Practice recognizing when and how to use a fire extinguisher with the PASS method: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep.
Read each problem carefully. Choose safe actions and explain your thinking. Remember that you should only use a fire extinguisher if the fire is small, you have a clear exit, and an adult or emergency help has been alerted.
Practice the PASS steps for safe fire extinguisher use
Health - Grade 6-8
- 1
Write out what each letter in PASS stands for when using a fire extinguisher.
- 2
A small trash can fire starts in a classroom. The teacher has already told students to leave and has called for help. The extinguisher is nearby, and there is a clear path to the door. Is this a situation where a trained adult might use a fire extinguisher? Explain.
- 3
In the PASS method, why do you aim at the base of the fire instead of the flames?
- 4
Put the PASS steps in the correct order: Sweep from side to side, Squeeze the handle, Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire.
- 5
A student sees a fire spreading across a lab table and smoke filling the room. The exit is partly blocked by smoke. Should the student try to use a fire extinguisher? Explain the safest action.
- 6
Look at the fire extinguisher diagram. Identify the pin, handle, nozzle or hose, and pressure gauge.
- 7
What should you do before using a fire extinguisher if you discover a small fire?
- 8
During the Sweep step, how should the nozzle move?
- 9
A fire extinguisher has a pressure gauge with the needle in the red low-pressure area. What does that mean, and should it be used in an emergency drill?
- 10
Explain why it is important to keep an exit behind you when using a fire extinguisher.
- 11
Choose the safest statement and explain why: A. Use an extinguisher on any fire if one is nearby. B. Use an extinguisher only on a small fire when you are trained, help has been called, and you have a clear escape route.
- 12
Draw or describe a safe PASS setup: where the person stands, where the extinguisher points, and where the exit is located.