Perimeter Solutions Addresses Foam Knowledge Gap

July 19, 2023

Perimeter Solutions addresses foam knowledge gap with “Know Your Foam” training sessions. In-class and hands-on application course offered at no cost to fire departments, fire management organisations

Perimeter Solutions a global manufacturer of high-quality firefighting products and lubricant additives, is conducting training sessions on the use of Class A and Class B foam application for fire departments and other interested fire management organizations around the United States. The four-hour “Know Your Foam” training course is offered at no cost and includes in-class instruction and hands-on application to train firefighters on the proper use of firefighting foam.

“Right now, there is a knowledge gap among firefighters about the use of foam and the advantages it introduces to firefighting when compared to exclusively using water to battle a fire,” says Norbe Puroll, who leads the Know Your Foam program for Perimeter Solutions. “During this session we demonstrate how to apply firefighting foam using the proper technique. Foam improves the overall effectiveness of water. It lowers the fire’s heat more rapidly and lowers the chance of fire rekindles. Quicker extinguishment time helps lower the chance of a firefighter injury, creates less water damage and improves the chance of saving residents if trapped. This also reduces fuel cost and decreases the wear and tear on trucks that aren’t required to be on site as long.”

According to Puroll, the Los Angeles County Fire Department Palmdale Study showed that it took 73 gallons of water to put out a specific type of Class A fire. When foam was added, the amount of water required dropped to 44 gallons, while using compressed air foam brought the amount of water needed down even further, to 16 gallons. Tests on cooling time showed that it took six minutes for water to bring down the temperature of a fire from 600° F to 200° F. When foam was added, the same cooling time was reduced to only one minute and 45 seconds. This increases survivable space for firefighters and occupants.

During the Know Your Foam session, attendees learn how these advantages cut on-scene time for firefighters in half and they receive instruction on how to use a manual eductor and foam injection systems. The session covers how foam is used with their existing equipment and advises on proper in-house maintenance to ensure equipment is always ready. Instructors also share tips and tricks they have learned from decades of experience using firefighting foam.

Know Your Foam attendees are also given a tutorial on the proper use of suppressant agents: Class A, Class B, wet water, air/ground applied retardants, and gels. The use of newer fluorine-free Class B foams is also covered. This is gaining interest among fire management organizations that are required to use MIL-SPEC products. In 2021, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a Certification Alert to airport authorities and operators, removing a mandate to use fluorinated foams and authorizing the use of fluorine-free products that are included on the Department of Defense Qualified Products List (QPL). The first fluorine-free foams to be included on the QPL are expected to be added in the coming months.

“We need to reinforce good foam application tactics as the way you suppress flames with Class B fluorine-free foams when used on flammable liquids. Firefighters who completed foam training even as little as two years ago will learn something new by attending a Know Your Foam session,” adds Puroll.

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