Guidance for Approved Stockists: Demonstrating the Fire Safety Stick

7-minute read | Sectors: Approved Stockists

Live demonstrations can be one of the most effective ways of showing customers what the Fire Safety Stick can do.

Seeing the Fire Safety Stick activated and used against a real fire helps people understand how it operates, how long it discharges for and, importantly, how it differs from a conventional extinguisher.

For Approved Fire Safety Stick Stockists who have the appropriate facilities, experience and means to safely conduct demonstrations, we are happy to support you in demonstrating the product.

However, a live fire demonstration must always be approached responsibly.

The objective isn’t to create the biggest or most impressive fire possible. A good demonstration should show the Fire Safety Stick being used correctly, safely and realistically, while giving customers an accurate understanding of both its capabilities and its limitations.

Contact Us Before You Demonstrate

It is imperitive that you contact us if you’re planning on, or will be, performing a demonstration of the Fire Safety Stick.

A lot can go wrong if due care is ignored, and we would like to be the first to understand your objectives of the demonstration.

Additionally, an option could be that we travel to your location and perform the demonstration for you. We have a Fire Safety Stick branded van, kitted out specifically for demonstrations. We have gone to Fire and Rescue, Police, Ambulance, Ministry of Defence, Race Circuits and many more locations to train professionals on the Fire Safety Stick, so we can provide a service, or advice, from a place of knowledge and experience.

Contact the Fire Safety Stick offices and we will reply back to understand your needs.

Train The Trainer

Our strongest recommendation for any stockist intending to regularly demonstrate the Fire Safety Stick is to complete our Train the Trainer course.

Where possible, we recommend completing the course in person, giving you practical instruction and the opportunity to discuss demonstration techniques directly with an experienced Fire Safety Stick trainer.

Where attending in person isn’t practical, the course can also be completed online.

The aim is to ensure that the person responsible for demonstrations has a thorough understanding of the Fire Safety Stick, including:

• How the Fire Safety Stick works
• Correct activation and deployment
• Appropriate positioning and technique
• The different classes and types of fire it can be used against
• Situations where it should not be used
• How to assess whether a fire is appropriate to tackle
• How to explain the technology to customers
• How to manage customer expectations
• How to conduct an effective demonstration
• The important safety messages that should accompany every demonstration

Those successfully completing the course can also be identified as a certified Fire Safety Stick trainer, providing additional reassurance when delivering demonstrations or product training to customers.

If demonstrations are going to become a regular part of your sales activity, exhibitions, open days or customer training, we strongly encourage you to speak to us about Train the Trainer first.

What Should a Fire Safety Stick Demonstration Achieve?

A demonstration isn’t simply about extinguishing a fire.

It is an opportunity to educate.

Someone watching should leave understanding what the Fire Safety Stick is, how they would use it and when they should or shouldn’t attempt to fight a fire.

A successful demonstration should therefore cover three stages:

1. Before activation

Show the audience the Fire Safety Stick itself.

Explain how it is stored, where the striker is located and how the protective cap is removed.

This is also an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the simplicity of activation before introducing a live fire.

2. During the demonstration

Demonstrate correct activation and application of the Fire Safety Stick.

The audience should be able to clearly see how the discharge is directed towards the fire and how the operator can maintain a sensible distance while applying the extinguishing agent.

Don’t rush.

One of the important characteristics of the Fire Safety Stick is its long, continuous discharge time. Depending on the model being demonstrated, this is approximately 50 or 100 seconds.

You do not need to use the entire discharge simply because it is available.

3. After the fire has been suppressed

Use the opportunity to explain what has happened.

Point out the absence of the widespread powder, foam or liquid contamination associated with some conventional extinguishers.

Also explain that extinguishing the flames does not necessarily mean the danger has completely passed.

Materials can remain extremely hot, and fires can potentially reignite. The source of heat or fuel should be isolated where safe to do so, and the situation should continue to be monitored.

Keep Demonstrations Realistic

One of the most important pieces of advice we can give is:

Don’t try to make the demonstration unnecessarily difficult.

A Fire Safety Stick is intended to tackle fires at an early or incipient stage.

It is not designed to encourage somebody to remain and fight a large, developed or rapidly spreading fire.

Your demonstration should reflect this.

Building an unusually large fire simply to test “how much the Stick can handle” can create an unrealistic scenario and, more importantly, unnecessary risk.

