Chicago Hi Ex Foam Ops at basement fire

Comment

Comment by Brotherhood Instructors, LLC on August 7, 2009 at 12:19pm

Ah the bubble machine! Very nice!

I am glad it worked here. Most of the time, the foam when forced into the basement drives the fire upwards through the voids and throughout the building.

It doesn't seem to be the case here, but keep in mind that if the machine is creating the foam in a toxic atmosphere (i.e. a street banked down with smoke) that the foam bubbles will have toxic gasses trapped within the bubbles as they are created. If members are sent in to check the progress of the foam operation or adjust the chutes, they should be in full PPE including a mask, even if the fire appears to be out. Attempting to find a downed firefighter in a fire building is hard enough, I couldn't imagine looking for a downed firefighter in what amounts to be a foam party!