Who has to train, and who checks
Hand your employees extinguishers, and you owe them training. The federal OSHA rule, 29 CFR 1910.157(g), says that where an employer provides portable extinguishers for employee use, workers must be trained when they're hired and at least once a year after that. An office, a retail shop or a restaurant kitchen falls under it once staff are expected to grab a unit.
The city has no fire department of its own. Rancho Palos Verdes contracts with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Battalion 14 provides fire suppression and fire prevention under that contract. The 2025 California Fire Code, with the city's local amendments, took effect January 1, 2026, and Section 906 is the part that covers portable extinguishers. Not sure what an inspector will expect at your address? Ask LA County Fire.
How a training session is set up
Every site is different. Before we schedule, we ask:
- How many people need training, and across how many shifts?
- Which extinguishers do you have (dry chemical, CO2, a Class K unit in the kitchen) and where do they hang?
- Do you want a hands-on portion?
- What's the address?
Most employers want training held where staff work. People remember the unit they walked past that morning far better than one on a slide, and they learn where the nearest exit is from that spot. We set the group size and session length from your answers, then send a quote.
Practice empties extinguishers. Any unit discharged during training needs a fire extinguisher recharge before it goes back on the wall.
What your staff learn
The goal is a fast, correct decision.
- When to fight a fire and when to leave: a small fire, contained, with a clear exit behind you is the only kind worth fighting.
- Reading the label. Class A is ordinary combustibles, B is flammable liquids, C is energized electrical, D is combustible metals, and K is cooking oils and fats.
- Using the unit: pull the pin, aim at the base, squeeze, sweep.
- Why a kitchen with a hood suppression system still keeps a Class K extinguisher.
- The monthly look. Is it there? Is the gauge in the green? Are the pin and seal intact?
That monthly check is the owner's job under NFPA 10. Trained staff can do it.
Training doesn't renew the tag
Training covers your people. The tag covers the extinguisher. Annual maintenance is separate hands-on work by a certified technician, recorded on a tag on each unit, and in California it must be done by a firm and technician licensed by the State Fire Marshal under Title 19. Our California work is performed by Hedrick Fire Protection, which holds C-16 fire protection and C-10 electrical contractor licenses and is licensed by the State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for portable extinguisher service. Stale tags turn up during training? Book fire extinguisher annual certification.
Book training in Rancho Palos Verdes
Call us at (213) 568-0188 or email us at socal@1profire.com with your headcount and address. We'll send dates and a quote.
Extinguisher training questions
Do we need training if staff aren't meant to use the extinguishers?
The OSHA training rule applies where you provide extinguishers for employee use. If your plan has everyone evacuate instead, confirm your obligations with OSHA or your safety advisor.
What should we do with an old extinguisher?
Ask about it when you book. A technician can tell you whether it can be recharged, is due for a hydrostatic test (every 12 years for dry chemical, every 5 years for CO2, water and wet chemical units) or should be retired, and explain your disposal options.
Which extinguishers will the training cover?
The ones you own. Tell us the types and we plan around them.