, water and Class K units. In California, that work must come from a firm and technician licensed by the State Fire Marshal. Ours is done by Hedrick Fire Protection, which holds C-16 and C-10 contractor licenses and is licensed under Title 19 for portable extinguisher service.

Related Norco services: annual extinguisher certification, extinguisher refill after use, hydrostatic testing and kitchen suppression service. Everything we do in town is on the Norco fire protection hub.

Running vendors at an equestrian event? That's a different job. Our Norco rodeo case study was extinguisher certification for 60 vendors in one service day.

Outside Norco, see extinguisher training in Riverside County, San Bernardino County and Orange County.

Extinguisher training questions

How often do employees need extinguisher training?

Where you provide extinguishers for employee use, OSHA calls for training at hire and at least once a year. Plan for new hires.

Does a plastic tamper seal count as a certification tag?

No. The seal shows the pin hasn't been pulled. The tag is the record of annual maintenance by a certified technician.

How can I tell if an extinguisher is a refillable portable unit?

Look at the valve and the label. Refillable units usually have a metal valve and handle with a pressure gauge, while disposable units often have a plastic valve head and a label saying they can't be recharged.

Which food vendors need a Class K extinguisher?

Any kitchen or vendor cooking with a suppression system also needs a Class K portable extinguisher. For event rules, check with the fire marshal's office.