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The objective of this effort was to evaluate the performance of rear wheel steering (RWS) features of the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Striker Fire Truck on tread wear, tire deflection, and turning diameter. The RWS feature was designed to improve vehicle maneuverability, narrow the turning diameter and reduce drag on the tires. Due to programmatic limitations only exploratory validation of the rear-wheel steering was accomplished, therefore no statistical inference from the data can be obtained. Conclusions drawn from the limited data set indicated that RWS improved the turning diameter in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions. With RWS, the turning diameter decreased 8.8 feet (9%) in the clockwise direction and 11.32 feet (11%) in the counterclockwise direction. Tire deflection analysis did not reveal any significant differences with or without RWS. Tread wear results showed that the front and rear tires on both sides had significantly less tread wear over an equivalent 40 miles distance versus the wear measured while the RWS was disengaged. For rear axle tires, RWS extended the life of the tires by 7 to 11 times compared to tire life without RWS. For front axle tire, RWS extended tire life by 1.6 to 2.4 times that of tire life without RWS. The fire department questionnaire prepared to gain direct field input for this project indicated that vehicles equipped with RWS displayed less tire wear, resulting in extended tire life and increased stability/handling of the vehicle., Prepared in collaboration with Applied Research Associates, Tyndall AFB, FL. The original document contains color images.

The Air Force, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, is screening new fire fighting foam concentrates to determine their effectiveness at extinguishing and resisting burnback for hydrocarbon fuel fires. This report documents the evaluation performed on the fire extinguishing agents FireAde 2000 AFFF LP, FlameOut II and Hawk ALLFORE in accordance with the parameters set forth in Military Specification ( MIL SPEC) MIL-F-0024385F, Section 4.7.13 for the twenty-eight-square-foot fire test using three percent of Type 3 foam (normal concentration). Under the MIL SPEC test protocol, agents were required to meet a maximum extinguishment time of 30 seconds and a minimum burnback time of 360 seconds for normal concentrations. None of the three agents tested at the normal concentration met these minimum requirements. Although not part of the Air Force Research Lab protocol, additional tests were performed on FireAde at the lean concentration (1-1/2 percent). FireAde successfully passed this portion of the fire test. Lean concentration testing was not performed on the FlameOut II or Hawk ALLFORE foams.

Ultra-high-pressure (UHP) technology as well as compressed air foam (CAF) and combined agent fire fighting systems (CAFFS)have proven to enhance the performance of fire fighting equipment using water and aqueous film forming foam(AFFF). UHP systems are capable of producing small water droplets at high velocity. As droplet size is reduced, surface area relative to mass increases, improving heat transfer. Smaller droplets however, experience greater drag, reducing throw distance. Findings indicate that on average, 150m/s exit plane velocities result in maximum throw distances of between 4600 and 5600 orifice diameters. UHP prototype and full-scale testing conducted from 2004 to 2006 found that exit plane velocities of 150m/s were found to produce 90-100mm droplets, sizes considered optimal for fire extinguishment. In addition, UHP systems were able to extinguish two-dimensional fuel fires ranging in area from 81.6 to 613.8m2 using one-third the agent when compared to baseline AFFF tests, and one-tenth the NFPA 403 standard., The original document contains color images. Published in the Jnl. of Science Direct Fire Safety v43, p308-315, 2008.

The specification for future deployable aircraft rescue fire fighting (ARFF) vehicles demand a smaller, lighter, and more agile vehicle compared to the capabilities of the currently deployed P-19 fire truck. Through testing in recent years, research has led to revolutionary concepts of fire fighting equipment, technique, and strategy, including Ultra High Pressure (UHP) and combined agent firefighting using compressed air foam (CAF) and dry chemical. The latest demonstrator uniquely incorporating both UHP and combined agent firefighting capability is a retrofitted P-19 (referred to hereafter as the UHP P-19). Through test and evaluation, both UHP and combined agent firefighting technologies aboard the UHP P-19 have shown consistent improvement over older technologies, paving the way for the ARFF vehicle designs of the future., The original document contains color images.

The objective of the overall effort is to develop a fire resisting elastomeric closed cell foam as a component of a nonwoven fabric -- foam composite for fabrication of rapidly deployed shelters. The foam component is designed to provide superior fire resisting properties and thermal insulation compared to current shelter materials. The present report summaries results of development work which led to a light weight, flexible foam with exceptional burn-through resistance and thermal insulation compared to current materials. The report also highlights tasks recommended for continued development work. Benefits of the unique nonwoven fabric - foam material for force protection are described., The original document contains color images.

