By Shawn A. Oke

So, it is time to purchase a foam concentrate for the first time or replenish your current foam concentrate supply. What do you need to do now?

There are several considerations before you rush out to purchase those heavy buckets of bubble-making concentrate. The most important thing to remember, regardless of whether this is your initial purchase or you are replenishing your inventory, is to not let money be the sole deciding factor in your decision-making process. Many departments simply let the per-gallon cost of foam concentrate drive their decision on what to purchase. This can have disastrous consequences that will end up costing you a lot more than the savings you realized from buying a cheaper concentrate.

What Type?

The first decision in making a foam concentrate purchase is to determine what type of foam concentrate will be needed to properly protect your community. There are several options available on the market today, so determining the hazards to be protected is very important. If you live in a rural community with few or no Class B hazards, then you shouldn’t focus on purchasing Class B foam concentrate. On the contrary, if you have a large amount of Class B fuel storage in your community, you shouldn’t focus on Class A foam. If you have a mix of Class A and Class B fuels, then examining a proven National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 18, Standard on Wetting Agents, compliant concentrate might be your best choice. You should spend time reading NFPA 18; NFPA 1150, Standard on Foam Chemicals for Fires in Class A Fuels; and NFPA 11, Standard for Low-, Medium-, and High-Expansion Foam. These three standards will provide you with the information you need regarding the types of foam concentrates available on the market and the fires they will properly work to extinguish. It is very important to do your research in determining what type of foam concentrate will best suit your community. You don’t want to invest a large amount of your community’s money in a concentrate that will not suit your needs.

If you determine an NFPA 18-compliant foam concentrate is best for you, then you have a little extra homework. You should request that the manufacturer provide you with a copy of its latest independent testing data showing the results for tests outlined in NFPA 18. The majority of NFPA 18 foam concentrates have been tested by Underwriters Laboratories to determine if they meets or exceed the testing outlined in NFPA 18. The manufacturer can provide you with a copy of its test data so you, the end user, can use performance data to compare the performance of the different NFPA 18-compliant foam concentrates. If you compare this test data, you will be able to determine which concentrates are the better performing concentrates. This research will greatly assist you in determining the best performing concentrates available to your department. If the manufacturer refuses to release its independent testing data, that should be a red flag regarding the concentrate’s performance abilities.

Compatibility

Your foam concentrate’s compatibility with other concentrates is an important factor in the purchasing process. If you are purchasing a foam concentrate for the first time, then concentrate compatibility is not going to be as big of a concern. If you are replenishing your current inventory, it is vital that whatever new foam concentrate you purchase be compatible with the foam concentrate already in your department—especially if the concentrate is going to be placed in a tank using an onboard delivery system. If you decide to take the low-bid approach and switch t