Foam for aircraft rescue and fire-fighting is primarily intended to provide an air-excluding blanket which

prevents volatile flammable vapors from mixing with air or oxygen. To perform this function foam must
flow freely over the fuel surface, must resist disruption due to wind or exposure to heat of flame and
should be capable of resealing any ruptures caused by the disturbance of an established blanket. Its
water retention properties will determine its resistance to thermal exposure and will provide limited
cooling to any elements of the aircraft structure to which it adheres.

The following simple method provides a means by which the volumes of water and foam
discharged by the foam equipment may be estimated.
The results give an indication of the RFFS category that the equipment can achieve.
Volume = Amount of water (litres) used in test
Seconds = time (seconds) to discharge amount of water (Volume) used in test
VolumeSeconds×60=discharge rate per minute (litres/minute)

Volume per minute×% proportion=Volume of foam (litres)

Foams used for control and extinguishment of aircraft fires involving fuel spills are produced by
incorporation of air into a solution of foam concentrate and water. Their characteristics, as
indicated by expansion and drainage rate, are influenced by the amount of mechanical agitation
to which the water, foam concentrate, and air are subjected. They extinguish fire by physically
separating the fuel vapors from the heat and oxygen necessary for combustion, spreading over
the surface of the fuel to effectively suppress vaporization and secure an extinguished area by
protecting it from reignition. Foam, being essentially water, cools the surface of the fuel and any
metal surfaces in the fuel. The solution drainage from some foams forms an aqueous film on
most aviation fuels. It is advantageous for a foam blanket to reseal if disrupted, and essential that
either the foam has good thermal and mechanical stability or that provision is made to renew the
foam blanket from time to time during a lengthy rescue operation.

Numerous agents have been developed to extinguish combustible metal (Class D) fires, but a
given agent does not necessarily control or extinguish all metal fires. Although some agents are
valuable in working with several metals, other agents are useful in combating only one type of
metal fire. Despite their use in industry, some of these agents provide only partial control and
cannot be classified as actual extinguishing agents. Certain agents that are suitable for other
classes of fires should be avoided in the case of combustible metal fires, because violent
reactions can result (e.g., water on sodium, vaporizing liquids on magnesium fires).

(1) Control time is the time required from the arrival of the first fire-fighting vehicle to the
time the initial intensity of the fire is reduced by 90 percent
2) Extinguishment time is the time required from arrival of the first fire-fighting vehicle to the
time the fire is completely extinguished

CO2 Extinguishers:
A CO2 extinguisher is not a good choice for a Type A fire, (wood, paper, cloth), because of the force
of the CO2 gas being expelled from the extinguisher. When this type of extinguisher is used on a
wood, paper or cloth fire, the burning items are blown around the room by the force of the CO2 gas,
thereby aiding the spread of the fire. Secondly, a Type A fire will usually reignite as soon as the CO2
gas dissipates.

The CO2 extinguisher works well on a flammable liquids or an electrical fire – Types B or C fires.
They work well on an electrical fire in that they do not leave a messy residue on delicate electrical
equipment such as a dry chemical extinguishers would. The CO2 displaces the oxygen at the
surface of the fire, effectively smothering the fire. However, the fire can re ignite once the CO2 gas
dissipates if the ignition source has not been removed.

A CO2 extinguisher has a wide nozzle that locks into place. Do not hold onto the nozzle when firing
the extinguisher, this nozzle will get very cold as the CO2 gas is expelled; CO2 gas has a
temperature of minus 66C. If you are holding onto the nozzle you will receive a cold burn.

Dry Chemical Extinguishers:

The multipurpose Dry Chemical Extinguisher for a Type A,B,C fire is what you will find in most
university laboratories that contain chemicals. These extinguishers have the most range of
compatibility with items found in a lab and are good for most types of fires. A Type BC fire
extinguishers contain sodium or potassium bicarbonate and a Type ABC fire extinguishers contain
ammonium phosphate. They have an advantage over CO2 extinguishers in that they leave a blanket
of non-flammable material on the extinguished material which reduces the likelihood of re ignition.
However, they make quite a mess and the fine powder will irritate the throat and lungs.

The contents of these cylinders can pack down over time and when a person goes to use them they
may not fire. If this happens, turn the cylinder over and rap it sharply on the top to loosen the
compacted powder inside. Then try firing the cylinder again. If the cylinder will not fire – leave the
area immediately.

All fire extinguishers have fire ratings stamped on them. You should familiarize yourself with this
rating. For example, a dry chemical cylinder may have 2A, 10 BC stamped on it; this means that the
contents of the cylinder are enough to fight 2 square meters of a Type A fire or 10 square meters of
a Type B or C fire. Higher numbers mean more firefighting power

Class A—fires involving ordinary combustibles, such as paper, trash, some plastics, wood
and cloth. A rule of thumb is if it leaves an ash behind, it is a Class A fire.
Class B—fires involving flammable gases or liquids, such as propane, oil and gasoline
Class C—fires involving energized electrical components
Class D—fires involving metal. A rule of thumb is if the name of the metal ends with the
letters “um,” it is a Class D fire. Examples of this are aluminum, magnesium, beryllium and
sodium. Class D fires rarely occur in the roofing industry.
Class K—fires involving vegetable or animal cooking oils or fats; common in commercial
cooking operations using deep fat fryers