When a fire department decides to invest in compressed-air foam, the authorization to purchase the technology will typically come from the fire chief. However, to make an informed purchase and to ensure successful use of compressed-air foam by the department, chief officers — from battalion chief on up — must have knowledge of and involvement in the foam program.

Like any department program, the use of compressed-air foam ultimately will fail if it is not supported all the way to the top of the organization. In this article we will explore what chief officers need to know about, and how they can support, the use of compressed-air foam in their departments.

Basic foam knowledge. Chief officers need to understand the basic principles of how and why Class A foam works. This is essential in order to understand issues and concerns that line personnel may have. It also will prevent unrealistic expectations regarding the technology. Chief officers also should be able to identify whether the proper foam is being applied to achieve the tactical objective, and to ensure that personnel are making proper applications.

CAFS knowledge. Chief officers should have a basic understanding of the air, foam and water systems that comprise a CAFS. This will help them to better understand the line personnel's and the shop technician's needs regarding the system. It also will help when reviewing requests from an apparatus committee for new foam equipment purchases, and in determining whether a CAFS retrofit on an existing apparatus is appropriate.

Foam concentrates. Chief officers need to understand foam concentrates and how to properly select a product to meet their department's needs. There are several factors to be considered, including type, quality and price. A quality concentrate is a key element in ensuring successful fireground operations when using foam.

Foam program costs. Chief officers must know what foam systems cost and what system options are appropriate for their departments' operations. For instance, it is important to understand what nozzles and other equipment may be needed in order to budget for those items. They also must understand the annual cost of operating the program in terms of the concentrate, system maintenance and training. In today's world, all program costs must be justified. There must be a solid understanding of the benefits that foam will provide to justly the expense.

Training. It is important to understand both the amount and levels of training that are required for various department personnel. Personnel needing CAFS training include line personnel who will operate the system. At a minimum they need basic foam, CAFS operation, and foam-tactics training. To be fully effective, the tactics training needs to include live fire evolutions. Meanwhile, emergency vehicle technicians need instruction on system maintenance, diagnosis and repair. Fire investigators will need training to learn how foam affects fire investigation. Public information officers will need to learn how to explain the use of foam to the public.

Use on the fireground. Incident commanders need to understand how to best use their foam and CAFS-capable apparatus on the fireground in various tactical situations. This is very important when only a portion of a department's fleet is CAFS capable. The IC must be aware of the capabilities of such apparatus and direct them to locations where they will have the greatest impact on the incident. Standard operating guidelines are a big help in such situations.

In summary, chief officers with a solid understanding of foam and CAFS will have the information they need to sell the concept both internally and externally. CAFS is a highly effective tool that can provide many benefits, the most important of those being increased firefighter safety. The key is that it is a tool and, as with any tool that is used in the fire service, knowledge, training and practice dramatically will increase its effectiveness.

• Read the main story, "Making the Case," to learn what city managers and mayors need to know about compressed-air foam systems.