Fire Detection and Protection — Page 310, Lesson 386

We're looking at the regulatory requirements for hand fire extinguishers on an aeroplane. This is the certification standard, the hard numbers you need to know. Let's start with the flight deck. The rule says at least one hand fire extinguisher must be conveniently located there for use by the flight crew. The extinguishing agent must be Halon 1211 — that's bromochlorodifluoromethane, chemical formula CBrClF2 — or an equivalent agent. So the flight crew always has one within reach. Now the galleys. At least one hand fire extinguisher must be located in, or readily accessible for use in, each galley that is not on the main passenger deck. So if a galley is on a different deck, it needs its own extinguisher nearby. For cargo compartments, the rule is specific. At least one readily accessible hand fire extinguisher must be available for use in each Class A or Class B cargo or baggage compartment, and in each Class E cargo compartment that is accessible to crew members in flight. So the key qualifier there is accessibility — if the crew can get to it in flight, it needs an extinguisher. Now the passenger compartment, and this is where the numbers come in. The required number of extinguishers depends on the maximum approved passenger seating configuration. Let me walk you through the table. For 7 to 30 seats, you need 1 extinguisher. For 31 to 60 seats, 2. For 61 to 200 seats, 3. For 201 to 300 seats, 4. For 301 to 400 seats, 5. For 401 to 500 seats, 6. For 501 to 600 seats, 7. And for 601 or more seats, 8 extinguishers. There's an important distribution rule here. When two or more extinguishers are required, they must be evenly distributed in the passenger compartment. So you can't cluster them all in one place — they need to be spread out. And there's one more requirement about the agent. At least one of the extinguishers in the passenger compartment of an aeroplane with a maximum approved seating configuration of at least 31 and not more than 60 must contain Halon 1211 or equivalent. And for aeroplanes with 61 or more seats, at least two of the extinguishers must contain Halon 1211 or equivalent. So the larger the aircraft, the more Halon extinguishers you're required to carry. That's the full regulatory picture for hand extinguishers — flight deck, galleys, cargo compartments, and the passenger cabin with its seating-based table and the Halon requirements.