How to secure a fire extinguisher??

Mom to a few · Aug 16, 2009

I was filling out the chaperone information for the kids' school this year, and was surprised by one of the changes they made this year. They now require that all chaperones (transporting children in their own vehicle) have a fire extinguisher.

So now my big concern is how to secure the fire extinguisher in such a way that it doesn't become a projectile in a crash/sudden stop?? Any ideas?

Thanks

.

ketchupqueen · Aug 16, 2009

1. Put it in the trunk.
2. If you don't have a trunk, put it under a seat and tie it securely down to a cargo anchor as well.

Mom to a few · Aug 16, 2009

I have a minivan, so no trunk. I was also wondering if the extinguisher could explode in a crash since it's contents are under so much pressure??

ketchupqueen · Aug 16, 2009

That's why I'd put it under a seat. Just in case something does happen to it if it's secured under a seat, it's more likely to be contained and not go flinging metal at people.

Personally, I'd probably just not want it in the car.

Evolily · Aug 16, 2009

The fire extinguisher shouldn't explode in a crash unless it's extremely severe- and if the crash is severe enough for it to explode, well, you're going to have bigger problems than just the fire extinguisher. There are safeguards built in to prevent it from exploding.

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-exploding-fire-extinguisher.html

I'd strap it down as well as you can.

Mom to a few · Aug 16, 2009

That's good to know! Thanks

Misty-Bug · Aug 16, 2009

personally I would never put one in a vehicle.

Phil has a cousin who had one in his truck. behind the seat, STRAPPED down secure. However in an accident it came undone from the holder and smashed around the truck in the process it broke his arm and his arm is still screwy to this day. I know it may be bad but I don't have one in my car.

ketchupqueen · Aug 16, 2009

Misty-Bug said:
personally I would never put one in a vehicle.

Phil has a cousin who had one in his truck. behind the seat, STRAPPED down secure. However in an accident it came undone from the holder and smashed around the truck in the process it broke his arm and his arm is still screwy to this day. I know it may be bad but I don't have one in my car.

That is exactly what I'd be concerned about! And why I wouldn't have one in the car.

Misty-Bug · Aug 16, 2009

ketchupqueen said:
That is exactly what I'd be concerned about! And why I wouldn't have one in the car.

yeah. I know some people say if it is secured and stuff but this was behind the seat and secured but it came loose. The force of an accident is too great. Not something I personally wanted to chance then when I heard about his cousin it confirmed it for me.

southpawboston · Aug 16, 2009

some fire extinguishers might come with a metal mounting strap that can be screwed into the sheet metal of the trunk.

if you have a car that has a platform in the trunk, under which the spare tire is kept, you can try to keep it in that spare tire well, under the secondary platform.

honestly i don't trust cargo anchors that come with most cars. many are plastic. :twocents:

TXAggieTech · Aug 17, 2009

We have a full size one in our truck and have needed it(them) 3 times. The first time we didn't have one, then second time we had a small one and it didn't do the job and the third time DH used one from inside the store.

Ours stays in the box behind the last row and gets checked and smacked on the bottom every few months.

One of the geocaches we went on tonight someone had logged that this story:

Out on biz trip to the west so caching buddy, Retrofit, promised an all day "unusual" caching run. Unusual, in that back in Texas we cache a much lower altitudes. Grateful we had his 4x4, just in case. Fires, and nearly hurricane-level winds, also made for a unique day. As we left the cache, and while keeping an eye one the fires nearby, we heard a TREMENDOUS whooshing sound from behind us!. Retro slams the breaks, we jump from the Suburban. Look around, nope, not a low flying jet. I pull open the back door to find that the large fire extinguisher has dislodged itself from its bracket and is releasing its contents. That was heart-stopper. Thanx for the memories.

Defrost · Aug 17, 2009

southpawboston said:
if you have a car that has a platform in the trunk, under which the spare tire is kept, you can try to keep it in that spare tire well, under the secondary platform.

That's where mine is.

Mom to a few · Aug 17, 2009

I don't understand why we have to take one in the car anyway. If there's a fire in or near my car, my #1 priority is to get the kids out of the car, and move them a safe distance away. It's not like I'm going to run back to try to fight a fire on the side of the road--meanwhile leaving the kids next to a road with cars whizzing by...I'd rather let the car burn to a crisp than abandon the kids in my care.

My spare is under the passenger side of my van (I unscrew a bolt in front of the passenger side captain's chair to lower it to the ground under the van). To me, it just doesn't seem like there's really a "safe" place to put it. The bigger problem is that most chaperones probably won't give this a thought, and will just toss it in the car "wherever".

So are there great benefits to having an extinguisher in the car (that I'm apparently missing), or should I call the school and ask that they change this requirement??

Evolily · Aug 17, 2009

It may be a law or code that children transported by school sanctioned vehicle must have a fire extinguisher.

Defrost · Aug 17, 2009

Mom to a few said:
So are there great benefits to having an extinguisher in the car (that I'm apparently missing), or should I call the school and ask that they change this requirement??

Generally speaking, you don't end up using the fire extinguisher on your own vehicle, you use it on someone else's. Having a fire extinguisher can give you enough time to get kids out of the back seat.

Also, if you're in an area with a high risk of wild fires, being able to put out your car with the fire extinguisher could still mean you don't end up running (with your children) away from the brush fire your car started after it burned to a crisp.

How to secure a fire extinguisher??

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