British Columbia Basic Security Training Practice Exam

You are working as a Security Guard in a factory when you come across a small, contained fire in an outside trash bin on the property. What do you do?

1. Use a fire house to douse the flames before it gets out of hand

2. Call 911 and request the assistance of the Fire Department immediately

3. Throw a floor mat over the fire to smother it

4. Use a portable extinguisher of the correct type to put it out

The correct answer is: Use a portable extinguisher of the correct type to put it out

The correct response to discovering a small, contained fire as a security guard in Ontario should be to use an appropriate portable fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire. This is because as a security guard, one of your roles is to protect the property and mitigate any immediate threats you're equipped to handle. In the case of a small fire, if you're trained in the use of fire extinguishers, typically as part of basic workplace safety training, it is entirely appropriate and expected for you to utilize this equipment in response to a small, manageable fire. The emphasis here is on the fire being small and contained, as handling larger fires should be left for professional firefighters. In order to use a fire extinguisher, you should also ensure that it's the correct type for the specific type of fire you're dealing with, otherwise, it may be ineffective or even potentially make the fire worse.