Fire suppression technology is at a pivotal juncture as industries worldwide transition from traditional aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to synthetic fluorine-free foams (SFFF).
This shift is driven by environmental concerns and stricter regulations aimed at reducing the use of harmful chemicals.
The move to SFFF necessitates significant adjustments in firefighting equipment, system design and hazard analysis.
Certifications like UL and FM approvals play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of these new systems.
Innovations such as electronic foam proportioners are emerging to meet the challenges of this transition, offering improved efficiency and environmental compliance.
In this exclusive interview, Editor Iain Hoey speaks with Dennis Convy, Business Development Manager at Fire Lion Global.
They delve into the company’s innovative technology, the industry-wide shift from AFFF to SFFF foams and the critical importance of these solutions in safeguarding high-risk environments.
Fire Lion Global is a manufacturer of positive displacement pumps specifically designed for foam systems in firefighting applications.
In addition to that, we distribute an electronic foam proportioner (EFP).
We provide UL-listed and FM-approved foam pump sets, along with the FM proportioning system.
We support these products globally with commissioning services and general maintenance.
Our products are primarily used in industrial firefighting applications such as oil and gas facilities, business aviation sectors and certain manufacturing industries.
The most frequent question I get is, “Will my pump work with the new SFFF?” The answer is yes, your pump will work – the more important question they should ask is if their duty point is the same.
Transitioning to SFFF involves changes in foam properties like viscosity, which can affect system design.
You may need higher horsepower to drive the pumps or larger pipe sizes.
We have to go back to the beginning, perform a hazard analysis and select appropriate listed materials and equipment to properly protect the hazard.
UL is a testing facility that ensures products perform as advertised and function correctly in intended situations.
They test to make sure products work when they’re supposed to and assess any potential harm the product might cause.
For fire protection, UL ensures that products work in the actual fire scenarios they’re intended for.
FM is a global insurer with its own testing criteria, often slightly different from UL’s.
Both certifications are important and globally recognized in the fire protection industry.
They assure the end user is getting a high-quality product.
In life safety products, you definitely don’t want a substandard product.
Unfortunately, we sometimes see products that aren’t UL or FM certified getting into service.
Currently, Fire Lion is the only manufacturer with UL and FM certifications for positive displacement pumps used in firefighting foam systems.
This sets us apart because it provides assurance to our customers that our products meet the highest safety and performance standards.
With the transition to SFFF, we encounter many custom applications.
Fire Lion offers bare shaft pumps specifically for the firefighting industry, including industrial firefighting equipment and trucks.
We also offer FM-approved pump sets, which include the controller, pump, pressure relief valve (PRV) and driver engine or electric motor.
We can provide complete turnkey skids that meet the specific requirements of their site.
For example, aircraft hangars might need a standard NEMA panel, while industrial sites like refineries may require a NEMA 4X panel due to harsh outdoor conditions like dust, dirt and proximity to the ocean.
Lead times depend on the specialized equipment selected, but we keep foam pumps and components in stock, allowing us to build and deliver pumps typically within a few weeks.
The rest of the lead time is determined by the suppliers of the specialized materials.
My work involves collaborating with customers—end users, engineers, or contractors—to analyze existing systems and available components.
We help them determine the best path to meet code requirements.
This often involves reviewing the existing system and the calculations that the designer has run, assisting with supply-side calculations to ensure they have adequate piping supply to feed the pump.
Many times, people haven’t considered the supply-side calculation needed to feed the pump.
If the pump isn’t properly fed, it can’t meet the duty point.
I think a lot of this boils down to the availability of information and education about the differences.
Many people still believe that SFFF is a drop-in replacement or that only minor modifications to the system are needed.
But again, we have to go back and start with a hazard analysis and choose the correct listed components.
South America faces a prevalence of non-listed or mismatched components being used.
In the U.S., non-listed components generally don’t penetrate the market, but as we go South, we see transitions that make us stop and scratch our heads.
This stems from inadequate hazard analysis and not selecting tested components specifically for the application.
For example, someone might have UL-certified foam but use it with foam chambers from 1988 that aren’t cross-listed with new concentrates.
They may think they’ve completed a foam transition, but they’ve just changed the fluid without knowing if the delivery mechanism will work.
It’s surprising because there are resources and experienced engineers available locally, yet they’re not fully utilized to analyze fire hazards and select appropriate listed components.
I’d like to see more utilization of the available information and expertise to ensure proper hazard analysis and the selection of appropriately listed components.
Unlike traditional foam pumps adapted from industrial fluid transfer pumps that require frequent maintenance, Fire Lion’s foam pump was specifically designed by Tom Reser to address these issues.
Foam pumps typically sit idle for long periods, so our pumps are designed to need minimal maintenance and be easily field-repairable.
I like to tell people that if you need to fix a Fire Lion pump, you can do it with your grandfather’s tools.
You don’t need specialized pullers or tools, and you don’t have to send it into a shop for rebuilding.
There are no timing gears or lubrication required—the pump is lubricated by the foam concentrate itself.
We offer rebuild kits for our pumps.
Most of the time, when someone asks for a rebuild kit, I ask a series of questions to determine the root cause of failure.
Usually, the root cause isn’t the pump itself but issues like omitted safety valves or misalignment during installation.
For example, the pump might have been aligned at the factory and shipped but never aligned during commissioning.
We provide commissioning services, annual services and maintenance agreements that extend warranties on all the equipment we supply, including the complete foam skids.
Our pumps are designed to be low maintenance, making it easier for customers to maintain their systems.
With changes in foam, many end users are trying to transition away from foam but haven’t found a complete solution yet.
Some products on the market may replace foam in certain situations, such as transitioning to other firefighting types of equipment or passive firefighting methods.
However, currently, there’s nothing better than foam for extinguishing Class B flammable liquid fires at fuel terminals or in aircraft hangars.
For Fire Lion, we’re very busy now and expect to be for the next five to eight years as each region or country starts transitioning to SFFF.
There might be some applications for water mist systems in the future, but right now, I don’t see any that can handle some of the hazards we encounter.
One important innovation is the electronic foam proportioner.
It’s variable in viscosity and range and is FM approved—the only electronic foam proportioner on the market with this approval.
It allows you to test the foam system without using any foam concentrate.
You don’t have to mix foam concentrate during the test, capture it, contain it, or dispose of it.
This eliminates environmental concerns and reduces costs.
Traditional mechanical proportioning systems may require several people on-site performing tests on large systems.
The site itself might have the fire protection system down for days, meaning they’re not producing.
This can cost $10,000 to $50,000 a day in lost production.
With the electronic foam proportioning system, you can test the system in minutes and get accurate results.
It doesn’t require a lot of labor, and you don’t waste foam.
You don’t have to purchase new foam concentrate because you’ve mixed some to take a sample, and you don’t have to pay thousands of dollars to dispose of the foam properly.
You also avoid the risk of environmental damage during the test while your system is down.
Not only from Fire Lion Global and WP Firepacks with the electronic foam proportioner, but I see electronic foam proportioning becoming more prominent in the future.
We currently have the only FM-approved system at this time.
