Preselecting fluorine-free foam for Schiphol Airport
Schiphol Airport will be replacing its vehicle fleet for airport firefighting with a new generation of crash tenders. In preparation of this renewal project, H2K supported Schiphol with advice and a practical test for an alternative type of firefighting foam.
Due in part to the societal discussion about fluorinated foam concentrate, a thorough consideration was made.
With reference to the practical knowledge about the use of firefighting foam during industrial firefighting gleaned by H2K, the Schiphol Group approached H2K with the question of whether they would prepare and supervise the practical test, in order to substantiate their decisions with professional advice and valid results.
The practical test was executed at a training facility of Manchester Airport. H2K wrote the testing protocol, determined the preconditions and the testing conditions, and executed a pre-selection of different types of foam. The selected foam-types were then tested on a realistic fire scenario. Under pre-conditioned and reproduceable circumstances, the extinguishing tests were performed on an actual jet fuel fire of 52 square metres, where the extinguishing capacity of the selected foam types was compared.
The Schiphol case is one of the consultancy projects H2K has supported over the years where the practical experience of H2K with operational issues for specialised industrial fire care proved incredibly useful. The practical test and the advice formulated by H2K provided Schiphol with valuable insights to make a choice for the right type of foam for the new firefighting vehicles.