Foam question

[firerobz]

Is anyone using Pyrocool FEF foam. My Dept just purchased some and want us to use it on class A and B fires. We have not even tested it on live fire yet but bought a boatload. Any help would be appreciated.

[SWLAFireDawg]

Well, I have never seen, nor heard of, this foam.......however, there are many on the market. Its gimmick is that it cools the structure so that the possibility of fuel reignition from high temp steel is reduced......all foams do that to a point.

From what I read on the website, it is still a foam/air/water mix. So as it cools, it must evaporate water from the finished solution......this creates creep around any structure which allows vapors to rise above the blanket and ignite as the water will be evaporated fastest along the structural members.

What is the application rate? What percentage is it applied at? Foam applications, especially on large fires such as gasoline storage tanks, can be quite challenging and demanding. The website gives few clues. The testing of it would be the proof.

And where is the UL listing........although even those can be "skewed".......

If that is what you heve been given to work with.....learn to work with it.

[SgtScott31]

Do you guys have apparatus that inducts it? Is it just a standard structural engine where you have to pour 5 gal buckets in the tank to do such? Many things must be considered before using foam. Hopefully that was considered before going to an "all-foam" extinguishing application. Unless you have airport crash trucks, it can be quite a demanding job.. ;)

[SWLAFireDawg]

Do you guys have apparatus that inducts it? Is it just a standard structural engine where you have to pour 5 gal buckets in the tank to do such? Many things must be considered before using foam. Hopefully that was considered before going to an "all-foam" extinguishing application. Unless you have airport crash trucks, it can be quite a demanding job.. ;)

Depending on flow rates and apllication rates, using an inline eductor can make the application fairly simple, and I believe even municipal pumpers are required to carry them. Now using it on a tank fire would be silly.......

[firerobz]

The engine has a foam pro system on it. It works from .1 to 9.9%. The foam is used at a .4 to .8% for all types of fires. We played with it a little the other day. It makes a decent foam but I still question its ability to form a nice blanket. Dont know what it is going to do on the ethanol gases. We are going to use it for everything. All types of class A and B fires. I guess we will keep our 60 gallons of AFFF-AR just in case? It is going to be interesting!!!

[ResCap661]

Please see the link below before using it on anything.

http://www.ul.com/media/newsrel/nr052506.html

Back to the question Pyrocool is a wetting agent not a foam.
Should work fine on class A I wouldn't use it on Class B and surely not Ehthanol