ARFF Vehicle Reference Guide - Oshkosh Airport Products

In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the governing body of civil aviation which oversees, regulates, and coordinates airports and airspace operations. However, standards and procedures vary across the globe. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized United Nations agency which coordinates and helps reach a global consensus on international civil aviation standards and recommended practices. These aviation agencies interact with one another to participate in global policy and procedure creation, including the determination of airport index assignments. The ICAO utilizes a numbers-based airport index category system (Category 1 to 10), and the FAA utilizes a letters-based system (Index A to E).  Each agency then prescribes the minimum amount of firefighting agent which is required for a particular size airport which are covered under their jurisdiction.

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The FAA classifies ARFF trucks by five categories - classes one through five. These classifications segregate vehicles by what types of fire suppression agent and how much of the agents are carried on a vehicle.

The FAA explains ARFF vehicle class as the following:

Vehicle Class

Water/Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) Requirement

Dry Chemical or Halogenated Agent Requirement

Vehicle Example

Class 1 ARFF

100 gallons

500 pounds of dry chemical (sodium or 450 potassium based) or 460 pounds of halogenated agent

Class 2 ARFF

300 gallons

500 pounds of dry chemical or 460 pounds of halogenated agent

Class 3 ARFF

500 gallons

500 pounds of dry chemical or 460 pounds of halogenated agent

Class 4 ARFF

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1,500 gallons

No requirement

Striker 4x4

Class 5 ARFF

3,000 to 4,000 gallons

Striker 6x6 and Striker 8x8

ARFF vehicles carry a variety of fire agents (either as a single agent or in combination with another agent):

• sodium-based dry chemical or potassium-based dry chemical
• halogenated (gaseous clean agents), and
• water and firefighting foams, such as AFFF, Film-Forming Fluoroprotein Foam (FFFP), and Fluorine Free Foam (FFF).
  
  

Water

Water has been the most popular fire suppressant throughout history and can be useful in fighting class A fires (fires made up of common combustible solids). Water is ineffective at suppressing oil and electrical fires (Class B and C fires) and can actually be dangerous if used on either. Water is also used to be mixed with foam.

Firefighting Foam

Firefighting foam was invented in the early ’s and has evolved into various forms for different types of fires. Class A foam was originally made for use against forest fires and is used similarly to water. Class B foam is meant for liquid spills, and firefighting foams fall under this category. Firefighting foams can have a low viscosity and can quickly and efficiently cover large amounts of spilled jet fuel. Foam creates a vapor barrier between the fuel source and the oxygen in the atmosphere, suppressing the fire.

Dry Chemicals

There are also various types of dry chemicals made for different purposes. Some of the most popular are ABC chemical and BC chemical. ABC chemical is the most versatile and can be used to suppress all types of fires. Combining dry chemical powder into the water/foam solution is advantageous when dealing with a Class B fire.

Dry chemicals are frequently used in industrial settings, where chemical and electrical fires are at a high risk. Dry chemicals are only used when needed due to the fine particulates which spread easily over a large area and create cleanup challenges.

In an ARFF emergency scenario, fire suppression agent conservation is critical because, in most cases, everything needed must be transported to the scene and contained within the apparatus and equipment. Compressed air foam (CAFS) is not new in the use of structural fires; however, in recent years, it has been tested and proven effective for use in Class B/fuel fires. Traditionally, ARFF crews operated using aspirating turrets and nozzles. CAFS provides a simple system where air is injected into the water/foam solution before moving into the piping of the turret or hose line. Pressurized air injected into the water and foam solution expands the foam many more times than a conventional aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) nozzle – which relies on mechanically mixing ambient air with the water and foam solution at the nozzle. The result is CAFS which has a thicker consistency and creates a superior foam blanket, with a lower amount of water required.

Oshkosh Airport Products’ system uses an on-board air compressor which offers unlimited CAFS firefighting capability without having to recharge air cylinders. The attributes of CAFS allow foam to cling to vertical surfaces and provide a highly effective insulating effect. Thicker foam blankets mitigate fuel vapors for extended time periods, and higher expansion ratios mean responders need less water. In recent years, Oshkosh Airport Products has experienced increased industry demand for CAFS and has a system ready to go to market.

Oshkosh’s electric foam proportioning system (Eco EFP™) can test a vehicle’s foam system to determine if the system is properly proportioning, without requiring foam to be discharged from the vehicle. It measures both the solution and foam flows on the vehicle and archives the testing data with a time and date stamp. This reduces the environmental impact of foam testing, along with reducing the cost of cleaning up the foam solution after the test.

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