NFPA: A fire extinguisher is your first line of defense against a fire.

ADA: If inaccessible features in an older facility can be corrected easily and inexpensively, they must be corrected.

ADA: Standards for Accessible Design so that the facility is accessible to and usable by people who have mobility disabilities and limited dexterity or grasping ability.

The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life.

DOJ: Returning Service Members with Disabilities who have been seriously injured while serving on active duty (lost a limb) trying to adjust to living with your injury: Since disability is considered a protected class under the law, it is important to be aware of these laws so that you understand both your rights and responsibilities and those of institutions of higher education and the workplace. The ADA provides that applicants and employees with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodation when it comes to enjoying equal benefits and privileges of employment (e.g., access to the parts of an employer’s facility available to all employees, [i.e., a fire extinguisher] and access to employer-sponsored training and social events).  A fire extinguisher is your first line of defense against a fire.

NFPA Estimates That Physical Disability Was Identified As A Contributing Factor In An Estimated Average Of 400 OR 15%, OF U.S. HOME FIRE DEATHS PER YEAR.

Stroke Is A Leading Cause Of Long-Term Disability

 

Someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds. Strokes can and do occur at ANY age. Every year, more than 795,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke (about 610,000 of these are first or new strokes). For more than half of stroke survivors age 65 and over, a stroke can reduce mobility, and it is not uncommon for them to lose the functionality of at least one arm. Stroke is also the leading cause of paralysis (33.7%), and approximately 1.7 % of the U.S. population, or 5,357,970 people reported they were living with some form of paralysis.

The PASS System

How Can Someone With No Hands, Arms Or Strength In Their Grip Use The PASS System As Their First Line Of Defense Against a Fire?

 

1. Pull the pin while holding the extinguisher away from you to unlock the mechanism.
2. Aim low toward the base of the fire.
3. Squeeze the lever slowly.
4. Sweep the nozzle from side to side at the base of the fire.