The Air Force, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, is screening new fire fighting foam concentrates to determine their effectiveness at extinguishing and resisting burnback for hydrocarbon fuel fires. This report documents the evaluation performed on the fire extinguishing agents FLAMEOUT, FlameOut Foam and Hawk SUPER B in accordance with the parameters set forth in Military Specification (MIL SPEC) MIL-F-0024385F, Section 4.7.13 for the twenty eight square foot fire test using three percent of Type 3 foam (normal concentration). Under the MIL SPEC test protocol, agents were required to meet a maximum extinguishment time of 30 seconds and a minimum burnback time of 360 seconds for normal concentrations. None of the three agents tested at the normal concentration met these minimum requirements.

This series of laboratory experiments was initiated to determine the expected median lethal concentration (LC50) of various fire fighting agents using the Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) as the screening organism. Aquatic toxicity screening offers an inexpensive, efficient and reliable method for determining the toxic effects of a substance on a given organism. Toxicity screens were conducted for eight agents between February 2 and July 14, 2004, in which the minnows were exposed to five concentrations of the fire fighting agent while a simultaneous test was performed with five concentrations of Ansul Ansulite Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), the reference toxicant. The aquatic toxicity screening consisted of an acute, static, range-finding test conducted over a 48-hour period. Dissolved oxygen, pH and temperatures were monitored throughout the experiment. The agents screened included eight agents. Arctic Fire, FEM-12, FEM-12C and FEM-12SC are specifically formulated for Class D metal fires. PolyOx 301 is a specially designed additive to increase the throw distance of water. The remaining agents were designed to extinguish Class B hydrocarbon fires. The calculated LC50s for the eight agents screened ranged between 27 and 675 ppm. Traditional MIL SPEC AFFFs have an average LC50 greater than or equal to 700 ppm.

On behalf of AAC/WMO, the Air Force Research Laboratory evaluated the Expeditionary Fire Suppression System (EFSS). The EFSS is a modified-commercial, combined-agent system that can be mounted on an Air Force P-20 truck or heavy duty, general purpose truck. The preliminary tests and evaluations of the EFSS 5120-7 to determine its effectiveness included foam and dry chemical flow rates; foam throw distance and foam expansion ratio. The overall performance of the EFSS was good. Expansion ratio, throw distance and flow rates were all within acceptable ranges. The majority of the problems experienced with the EFSS 5120-7 were a result of the regulators, which could easily be resolved with filter to remove debris from the compressed air. The foam system needs to be evaluated to determine why that part of the system is activated when the dry chemical system is being discharged. The dry chemical system is performing less than optimal, with approximately 50% of the total dry chemical volume not being discharged with the given volume of compressed air., The original document contains color images. All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white.

On behalf of AAC/WMO, the Air Force Research Laboratory evaluated the Expeditionary Fire Suppression System (EFSS). The EFSS is a modified-commercial, combined agent system that can be mounted on an Air Force P-20 truck or heavy duty, general purpose truck. The system uses AFFF-based compressed air foam and PKP dry chemical. Phase I evaluated the effectiveness of the modified-commercially available EFSS on live fires on static pool and running fuel fires. The EFSS performed well in the live fire evaluations conducted at Tyndall AFB, FL. The system consistently showed the capability to extinguish both pool and running fuel fires. Several minor problems were encountered with the system but were quickly resolved by the manufacturer and the equipment was put back into service. Issues with the filters, switch covers and the additional capacity on the high pressure air will need to be addressed by the manufacturer in subsequent units., The original document contains color images. All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white.

This report contains the results and preliminary conclusions provided by completion of the first half of the Fire Extinguishing Effectiveness Test program. Key results include the development of a process for evaluating alternative application methods and comparing them with existing technologies. Application of this approach has demonstrated the exceptional effectiveness of the Ultra High Pressure System (UHPS) on pool fires. This technology reduces the amount of agent required by more than 70%. Additional results on fires on gravel have shown that the Combined Agent Fire Fighting System (CAFFS) technology provides superior performance on fires where the film forming ability of AFFF is reduced and hot surface reignition dominates. The report recommends development of an advanced demonstrator which combines UHPS and GAFFS technologies to prove the effectiveness of this system for future development of a light, lean and lethal deployable fire fighting vehicle.

Due to the size and weight of the vehicle only one P-19 can be transported on a C-130 translating to limited crash fire protection for the first aircraft flying in and out of the location. The Combined Agent Fire Fighting System (CAFFS) employs innovations in nozzle design, lightweight composites and combination agents to design a system with extinguishment capabilities of much larger ARFF vehicles. Evaluations were conducted to characterize overall CAFFS performance so that a comprehensive specification can be written for potential commercialization of the system. Based on flow rate throw distance and expansion ratio the air injection setting for the handline and turret foam discharge was optimal at 50%- full open. For both the handline and turret operations. the dry chemical flow rate remained linear up to 700 lbs of discharge. The data showed that the pressure on the dry chemical tank could be reduced to 80 psi without affecting the flow rate. which significantly reduced the reaction force the firefighter experienced at the nozzle. Overall. The CAFFS operated very closely to the design parameters for flow rates, expansion ratios and throw distances., The original document contains color images.

