en-Gauge Fire and Life Safety Blog

According to the most recent NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) data, in 2010 U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,331,500 fires. These fires resulted in 3,120 civilian fire fatalities, 17,720 civilian fire injuries and an estimated $15,478,000,000 in direct property loss.


Of these fires 98,000 were responded to in commercial or municipal buildings. Of the over $11.6 billion in property damage, more than $2.6 billion took place in these non-residential structures. This represents an average loss per reported incident in non-residential / commercial structures of over $34,000.

All too often we are asked if the en-Gauge technology will work with “X” brand of fire extinguisher 
and over and over we give the same reply, yes.

Yes to Amerex. Yes to Ansul. Yes to Badger. Yes to Buckeye. Yes to Kidde. Yes, Yes Yes. (Note the alphabetical response).

Any fire extinguisher that requires a pressure gauge can be retrofitted with en-Gauge technology
. A standard pressure gauge has a component UL listing and so does an en-Gauge enabled pressure gauge. So if your building has Buckeye fire extinguishers and you want to retrofit them, you may. Your new project specifies Amerex extinguishers? No problem.

CO2 extinguishers or cartridge operated units, also not a problem. There’s an en-Gauge collar that can be 
utilized with these
types of units and will monitor for location, position, obstruction and immediate removal.

So as you are looking at the Kidde or Ansul extinguishers in your facility and you want to get them en-Gauge enabled – go right ahead.

en-Gauge is great proponent of Fire Extinguisher Training and believes it is a vital aspect of every organization's life safety program.  With that said, we love how Bullex Digital Safety is using innovative technology to improve fire extinguisher training for thousands of people (major bonus, they do so while lowering live training's cost and impact on the environment).

Their Interactive Training System (I.T.S) uses a portable fire system that runs on propane to simulate a fire in its early stages.  The program takes advantage of a Type A water extinguisher for the exercises (cutting down on expense and environmental impact, while allowing for quick and easy refills), even though the fire unit can simulate a class A, B or C fire.  The system reacts to the technique that the student utilizes when trying to put out the fire and ensures that the student fight the fire effectively.  With multiple levels of difficulty, the system can provide a challenge for all students going through fire extinguisher training.

Check out this video for details on how it works:

They also offer a purely digital fire solution (called HotShot) in which students utilize real extinguishers to put out 'digital' fires, while still using real extinguishers.  This provides a great solution for situations in which live fire is not an option.

Understanding fire and how to effectively fight it requires fire extinguisher training. With companies like BullEx leading the way, ensuring building occupants are ready in an emergency just got easier.

Fire Extinguishers are your organization's first line of defense against fire and a critical part of your life safety plan.  They are designed to put out or control small fires, but it is vital that building occupants understand and get trained on the basics of fire safety and fire extinguisher use. 

Why is fire extinguisher training important? 

According to the University of Norhtern Iowa:

A fire is the most common type of emergency for which all businesses must plan. A critical decision when planning is whether or not employees should fight a small fire with a portable fire extinguisher or simply evacuate. Small fires can often be put out quickly with a portable fire extinguisher. However, to do this safely, the employee must understand the use and limitation of a portable fire extinguisher and the hazards associated with fighting fires.

What does fire extinguisher training consist of?

For an individual to properly assess and react in a fire situation, Fire Extinguisher Training generally consists of several components.

Fire Basics.

The components of fire, how fires start and spread.

Fuel Classifications. 

Understanding the four types of fuel sources for fires.  A. General Combustibles like wood, cloth, paper, rubber; B. Flamable liquids, gases, greases, Petroleum products; C. Energized electrical equipment, and; D. Combustible metals like sodium, potassium, magnesium

Types of Extinguishers. 

What are they types of extinguisher and which types of fires they can be used on.

How Fire Extinguishers Work. 

Components of a fire extinguisher, how they suppress various types of fires, pressure systems, etc.

Rules for Fighting a Fire. 

What to do before fighting a fire, understanding what is burning, understanding how to approach a fire, identifying your evacuation path, assessing a fire's progress, etc.

How to Use a Fire Extinguisher Properly. 

How the P.A.S.S. (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep) technique works, why it is important and how it is put into practice..

Fire Extinguisher Training is more than just pulling a pin and squeezing.  Implementing a fire extinguisher safety program, informing occupants of the specific building's fire safety procedures, understanding the different classes of fires and different types of fire extinguishers, and receiving training on how to fight a fire CAN save lives.  There are many professional organizations that can provide detailed fire extinguisher training for your organization.  We encourage all businesses to consider this important life safety step.

Electronically monitoring extinguishers with the en-Gauge system ensures these vital life safety tools are available, accessible and in working order 24/7/365.

Subscribe to our blog for more details on fire extinguisher training.

Type ABC Fire Extinguisher - This is a multipurpose dry chemical extinguisher.

The ABC type is filled with monoammonium phosphate, a yellow powder that is effective at extinguishing fires that 1. involveordinary combustibles, such as wood, cloth, and paper (Type A Fire Extinguishers are also designed to fight this type of fire); 2. involve liquids, greases, and gases (Type B fire extinguishers are also designed to fight this type of fire); and 3: fires involving energized electrical equipment (Type C Fire Extinguishers are also designed to fight this type of fire).

Monoammonium phosphate leaves a sticky residue after use that may be damaging to electrical appliances such as a computers.