Fire extinguishers may be removed from blocks of flats across Britain after they were deemed dangerous by buildings risk assessors at two blocks on the South Coast.In other words, "We're the 'Only Ones' professional enough to pull the pin, aim the nozzle and squeeze the grip, and to know when to say 'the hell with it' and hightail it out of there."
Many residents regard the distinctive red extinguishers as the first response to fire, giving vital time until professional firefighters arrive.
But a review of two residential blocks in Bournemouth has raised concerns that householders could delay their escape to tackle a blaze. There is also concern that the use of extinguishers by untrained people could add to the danger.
They must really think people are dumb. Perhaps if the majority put up with this nonsense without demanding and receiving heads, they're not that far off the mark.
[Via Illspirit]
We have yahoos like this here in the US as well. I have had them tell me that ANY fire is to be handled by calling 911. When questioned they stated that only firefighters know enough about fires to safely extinguish a blaze. Oddly enough, the only time that I have had the FD called to handle a fire was a car fire where my fire extinguisher failed to work. Regardless I had acquired a fresh one and put out the fire minutes before the FD could show up. It's a lot like the gun free zone shootings. Take care of the problem while it is still small and little damage results as help is minutes away when seconds count.
ReplyDeleteOh, and as for the UK, I have been on numerous streets in both the UK and Ireland where various alarms (burglar, fire, etc...) would be going off for an hour or more with no response.
It's the UK, they really are that dumb. And we aren't far behind.
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