The purpose of a demonstration is to show customers how the Fire Safety Stick should realistically be used if they encounter a manageable fire.

If a fire has developed beyond a safe and manageable stage, the correct response is to evacuate, raise the alarm and call the emergency services.

The same principle should apply during demonstrations.

Managing Expectations: What the Fire Safety Stick Can Do

The Fire Safety Stick is suitable for use across multiple common fire types and is particularly useful where a compact, lightweight and long-discharge fire-fighting solution is desirable.

Depending on the situation, demonstrations can be used to explain its suitability for fires involving:

Class A – combustible materials such as wood, paper and textiles

Class B – flammable liquids

Class C – flammable gases

Class F – cooking oils and fats

Electrical equipment – the Fire Safety Stick has been tested for use around electrical equipment at up to 100,000 volts.

The demonstration should also reinforce some of the practical advantages of the product: it is lightweight, non-pressurised and offers a long discharge duration without leaving the corrosive powder residue associated with conventional dry-powder extinguishers.

Equally Important: What the Fire Safety Stick Cannot Do

A responsible demonstration should never imply that the Fire Safety Stick is capable of tackling “every” fire.

The Fire Safety Stick is not designed for coal/charcoal (e.g., coal BBQs, campfires, or log fires), lithium-ion battery fires, or EV battery fires.

Do not conduct demonstrations involving lithium-ion batteries.

You should also never create an excessively large, advanced or uncontrolled fire simply to see whether the Fire Safety Stick can extinguish it.

Fire is unpredictable. Changes in fuel, wind, ventilation, temperature and surroundings can quickly transform what initially appears to be a controlled demonstration.

The Fire Safety Stick should never be presented as a reason for somebody to put themselves at unnecessary risk.

Personal safety and escape always come first.

Choosing a Demonstration Area

Only conduct a live demonstration if you have an appropriate location and the means to do so safely.

The area should be:

• Outdoors or within a facility specifically designed and authorised for fire training

• Clear of unnecessary combustible materials

• Away from members of the public who aren’t participating

• Away from vehicles, buildings, vegetation and other property that could unintentionally become involved

• Well ventilated

• Large enough to maintain a safe viewing area

• Under the supervision of a competent person

Weather conditions should also be considered.

Strong or unpredictable winds can affect both the fire and the direction of the Fire Safety Stick’s discharge. If conditions aren’t suitable, postpone the demonstration.

Never compromise safety simply because customers are waiting to see a demonstration.

Choosing a Demonstration Area

Only conduct a live demonstration if you have an appropriate location and the means to do so safely.

The area should be:

• Outdoors or within a facility specifically designed and authorised for fire training

• Clear of unnecessary combustible materials

• Away from members of the public who aren’t participating

• Away from vehicles, buildings, vegetation and other property that could unintentionally become involved

• Well ventilated

• Large enough to maintain a safe viewing area

• Under the supervision of a competent person

Weather conditions should also be considered.

Strong or unpredictable winds can affect both the fire and the direction of the Fire Safety Stick’s discharge. If conditions aren’t suitable, postpone the demonstration.

Never compromise safety simply because customers are waiting to see a demonstration.

Have a Backup Method of Extinguishing the Fire

A live demonstration should never rely solely on the Fire Safety Stick being demonstrated as the only available means of extinguishing the training fire.

An appropriate secondary method of extinguishing the demonstration fire should always be immediately available.

What that equipment should be will depend upon the demonstration being conducted and the fuel involved.

The person responsible for the demonstration should also know how to use that equipment.

The demonstration should be stopped immediately if the fire behaves unexpectedly or begins to spread beyond the intended demonstration area.

Do Not Hand an Activated Fire Safety Stick to an Unprepared Customer

Allowing customers to experience the Fire Safety Stick can be valuable, but live-fire participation needs to be properly managed.

Someone should not simply be handed a Fire Safety Stick and invited to “have a go”.

Before participating, they should understand:

• How to hold the Fire Safety Stick

• How to activate it

• Where to direct the discharge

• Where they should stand

• How they should approach the fire

• When they should stop and move away

• How to communicate their actions

A competent person should supervise the exercise throughout.

For organised customer training or repeated demonstrations, this is another reason we recommend having a Train the Trainer certified person responsible for the session.

Don’t Turn a Demonstration Into a Stress Test

We understand the temptation.

