Comparative Evaluation of Firefighting Foam Agents

Information was obtained by conducting laboratory experiments and large-scale fire tests which were of value in estimating the fire extinguishing effectiveness of eight Aqueous-Film-Forming-Foams(AFFF), 11 fluoroprotein foams (FPF), and three protein foam (PF) agents.

Large-scale fire tests were performed under fixed fire conditions employing air aspirating and non-air-aspirating nozz1es on 82.4-, 101-, and 143-foot diameter Jet A fuel fires. Experiments were performed with only one foam agent which was considered representative of each class.

Experiments tend to validate the continuation of allowing a 30-percent reduction in the water requirement at certificated U.S. airports when AFFF is substituted for protein foam (Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 139.49) and to maintain a 1:1 equivalency ratio when fluoroprotein foam is substituted for protein foam. The data also tend to substantiate the validity of allowing an equivalent reduction in water requirements at airports when the 3-percent AFFF, FPF and PE agents are substituted for the 6-percent agents within each class.

Authors: George B. Geyer, Lawrence M. Neri, Charles H. Urban