Firefighting Agents

For chemical fires water can be used for the dissipation of vapors, for the cooling of exposed equipment, for the protection of personnel, for control purposes, and for actual extinguishment. For cooling down exposed equipment such as pipelines, pinups, or valves, it is recommended that water be applied at the minimum flow rate of 1 gallon per minute per 10 square feet of exposed surface area. Some general guidelines to consider when applying water are as follows  

With storage tanks or processing equipment exposed to fire or radiant heat, the cooling of any metal above the liquid level inside the vessel is critical. Metal surfaces that have a constant film of water flowing over them will not reach a surface temperature above the boiling point of water. This temperature is well below that which would subject the metal to loss of integrity because of softening. 

In preparing emergency response plans for petroleum liquid spills or fires, it should be taken into consideration that the required water rates could be needed for long periods of time. Provisions for an uninterrupted supply at a suitable volume must be built into the plans. The rates stipulated in the foregoing do not include amounts 

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There are different types of fire and many different firefighting agents for combating them. An understanding of how these different types of firefighting agents are used in fire protection is important because their effectiveness can vary widely when applied to different types of fires. 

WARNING Some firefighting agents are not compatible with certain chemicals. For example, multipurpose, dry chemical is not compatible with some oxidizers. See the MSDS for the involved materials being protected. 

Supplies of foam firefighting agents can be stored in portable trailers and totes taken to the site where they will be used. Trailers come in a variety of sizes. Smaller wheeled carts can be pushed by employees, while others need to be transported by a vehicle. 

Up to the time of writing in 1996, no satisfactory alternative to halon firefighting agents has been put on the market, although perfluoroalkylamines, which contain neither Br nor Cl but break down thermally to give the -H and -OH scavenger -CF3, appear to be effective flame suppressants.18... 

Because combustible metal powders, flakes, or shavings can ignite, shovels full of the firefighting agents must be dumped onto the smoldering fire. Water must never be used. These firefighting agents should be as close to the source of combustion as possible. 

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