Customers may ask:

“What happens if we make the fire bigger?”

“Will it put this out?”

“How close do I need to get?”

“Can we try it against something more difficult?”

Demonstrations should not become improvised product stress tests.

Changing fuels, increasing the size of the fire or introducing additional hazards can significantly change the behaviour of a demonstration.

If you want to conduct more extensive product testing, please speak to the Fire Safety Stick team first. We can advise whether the proposed test is appropriate and help you understand what you’re trying to demonstrate.

A Few Important Do’s and Don’ts

DO:

✓ Complete the Fire Safety Stick Train the Trainer course wherever possible.

✓ Conduct a risk assessment before organising a live demonstration.

✓ Use a suitable, controlled demonstration area.

✓ Keep demonstration fires small, controlled and representative of an early-stage fire.

✓ Brief everyone involved before starting.

✓ Keep spectators at an appropriate distance.

✓ Have suitable backup firefighting equipment immediately available.

✓ Consider wind, weather and the surrounding environment.

✓ Explain what the Fire Safety Stick can and cannot do.

✓ Emphasise that personal safety and evacuation always come first.

✓ Monitor the demonstration area afterwards for heat or potential reignition.

DON’T:

✗ Don’t demonstrate on coal/charcoal, lithium-ion batteries or EV batteries.

✗ Don’t deliberately create large or developed fires.

✗ Don’t use unknown or inappropriate fuels simply to make a demonstration more dramatic.

✗ Don’t conduct demonstrations near combustible surroundings.

✗ Don’t allow unbriefed customers to participate.

✗ Don’t rely solely on the Fire Safety Stick being demonstrated as your emergency backup.

✗ Don’t conduct a demonstration in unsuitable weather conditions.

✗ Don’t continue if the fire begins behaving unexpectedly.

✗ Don’t make claims about the Fire Safety Stick that go beyond its intended use, testing or approvals.

✗ Don’t encourage customers to tackle a fire that would be safer left to the emergency services.

What About Customers Who Want to Conduct Their Own Test?

You may occasionally have customers, particularly commercial customers, fleet operators, engineers or health and safety teams, who want to independently test the Fire Safety Stick before adopting it.

That’s understandable.

Where customers have suitable facilities and competent personnel, a controlled demonstration can be an excellent way for them to become familiar with the product.

However, we recommend discussing the proposed test with them first.

Find out:

What are they trying to prove or understand?

A customer may simply want to see the activation process and extinguishing performance. They do not necessarily need to construct an extreme fire scenario to achieve that.

Make sure they understand the intended use of the Fire Safety Stick and the limitations outlined above.

For larger organisations considering structured testing or fleet/business adoption, please contact us. The Fire Safety Stick team may be able to provide additional technical information, demonstration guidance or training support.

Remember: A Demonstration Is Also Training

A customer seeing the Fire Safety Stick operate for the first time shouldn’t simply walk away thinking:

“That put the fire out.”

They should walk away thinking:

“I understand how I would use that.”

That’s the difference between a product demonstration and good product training.

Used correctly, demonstrations can build confidence in the Fire Safety Stick while reinforcing responsible fire safety behaviour.

Our aim isn’t to encourage people to fight fires.

Our aim is to make sure that, if somebody is faced with an early-stage fire that is safe and appropriate to tackle, they understand the equipment available to them and how to use it correctly.

Remember: A Demonstration Is Also Training

A customer seeing the Fire Safety Stick operate for the first time shouldn’t simply walk away thinking:

“That put the fire out.”

They should walk away thinking:

“I understand how I would use that.”

That’s the difference between a product demonstration and good product training.

Used correctly, demonstrations can build confidence in the Fire Safety Stick while reinforcing responsible fire safety behaviour.

Our aim isn’t to encourage people to fight fires.

Our aim is to make sure that, if somebody is faced with an early-stage fire that is safe and appropriate to tackle, they understand the equipment available to them and how to use it correctly.

Want to Demonstrate the Fire Safety Stick?

If you’re an Approved Fire Safety Stick Stockist and would like to conduct your own demonstrations, organise customer training or become a certified Fire Safety Stick trainer, please get in touch with the Fire Safety Stick team.

We can provide information about the Train the Trainer course, demonstration guidance and additional training materials to help you deliver safe, informative and effective Fire Safety Stick demonstrations.