Wildland fire services have successfully integrated compressed air foam systems (CAFS) into their fire suppression arsenal over the last few decades to effectively increase the firefighting ability of water. Many urban fire departments have done the same, but far more still rely on plain water to extinguish Class A fires. Many claims have been made about the advantages and disadvantages of firefighting foams, but only limited research has been conducted on the subject to date. Fire departments need more information, beyond that provided by foam suppliers and CAFS equipment manufacturers, to make an independent decision on whether or not to adopt the technology. This thesis is part of a larger project sponsored by the United States Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program (grant ID: EMW-2010-FP-01369) to evaluate the capabilities and limitations of compressed air foam systems (CAFS) for use in structural firefighting applications. Large-scale tests comparing water and foam suppression, which includes aspirated foam and CAFS, in a variety of scenarios were performed to measure the ability of the hose streams to reduce the temperature of a hot gas layer within a structure. These temperature reductions were recorded with thermocouples and are analyzed to determine which suppression agent has a superior gas cooling ability.

This report provides a general overview of nozzle-aspirated class A and compressed air foam systems. It then discusses hands-on evaluations by several fire departments that are currently using class A foam systems in structural fire suppression or wildland/urban interface fire protection. Reported advantages and disadvantages in the use of class A foams and CAFS in structural firefighting, both from field experience and from recent fire protection literature, are included in this report.

The ONE handbook thousands of fire officers and firefighters look to for safe, fireground-tested strategies and tactics. With his fifth edition, Chief John Norman offers lessons learned during his extensive and time-honored career. Chief Norman imparts wisdom and experience by offering advice informed by actual outcomes from the fireground. This guide continues to be invaluable for firefighters aspiring to the officer level and those seeking to promote safety and effectiveness in their organization and the communities they serve by improving their own skills. NEW TO THIS EDITION This fifth edition conveys valuable information gained over the past several years from scientific research relating to the tactics that we use to the changes that have taken place within our communities. Failure to recognize change and adapt to it places a fire department at a great disadvantage and can cost lives and property. The community changes that most directly affect the fire service today include faster, hotter, and more toxic fires and significantly reduced staffing in many fire departments. These are inescapable facts. Our challenge is to use the knowledge that is at our disposal to select the right tools, technologies, and tactics to safely and successfully adapt to and overcome these challenges. Chief John Norman has updated his best-selling book for fire officers and firefighters to include: A new chapter on fires in cellars and basements, which have taken on a deadlier aspect in recent years. How to safely deal with cumulative changes in the modern fire environment. The role of fire departments in terrorism and homeland security about specific threats from response to active shooters and sieges to bio-weapons. Divided into two parts—General Firefighting Tactics and Specific Fire Situations—Fire Officer’s Handbook of Tactics, 5th edition, begins with establishing ground rules for structural firefighting and then moves to specific situations of fires and emergencies in the most common structures and occupancies. The many photos, illustrations, and anecdotes provide readers with a greater understanding of the concepts and lessons in the text. As new technologies are introduced into the modern fire service, the basic strategies of firefighting—protecting life, confining the fire, and extinguishing the fire—do not change. What changes are the tactics.