Going Fluorine Free – Converting a Legacy AFFF System to Fluorine-Free Foam

Going Fluorine Free – Converting a Legacy AFFF System to Fluorine-Free Foam

Presented by Jeremy Souza, P.E. of Code Red Consultants, LLC

AFFF foam systems have been the standard for ignitable liquid firefighting for the past 40+ years. While an excellent extinguishing agent, the fluorinated compounds in AFFF have come under scrutiny in the past several years, with restrictions or outright bans on its use in many states. Fluorine-free foams have entered the market as replacements for AFFF, but no drop-in replacements exist. This case study looks at one of the first fluorine-free foam systems in New England to replace an existing legacy AFFF system. Differences in how fluorine-free foams work versus AFFF, which directly impacted the basis of design, along with the site-specific challenges that were overcome, will be discussed; along with the challenges that other fluorine-free replacement projects will face and tips to mitigate them.

Jeremy Souza is a project manager and fire protection engineer at Code Red Consultants. He specializes in construction fire safety compliance and fire protection system design with an emphasis on water based systems, pumps, and protection of hazardous materials and storage facilities. He has been a firefighter for 28 years, leaving the career fire service as a Deputy Chief. His fire service background focused on both structural and flammable liquid firefighting. He also serves on two NFPA Technical Committees, NFPA 14 (Standpipes) and NFPA 407 (Aircraft Fuel Servicing). Jeremy is a member of the SPFE and has presented on foam for over 20 years.