Firefighting foam

Firefighting foam is a foam used for fire suppression. Its role is to cool the fire and to coat the fuel, preventing its contact with oxygen, resulting in suppression of the combustion. Fire-fighting foam was invented by the Russian engineer and chemist Aleksandr Loran in 1902.

The foams most commonly used are aqueous film forming foams (AFFF), or synthetic foams. Firefighting foam is mixed with water and often applied to fire through the use of a foam proportioner and hose stream or a premixed foam solution.

Types of Firefighting Foam

There are several types of firefighting foam including:

• Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF)
• Alcohol Resistant Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AR-AFFF)
• Fluoroprotein Foam (FP)
• Film Forming Fluoroprotein (FFFP)
• Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS)

Uses

Firefighting foam is primarily used for suppressing class B fires. Class B fires are those that involve flammable or combustible liquids, petroleum greases, tars, oils, oil-based paints, solvents, lacquers, alcohols, and flammable gases.

Health and Environmental Concerns

There are health and environmental concerns associated with firefighting foam. Some foams contain Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) or Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which are considered to be harmful to the environment and to human health.

See Also

• Fire extinguisher
• Fire suppression system
• Fire class

References

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  Firefighters spraying foam
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  Water Tender CAFS demonstration