Using undercover video, the Ch. 5 news team in Boston, MA discovered Boston City Hall and the MA State House were not in compliance with fire codes. The issue -- missing and non-inspected fire extinguishers.

Having a full fire safety system -- starting with extinguishers is vital to life safety. The NH State House gets it and installed electronically monitored fire extinguishers to protect safety, history and lives.

Whether real or a hoax, sadly this isn't the first time students have used a fire extinguisher as an IED (improvised explosive device).

Taking a common, "friendly" item, such as a fire extinguisher, and turning it into a dangerous weapon is becoming more and more prevalent. No one suspects a safety device would be used for anything other than safety; so it creates a great way to hide something very dangerous in plain site.

A guest at this airport hotel used an extinguisher to out a fire in his room that, according to news reports, appears to have started in a baseboard heater.

Working extinguishers are key to life safety. Codes require 30-day inspections of extinguishers, but fire safety is greatly improved with 24/7 electronic monitoring.

This is hard to write because it is so awful and tragic. Four young women died in a hotel fire. The alleged person responsible tried to use a fire extinguisher on it but said, "it malfunctioned" and "didn't work."

The poor college students didn't know what they were in for when they returned from break.Thieves broke in and they weren't happy with just stealing -- they had to cause damage too. In one case they sprayed the contents of an extinguisher making it "look like it had snowed." 

Fire extinguishers are important life safety devices. If they are electronically monitored they can act as a deterrent against vandalism. It wouldn't have brought the kids stuff back, but they might have had less to clean up.

School districts across the country are facing huge unanticipated expenses as a result of damage from vandalism, much of which is caused with fire extinguishers. We can't lock up extinguishers because they are the first line of defense against a fire and prevent so many fires from spreading and causing severe damage.

He started two fires in the school forcing an evacuation. Fortunately one didn't take and a custodian succesfully used an extinguisher to put out the other before it spead.

School fires -- be they intentional or accidental -- happen far too often (just check out the stories in this blog). Having available working fire extinguishers is a matter of life safety. With electronic monitoring you can be sure your extinguishers are both operational and available.

The principal is right -- this is very disappointing and there is no need to do vandalism. Sadly, it happens to fire extinguishers -- a LOT. More unfortunate is the expense the damage can cause and worse the threat to life safety.

Fire extinguisher vandalism can be diminished or even fully prevented with electronic monitoring such as with en-Gauge. en-Gauge can help avoid unnecessary expenses and more importantly reduces risk and helps maintain life safety.