Talk:Tag:emergency=fire extinguisher

Extinguisher type

According to Wikipedia, there is different kind of extinguishers according to the powder used.

They are sorted by class of fire :

• Class A: Ordinary combustibles. Class A fires consist of ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, fabric, and most kinds of trash.
• Class B/C: Flammable liquid and gas
• Class C or Class E: Electrical
• Class D: Metal. Class D fires consist of combustible metals such as magnesium, potassium, titanium, and zirconium.
• Class K or Class F: Cooking oils and fats (kitchen fires)

for example

fire_class=A;B;C

More details at taginfo

--Plennert (talk) 07:26, 28 September 2023 (UTC)

I propose to use the simplest classification possible : use the letter of the class(es) directly on the tag fire_extinguisher, e.g :

• fire_extinguisher=A for an extinguisher class A

fire_extinguisher=A

More details at taginfo

--Plennert (talk) 13:04, 21 July 2023 (UTC)

• fire_extinguisher=BC for an extinguisher class B and C

fire_extinguisher=BC

More details at taginfo

--Plennert (talk) 13:04, 21 July 2023 (UTC)

--Overflorian (talk) 09:22, 23 April 2015 (UTC)

Classification is not the same globally

The classification system seems to vary between different regions, see here for a comparison table: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_extinguisher#United_States I suggest to use a more literal tag like fire_extinguisher_class=ordinary_combustibles etc. --Dieterdreist (talk) 10:33, 23 April 2015 (UTC)

Powder description instead of type of fire

Thanks for the feedback. I am not expert at all on the topic therefore I am open to describe with literal description. I just double checked in my office (in France) and couldn't find easily any "literal" mention. One the other way the class A and B were clearly mentioned. Therefore I think we will have to create a conversion table.

I tried to find an international standard for classes but couldn't find any. Therefore what if, instead of mentioning the combustible (e.g. ordinary combustible) we mention the powder. After all, in OSM we try to describe the physical elements themselves, not the use of them.

Therefore I propose the categories mentioned here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_extinguisher#United_Kingdom that are : water, foam, dry powder, Carbon dioxide (CO2), Wet chemical, Class D powder, Halon 1211/BCF

An example would be fire_extinguisher_class=water instead of fire_extinguisher_class=ordinary_combustibles

--Overflorian (talk) 19:11, 23 April 2015‎ (UTC)

My thoughts on this:

• Why don't use fire_extinguisher:* namespace instead of an underscore suffix?
• When speaking of class in this case, many documentation treat it as  fire class, not a type of fluid/powder provided by the extinguisher. So I propose fire_extinguisher:type=* key for this use instead. For example:
  • fire_extinguisher:type=dry_chemical which usually go with colour=red; a very common type, general purpose, virtually all of them I found are labeled for US-NFPA fire class A+B+C.
  • fire_extinguisher:type=halotron1 for  Halotron I; which usually go with colour=green, for US-NFPA fire class A+B+C; I have seen them sometimes in libraries.
  • fire_extinguisher:type=halon1211 for  Halon 1211; which I have seen them with colour=yellow, also for US-NFPA fire class A+B+C; not very common.
  • fire_extinguisher:type=co2 for  carbon dioxide; not exactly common either, for US-NFPA fire class B+C; I have seen it once with colour=red.
  • fire_extinguisher:type=water which usually goes with colour=silver; not exactly common, but can still be seen sometimes; for US-NFPA fire class A.
  • fire_extinguisher:type=foam for  firefighting foam; not common, usually for US-NFPA fire class B.

In my opinion, the tag extinguishing:medium=* much more precise, shorter and is already used very often. --Plennert (talk) 12:17, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

• Regarding tank colour, see a separate discussion point below.
• Full disclosure: these descriptions are based on my experience in Thailand- which mostly adopts US-NFPA standard.

— Nutchanon Wetchasit (talk) 08:47, 19 January 2019 (UTC)

fire_extinguisher:type=*

More details at taginfo

--Plennert (talk) 13:04, 21 July 2023 (UTC)

Please don't use *:type=* . It is a meaningless suffix. Simple generic ones should be used, eg content=* , not the over-specific and over-namespaced extinguishing:medium=* . I have suggested substance=* to the newer emergency=fire_service_inlet .
But *=dry_chemical is not an exact substance, while there is a need to describe them for categorizing, and for low level of detail. So there can be eg content:form=* .
Water is not a "class" of fire extinguisher. fire_extinguisher=* should be used for fire extinguishing balls, and larger non-portable ones from gas cylinder size to trolley-mounted.

• fire_extinguisher=*
  • fire_extinguisher=handheld
  • fire_extinguisher=thrown (not all are balls)
  • fire_extinguisher=trolley
• content=* + content:form=* (can be added without knowing the exact content=*
  • content:form=powder (Are there wet powder? Wet chemical is not powdered. Then "dry" is not needed.)
    • content=monoammounium_phophate (N=6)
  • content:form=gas
    • content=halotron_I
    • content=halon_1211
    • content=carbon_dioxide (cf 143 substance=carbon_dioxide )
  • content:form=foam
    • content=* (Depends on whether abbreviations should be used)
• class:country (This is the same in class of fire and extinguisher)
  • class:US=*
  • class:EU=*
  • class:AU=*
• fire=* ( Key:fire is an unclear and less numerous duplicate of openfire=* ) : Makes it clear it is for the class of fire (Avoid "combustible" and "flammable", because they have specific definitions)
  • fire=organic_solid (This is the UK and EU term. Clearer and easier to understand than "organic combustibles") : class:*=A
  • fire=fluid (Including both flammable liquid & gas): class:US=B
    • fire=liquid : class:EU=B
    • fire=gas : class:EU=C
  • fire=energized_electrical ("Energized" is critical. Deenergized electrical system fire are not included, and are classified otherwise. ) : class:US=C / class:AU=E

Class E is no longer used in the EU--Plennert (talk) 12:12, 7 November 2024 (UTC)

• • fire=metal (Other metals and bulk forms are non-flammable, so this can be assumed. "Metal fire" is a common term.) : class:*=D
  • fire=fat (Avoid "oil" for clarity between petroleum and edible oil) : class:*=F

—— Kovposch (talk) 10:19, 29 September 2023 (UTC)

Mapping the Tank Colour

One prominent characteristic about portable fire extinguishers is their colour, which can be mapped with colour=* key. While not being definitive and varies somewhat by country, tank's colour can give a strong hint on the type of fire extinguishing agent it contains (thus fire class that it is intended to cover), especially for uncommon types like  Halotron I and  Halon 1211.

Mapping with colour=* is also simple and can be done from afar; since you don't need to crouch to look closely or squint to read the label.

— Nutchanon Wetchasit (talk) 08:37, 19 January 2019 (UTC)