For many years the No. 1 Section officers in Internal Security units have been carrying a fire extinguisher in a pouch on the back of their utility vests. Police Tactical Unit (PTU) recognised some time ago that the position was less than desirable not only from the point of safety, but also from quick use of the fire extinguisher. With this in mind, PTU has looked for a new fire extinguisher, which would be lighter and thus be able to be carried by No. 1 Section officers on body parts other than the back, and yet accessible to the carrying officer.

After trying out several models, PTU HQs found out that the MP-6 model fire extinguisher provides the best balance between fire protection and weight. This new fire extinguisher weighs 750g, 1,100g lighter than the existing EC-1 model.

The U & A Committee has approved the new fire extinguisher as a replacement and Police Stores has assisted in procurement of the fire extinguisher and the carrying pouches. Both items will be rolled out in phases, first to Tier 1 Companies and shortly afterwards to Tiers 2 and 3. In addition to No. 1 Section, an additional stock of the new fire extinguisher will also be issued to Company Headquarters for deployment.

A paper introducing the background and implementation of the replacement exercise, as well as information on the new fire extinguisher, has been sent to the HQs of Tier 1-3 Companies. Police Stores will liaise directly with Regional Support Offices for collection of the new fire extinguisher and pouches. According to the timetable, the equipment was available for collection last month and will replace Tier 1's existing fire extinguisher on May 1.

Contact CIP SUP PTU for any enquiries about the rolling out schedule, tactics and use of the new fire extinguisher.

The new fire extinguisher on the left is a big improvement over the old one