Firefighting Foams: Implementation of Fire Service Roadmap

Project Summary
Last Updated: 3-April-2023
1. Background
For decades, firefighters have been using Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFF) as the dominant Class B firefighting foams for the vapor
suppression and extinguishment of flammable liquid fires. AFFFs and other possible exposures in the fire ground are a critical concern for
long-term firefighter health including possible cancer exposures. Today, fire departments are seeking replacements for AFFFs and other
agents containing fluorosurfactants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and this includes state-based legislations that is
phasing out the use of the older foams. The currently available AFFF alternatives may have reduced capabilities and require additional
knowledge and guidance to effectively address the wide range of Class B fires encountered by firefighters. Today, fire departments
desperately need guidance to move these replacements forward. This is a complex problem, with concerns that include fire extinguishing
performance, health exposure, environmental contamination, and other concerns. This project will aim to proactively educate the fire
service on the current and anticipated future issues on firefighting foam operations and handling by regular newsletters and
recommendations of best practices to assist fire departments during this transition period in firefighting foam history.
Project website: www.nfpa.org/foamroadmap
2. Project Goal & Objectives
Project goal is to establish comprehensive best practices, firefighting tactics, and recommendations to assist fire service while using fluorine
free foams (FFF). Project aims to build on, augment and implement the fire service roadmap developed by a prior AFG FY2019 project to
assist the fire service while transitioning from fluorinated foam (i.e., AFFF) usage to fluorine free foam (FFF) technology. Specific objectives
of this project are to:
• Provide guidelines for fire departments and firefighters to help choose acceptable alternatives to fluorinated foams without “substitution
regret” and “Cradle to Grave” good practice stewardship on handling firefighting foam stocks,
• Summarize learnings from FFF transitional case studies including providing an international perspective,
• Develop standard operating procedures for FFF usage based on real world Class B fire scenarios,
• Generate a framework for future firefighter training development on using FFFs,
• Identify knowledge gaps, future research requirements while transitioning to FFFs,
• Continue to engage a cross dialogue between ongoing diverse research efforts & firefighters by providing frequent updates,
• Evaluate and refine the findings with stakeholders from fire service, to guide research, best practices, policy, etc.
3. Project Tasks
This project will be completed in 2-year timeframe with 9 primary tasks as follows:
Task 1: Project Technical Panel. A project technical panel (PTP) with key fire service representatives and subject matter experts including
diverse representations from end users, international representatives will be established to provide input, guidance, feedback throughout
the project. In addition, panel will:
(a) be a leadership focus group, in year 1 of project, to assist the Fire Service in highlighting major national and major regional “Foam
Roadmap” issues that need support beyond the resources of one fire department or one state in making the foam transition, and
(b) to develop and ensure a path forward for recommending a “Foam Roadmap” center of excellence (CoE) organization to support fire
service in year 2 and beyond. This focus group discussion will also aim to clarify the future governance of CoE along with identifying potential
sources of funding for sustaining CoE. An example model of CoE will be Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition.
Task 2: Project Workplan. Project team will develop a workplan and convene with PTP to clarify project scope and related details.
Task 3: Advances in FFF Technology. Conduct a comprehensive review of literature, and ongoing research findings to update the existing
understanding of fluorine free foam (FFF) usage in firefighting and suppression applications. The review will include the following:
3.1. Evolution of FFFs
• Update the evolution of FFFs and clarify the current landscape of the use of FFFs by fire departments and industrial end users.
• Identify various types of FFF applications by three main user segments:
o Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting,
o Municipal Fire Departments,
o Large Storage Tank Petrochemical/Refinery Firefighting

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• Summarize guidelines for acceptable alternatives to fluorinated foams including the consideration of wetting and emulsifying agents.
This will also consider the new MilSpec standard, DoD guidelines, other standards including relevant international guidance available.
3.2. Fire Suppression Effectiveness of FFFs:
• Update the state of knowledge of fire suppression performance characteristics of FFFs and identify the combination of parameters that
influence the firefighting performance of FFF technology including types of foam, fuel, hardware technology and application technique.
• Summarize the published data on the application rates for FFFs. This include published data in technical literature, as well as relevant
data from manufacturer testing and other independent third-party testing that are available for inclusion in the final report.
• Identify hardware requirements for effective use/application of FFFs and summarize best practices for using foam proportioning systems,
and discharge devices for the application of FFFs.
3.3. Health & Environmental Issues:
• Summarize/update best practices and standards for care, cleaning and contamination control for firefighters and fire departments.
• Update best practice guidance for foam disposal and remediation practices that are followed by various States, fire departments and
learnings from relevant research studies.
• Review and summarize best practices in ongoing foam assurance to maximize shelf life and effectiveness.
Task 4: Transitional Case Study vs. Real-World Fire Scenario Analysis.
4.1. Transitional Case Studies: Summarize the learnings from FFF transitional case studies and incident experiences (successful and
unsuccessful) from the US and around the world.
4.2. Fire Scenario Analysis:
• Identify a portfolio of real-world Class B fire scenarios that will be experienced by the three user segment fire departments (i.e., ARFF,
Municipal, Industrial). Examples include a gasoline tanker fire on highway dealt by municipal fire departments.
• Develop strategies, tactics, best practices and identify limitations based on the current understanding of FFFs performance effectiveness
for fire scenarios identified.
Task 5: Key Safety Infrastructure Support. Provide value-added deliverables in support of the safety infrastructure for fire service transition
to FFFs.
5.1. Standardization: Provide key guidance and supporting information for the evolving changes required to update standards, including
addressing application techniques, hardware, policies, and similar standardization issues.
5.2. Training and Re-Training: Develop a framework including protocols, key characteristics and supporting materials, for the development
and establishment of essential training and re-training materials (e.g., printed curricula, immersive learning training approaches, etc.).
Task 6. Fire Service Communication & Engagement. The project technical panel (PTP) is chartered to be key fire service representatives
and subject matter experts who will be established to provide input, guidance, feedback throughout the project. In addition, the panel can
be:
(a) a significant conduit of information from the project team to the fire service using the proposed “Foam Roadmap” quarterly newletter
to update the fire service on issues related to the foam transition, and
(b) a conduit of information from the fire service to the project team as the “Foam Roadmap” is updated and issues are raised, and solutions
are discovered as Best Practices during this journey.
Task 7: Stakeholder Workshop. A stakeholder workshop will be conducted in Year 2 of the project with at least 2 to 3 dozen key fire service
stakeholders and SMEs to review, evaluate and refine baseline information established in Tasks 3, 4, 5 and guide the development of best
practices and recommendations for firefighters. Workshop will bring together the project panel, fire service members and SMEs from all
user segments across the US, around the world and additional end users.
Task 8: Gap Analysis. Identify the current knowledge gaps and summarize future research requirements that needs to be addressed for
implementing FFF technology.
Task 9: Reporting & Dissemination. Project Tasks will be documented through a final report along with separate proceeding documenting
workshop. This will be reviewed with PTP to confirm final enhancements and published online. Deliverables will be broadly circulated
through various outreach venues including relevant conference presentations.
4. Implementation and Schedule:
The project is funded by a DHS/FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, Award No.: EMW-2021-FP-00109. This
research project is administratively led by the Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) with principal technical leader
provided by Jensen Hughes, Inc., and SMEs from DFW Dynamics, DSRAE, LLC, ENRG Consultants. The project is scheduled to
be completed by September 2024.

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