- Author
- Stern, J. | Routley, J. G.
- Title
- Class A Foam for Structural Firefighting, December 1996. USFA Fire Investigation Technical Report Series.
- Coporate
- TriData Corp., Arlington, VA
- Sponsor
- Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC
- Report
- Report 083, 1996, 57 p.
- Distribution
- AVAILABLE FROM: U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), 16825 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727. Telephone: 301-447-1000. Website: http://www.usfa.fema.gov
- Contract
- EMW-94-C-4423
- Keywords
- fire investigations | foam extinguishing systems | structures | fire suppression | fire fighting | fire fighting equipment | water supply | conservation | water damage | extinguishment | fire hoses | costs | training | safety
- Identifiers
- Compressed Air Foam Systems (CAFS)
- Abstract
- The increasing use of class A foam systems by urban and suburban fire departments for structural fire suppression has created a demand for information on this technology. While class A foams have been used extensively by wildland and rural fire departments, their application to structural fire suppression is a recent trend. This report discusses the use of class A foaming agents in conjunction with water for fire suppression (conventional or nozzle-aspirated class A foam systems); it also provides additional information on the use of class A foam agents with water and compressed air (compressed air foam systems, or CAFS). Many fire departments have conducted their own field testing of class A foam to evaluate its effectiveness in structure fires. Several departments have attempted to adapt class A foam equipment that was originally developed for wildland firefighting for structural firefighting operations. Many benefits of class A foam have been reported, including quicker fire extinguishment, faster overhaul time, less damage to buildings, and reduced fatigue on fire fighting personnel due to quicker mop-up after the fire is out. Additional advantages reported with CAFS include the ability to maneuver attack lines easily and the ability to extend available water supply for a longer period of time. Exposure protection is greatly enhanced with class A foam.