Reposted from EMR-ISAC

For decades, firefighters have been using aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) for the vapor suppression and extinguishment of flammable liquid fires.

All AFFFs make use of chemicals containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS. PFAS are a class of compounds with man-made carbon-fluorine bonds. These compounds improve the fire suppression capabilities of firefighting foams. However, PFAS are harmful to human health and the environment. Legislators in the United States and internationally are phasing out the use of PFAS-containing foams in military, aviation, industrial, and municipal firefighting arenas. In making the transition away from AFFFs, the fire service has several areas of concern:

• The health, safety, and environmental impacts of the PFAS in legacy AFFFs and how to limit exposure to these harmful chemicals.
• The rapidly changing regulatory landscape. Evolving regulations impact the use of firefighting foams containing PFAS and the way the foam is contained, recycled, or destroyed after use.
• Foam industry changes and the selection of AFFF alternatives. Many transitional and PFAS-free foam alternatives are being developed and tested. Standards are being developed to allow industry to benchmark and certify these new foam products in a reliable way. However, fire suppression capabilities still vary widely among these new foams, and they may come with their own safety risks.
• Changes to tactics and training. The fire service needs up-to-date information on how well new foams perform and what changes in tactics are required to use them effectively. This will impact how firefighters are trained to fight future flammable liquid fires.
• Changes to equipment. Existing equipment used with legacy foam should be cleaned until no longer contaminated with PFAS. Cleaning methods should incorporate ways to contain and dispose of the effluent used for cleaning, since the effluent will be contaminated with PFAS. Additionally, new foams may require different hardware so that the new foam solutions can be dispersed effectively.

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