Portable Fire-Fighting Foam Operations

Applicator Foam Medium expansion foam is used for Applicator foam. It has an expansion ratio from about 15:1 up to 150:1. It is made from the same concentrates as high expansion foam, but its aeration does not require a fan. Portable applicators can be used to deliver considerable quantities of foam on to spill fires, but their throw is limited and the foam is liable to be dispersed in moderate winds. Foam applicators are a supplement to the foam monitors. Sheltered areas not reachable by the foam monitors can be covered by a foam applicator. This gives increased flexibility. Different applicators are available, covering varying needs for proportioning ratio, Typically, an applicator needs to be supplied with a fire hose and a foam concentrate container and is stored in a foam station.

Describes Applicator Foam Systems Medium expansion foam is used for applicator foam. It has an expansion ratio from about 15:1 up to 150:1. It is made from the same concentrates as high expansion foam, but its aeration does not require a fan. Portable applicators can be used to deliver considerable quantities of foam on to spill fires, but their throw is limited and the foam is liable to be dispersed in moderate winds. Foam applicators are a supplement to the foam monitors. Sheltered areas not reachable by the foam monitors can be covered by a foam applicator. This gives increased flexibility. Different applicators are available, covering varying needs for proportioning ratio, Typically, an applicator needs to be supplied with a fire hose and a foam concentrate container and is stored in a foam station

Portable Foam Fire Extinguishers

A fire extinguisher (also called a flame extinguisher or simply an extinguisher) is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire.

Foam is applied to fuel fires in either:

  • Aspirated form (mixed and expanded with air in a branch pipe), or
  • Non-aspirated form,

to create a frothy blanket or seal over the fuel, preventing oxygen from reaching it.

Unlike Dry Chemical Powder (DCP), foam can be used to progressively extinguish fires without flashback.

Common types used in portable foam extinguishers include:

  • AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam): The most common type in portable foam extinguishers. Used on Class A and Class B fires, and for vapour suppression.
  • AR-AFFF (Alcohol-Resistant Aqueous Film Forming Foam): Used on fuel fires containing alcohol. Forms a membrane between the fuel and the foam blanket, preventing the alcohol from breaking down the foam.
  • FFFP (Film Forming Fluoroprotein): Contains naturally occurring proteins from animal by-products and synthetic film-forming agents. Creates a foam blanket that is more heat-resistant than strictly synthetic AFFF foams. Works well on alcohol-based liquids and is widely used in motorsports.
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