BY JONATHAN M. HINSON

A large-scale flammable liquid fire or emergency can occur anywhere, since these commodities are used everywhere in the country. With this in mind, every department needs to be prepared should something go wrong while these flammable liquids are being transported through or stored in its jurisdiction.

The two biggest consumable resources fire departments would need for a flammable liquid event are water and foam concentrate. Being able to get large quantities of water into the unique places these events occur, like on interstates and railways, is something most jurisdictions have—or should have—a plan for, but foam concentrate is a much different aspect that is not readily available like water.

When you ask many fire officers and chiefs who they are going to call when they have a need for foam, you will get a wide variety of answers such as the airport, a fuel terminal or refinery, a higher level of government, or maybe the generic answer of “somebody.” Who is that somebody? Is it the local airport? Is it another fire department or a state agency? You might be surprised at the answer you could get if you call for these resources without having a predetermined agreement or actual understanding of how the process works.

No matter where the foam comes from, the foam’s owner is more than likely going to want some type of reimbursement promise, as foam concentrate is rather expensive. A 325-gallon tote of alcohol-resistive aqueous film forming foam (AR-AFFF) can cost more than $10,000. Most localities (and their taxpayers) or businesses (and their shareholders) aren’t always willing to share a consumable resource with such a high price tag that was probably purchased to protect some specific target hazard within their jurisdiction or facility. While in the heat of battle, firefighters generally aren’t concerned with what it costs. However, an agency that is going to send tens of thousands of dollars of foam to an incident wants to know who is going to pay for it. In most cases, the responsible party or party that caused the incident is liable for the cost of the response. The reimbursement process can vary from state to state, so it is important to understand how the reimbursement process works within your locality or state. It is also just as important for you to understand what your authority is within your jurisdiction to authorize the use of and high cost for foam and whether you are the organization using the foam or the organization sending the foam, especially in cases where the responsible party is not known or is not going to be able to pay.

AIRPORTS

Most commercial airports have larger quantities of foam both on their aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) trucks and stocked as reserve. However, planning to use this foam is not always as feasible as many firefighters think because of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules that govern the airports, including the on-site firefighting capabilities. FAA regulations require that a certain number (depending on airport size) of firefighters and ARFF trucks be on site and ready at all times to keep the airport open and in operation. Having any of these required resources leave the airport property would cause the airport to shut down and more than likely create chaos for travelers and airlines. Most airports aren’t going to shut down and create the chaos for travelers to help with an incident off the airport property. Some airports may, however, have staffing and equipment above and beyond what the FAA requires so they could be able to assist. To determine what your local airport has to offer, contact it and have that discussion to figure how when and how it can help.