Most people understand the danger of fire and the damage it can cause, but many continue to take fire safety for granted. Fire safety, of course, begins with knowledge of fire prevention, but also includes knowledge of what to do in case of fire and knowledge of how to operate fire equipment, such as fire extinguishers. In industry, this type of accident/incident protection is essential; a fire in an industrial building could have larger implications, depending on what is contained in that building. If the structure is, for example, a chemical plant, the damage to the environment and the people in and around the building could be devastating. This makes the need for industrial fire fighting equipment absolutely undeniable.

The equipment that probably comes to mind for most when thinking about fire protection is a fire extinguisher. The most important thing to remember about this equipment is that there are different types, each containing different ingredients that fight specific types of fires. Fire extinguishers are divided into four classes (A, B, C, D): class A is best for household fires (i.e. paper, wood, or plastic); class B is contains substances that put out liquid such as grease or oil; class C is for fighting electrical fires and; class D extinguishers are most often used for chemical fires or those caused by flammable metals (i.e. potassium or titanium).

One type of industrial fire fighting equipment specifically designed for chemical plants is a device that measures the levels of chemicals in the air.