Left to right: Javier Castro (Auxquimia), AC James Knighton (LFB), Antonio Acuna (Auxquimia), and Ray Dawber (Auxquimia).
The London Fire Brigade switches its foam
Published: 12 May, 2011
For the next 2.5 years the LFB will be using fire fighting and training foam from Auxquimia.
According to Auxquimia, London Fire Brigade was seeking two things: first was a cost effective solution to its fire fighting and training foam requirements – the LFB required a foam solution which would extinguish both class A and class B fires.
The second item on the LFB’s agenda was to reduce its environmental impact by having a single induction rate rather than a variable 3x6% rate.
The LFB therefore set out a new requirement that the foam had to be inducted at 3% in both hydrocarbon and polar solvent fires. Auxquimia was asked to provide samples of the foam concentrates for evaluation purposes by independent organisation Bureau Veritas, against the strict requirements laid down by the London Fire Brigade.
Auxquimia’s products were awarded high marks on both their environmental impact and their capability to quickly extinguish both class A and class B fires, including polar solvent fires.
The Spanish company will now supply London with its Polyfoam 3/3 AFFF-AR foam, a Class IA in hydrocarbons and Class IB in polar solvents – the product is also LASTFIRE approved (as 'good') with all three nozzles.
The foam will be used on London’s front-line pumping appliances and emergency response units. Auxquimia will also supply London Fire Brigade with SF-60 High expansion and TF-136 training foam – both fluorine-free foam concentrates.
As this training foam is fluorine-free and has a very low impact on the environment (due to low COD and BOD levels), following talks with the UK’s Environment Agency the LFB will be allowed to start re-training firefighters in the use of foam on several of their sites – something which has not been allowed for a number of years.
In addition to its emergency stocks in Spain and its fast turn-around production capacity, Auxquimia now has additional UK stock to service both standard and emergency 24-hour requirements.
Speaking on behalf of the company, MD Antonio Acuna said: “It is a great privilege for Auxquimia to be awarded the contract to supply the London Fire Brigade with their foam requirements. We are looking forward to building a lasting relationship with the Brigade. It is a great achievement for Auxquimia to be associated with one of the largest brigades in the world. This achievement now gives Auxquimia a strategic footprint within the UK on which to build.”
Auxquimia SA is an independent family-run company, based in the north of Spain which has been producing fire fighting and training foam concentrates for the last 35 years.
