Local police departments using new type of fire extinguisher

MISSION, Kan. - Police have a new weapon to keep you safe, but it doesn't shoot bullets, it squirts water.

"We found that a traditional fire extinguisher … it's not very effective, especially against vehicle fires which is what we run across most often," Mission Police Chief John Simmons said. "It's also very expensive to maintain."

Mission police have found that a product called " Cold Fire" solved both problems for them. It puts out fires by supercooling them.

It also benefits victims trapped in a car fire.

"This particular product supercools the area around them … helps to extinguish the fire and … I think will do a much better job in lifesaving," Simmons said.

Pedro Marin was trapped under his burning car after a rollover crash on the Johnson Drive exit ramp off Interstate 435 on June 30, 2012. Shawnee Police used Cold Fire, and Marin knows he would be worse off without it.

He still wears a neck brace.

"More than this injury, I was lucky not to catch fire," he said.

Mission Police bought the product in 2008 and have used it numerous times since then. They have even purchased aerosol sized units for their detective cars.

"This doesn't mean that we're going to try to be firefighters, we completely understand what our role in this is," Simmons said. "However, we often arrive at the scene before the firefighters get there."

But they hope that they can prevent more injuries and save more lives.