Fire Training

Yesterday I put out a fire all by myself. It was just for practice, under the watchful eyes of the LA County FD, as part of an emergency response class that I'm taking. They lit a tiny gas fire in a little box in the parking lot, then gave me a fire extinguisher and a shove toward the fire. I was really nervous. Not scared of the fire. I was scared of the fire extinguisher. I thought maybe I wouldn't use it right or accidentally spray the fireman or something. But I forced myself to participate and it turned out to be really easy. There's no pressure when the powder comes out. It's not like using a water hose. Now I'm a little less scared of the fire extinguisher in my kitchen.

They tell you PASS. Pull pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze handle, and Sweep from side to side. You should also keep your mouth shut. The powder doesn't taste very good. Kind of salty, in a corrosive way. I had to go home and immediately take a shower to get the stuff off me.