Fire extinguisher had been developed by DuPont and the US Army in 1954. Both 1211 and 1301 work by inhibiting the chain reaction of the fire, and in the case of Halon 1211, cooling class A fuels as well. Halon is still in use today but is falling out of favor for many uses due to its environmental impact. Europe and Australia have severely restricted its use, since the Montreal Protocol of 1987. Less severe restrictions have been implemented in the United States, the Middle East, and Asia. Internationally there are several accepted classification methods for hand-held fire extinguisher. Each classification is
Chubb Fire fighting equipment. The name Pyrene was epitomised by their famous 'pump' extinguisher which was installed on public transport, commercial and private vehicles throughout the western world. 1907 A Scottish engineer unable to get backing in the United Kingdom took his idea for a fire extinguisher to the United States. He set up in New York, and eventually became known as the Pyrene Company of Delaware. 1914 The Pyrene Company Limited began in the United Kingdom, when Wallace B. Phillips, an American set up in Great Queen Street, London, selling 'pump' extinguishers. 1918-20 The company moved to Grosvenor Gardens, London in