This series of laboratory experiments was initiated to determine the expected median lethal concentration (LC50) of various fire fighting foams using the Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) as the screening organism. Aquatic toxicity screening offers an inexpensive, efficient and reliable method for determining the toxic effects of a substance on a given organism. Toxicity screens were conducted for nine agents between June 1 and December 18, 2003, in which the minnows were exposed to five concentrations of the fire fighting agent while a simultaneous test was performed with five concentrations of 3M Light Water Brand Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), the reference toxicant. The aquatic toxicity screening consisted of an acute, static, range-finding test conducted over a 48-hour period. Dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature were monitored throughout the experiment. The agents screened included six commercial agents (FlameOut II, FireAde 2000, Hawk ALLFIRE, EarthSorb, Hawk Super B and Micro-Blaze Out Plus) and three experimental agents (PS B-25, TDA 555-8 and TDA 541-3). The calculated LC50s for the nine agents screened ranged between 9.5 and 1595 ppm. 3M AFFF had an average LC50 of 784 ppm. All agents screened, with the exception of Micro-Blaze Out Plus and EarthSorb, had a LC50 lower than 3M AFFF.

Evaluations of the TRIMAX 280 were conducted to determine its suitability for use by Marine Corps personnel in support of forward deployed units; specifically, MOS 7051, Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Specialists with the primary mission of rescue and fire suppression during aviation related incidents. This test series evaluated the TRIMAX 280 for fire fighting operational adequacy and overall system performance using fixed orifice and variable stream nozzles with compressed air foam. A series of five JP-8 pool fires of 2500-sq ft, three JP-8 3500-sq ft pool fires with F100 engine nacelle mockup, and one JP-8 700-sq ft with F100 engine nacelle mockup were used to evaluate the 90% control and full extinguishment times. System operation was evaluated by conducting tests for throw distance, agent duration, agent stream decay, agent flow rate, expansion ratio and 25% drainage time. The TRIMAX 280 controlled and extinguished all but one of nine fires. The first 3500-sq ft fire attempted was not extinguished prior to agent depletion. System evaluation showed no performance inadequacies., The original document contains color images.

The Marine Corps has approved the replacement of the Twin Agent Unit (TAU) with the Compressed Air Foam System-Mobile (CAFS-M) to provide initial response fire protection capabilities. Modifications were performed on the CAFS-M due to issues on the adequacy of the system to meet mission requirements. This test series validated the modifications, reconfirmed the CAFS-M capabilities and determined the radiant heat effects on firefighters while using the system. A series of seven JP-8 pool fires, ranging in size from 2500 to 7800-sq ft, were used to evaluate the 90% control and full extinguishment times. The effects of radiant heat on the firefighter were monitored using a remote telemetry data acquisition system to monitor skin temperature using temperature probes. System operation was evaluated by conducting tests for throw distance, agent duration, agent stream decay, agent flow rate, expansion ratio, 25% drainage time and foam concentration. The CAFS-M controlled and extinguished all fires within the maximum time criteria. The CAFS-M is capable of extinguishing fires twice the minimum requirement using only 25% of its capacity. Skin temperature measurements confirmed that the CAFS-M provided adequate performance to reduce radiant heat exposure and prevent any subsequent burns. System evaluation showed no performance inadequacies., Original contains color plates: All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white.

The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) community and U.S. Military Organizations have experienced several Emergency Response Vehicle rollover induced accidents in recent years. The Air Force has a large inventory of P-18 water tankers (194) and P-19 ARFF vehicles (399) that are subject to rollover incidents. These vehicles are expected to remain in service for at least 15 years. As a near-term solution., retrofitting the suspension system to increase stability may be the only option available at the present time. This report documents the results of testing a P-18 modified with Davis Technologies International (DTI) strut units. Phase I involved testing the P-18 in its current suspension configuration to establish a baseline set of performance data. Phase II involved retrofitting and testing the P-18 with six DTI strut units (one per wheel end). Testing of the P-18 with the DTI suspension system showed that the vehicle could be operated at increased speeds of 10-30% before loss of vehicle control was observed. In most cases the lateral acceleration required to roll the vehicle was increased to the lateral acceleration at tire slip, so the vehicle was more likely to experience a controlled loss, or slide-out, rather than actual rollover., PDF updated 23 May 2012.