This is FIRE CHIEF’s third Focus on Foam supplement and I believe it is the best one yet. In this issue, a visionary of the fire service speaks out on re-thinking fireground operations. In addition, training instructors and industry leaders announce a collaborative effort to create a generic resource by gathering all available media on Class A foam in order to define its role in structural firefighting and wildland fires.

The launch of the A-Foam Authority is not about selling products. Rather, it’s about dispelling myths and changing a couple hundred years of tradition-bound thinking, i.e., put the wet stuff on the red stuff. It’s about convincing the fire service to embrace another proven method that has an impressive list of benefits — not the least of which are improved firefighter safety and reduced environmental impact.

When I first heard about using foam to fight fires I too was skeptical, but the science behind it makes sense. I’ve seen the tests and read comparisons for more than 20 years now, and I’m a staunch believer in the use of Class A foam in structural firefighting.

Recently I had lunch at the National Fire Academy with a metro chief, urban chief and a suburban career firefighter who also is a volunteer. The chiefs teased me about a recent article I wrote about Class A foam. But the firefighter said that he didn’t believe in foam either when he joined a small volunteer department that swore by it. He not only learned to appreciate foam, but he’s also worked hard to convince his current career department to use the technology. It’s good to see that the new generation of firefighters is not bound by tradition.

Today, the American fire service is facing severe budget cuts that demand a forensic review of every department’s operations. Every department needs to balance its ability to provide effective service and its obligation to meet the challenges of the community it serves. The fire service is facing drastic times that will require some drastic changes in the way it operates — that, in turn, will require the rethinking of some traditions.

On that note, as you read this issue of Focus on Foam, I urge you to keep an open mind.