Wing Commander Andrew Tatnall says they have not been conducting monthly fire drills using AFFF foam for the past 18 months.

Aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), is used to extinguish liquid fuel fires and the brand of AFFF used from the 1970s until the early 2000s contained Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).

The Department of Defence has not used 3M Light Water since 2004. They now use an AFFF product known as Ansulite, which does not contain PFAS.

3M Light Water was previously kept in a small container in the fire truck and was mixed at a three per cent ratio with water. Once a month the fire team would mix the product and test the equipment to make sure it was working correctly. 

“The firefighter would stand out in front of the truck and collect a portion of the foam and then use a device to measure the quality of the foam to make sure it was being mixed at the right ratio, so it would put the fire out,” Wing Commander Tatnall said.

“We no longer do that; in fact, we haven’t been performing that test now for a year and a half.

“Even though we don’t have any PFAS in our foam, I thought it was prudent that we - and Air Force decided that it was prudent - not to put that material out at all and we would only use it in an emergency.”

Wing Commander Tatnall said this decision had come with its own set of risks; the environmental concerns associated with AFFF and fire trucks no longer being fully tested.

AFFF is designed to float on the surface of a liquid fire and stop oxygen from transferring to the fuel of the fire. It works so effectively that the fire is stopped almost immediately. 

In order to partially test the fire trucks, a benign, biodegradable product is used that is designed to replicate AFFF. 

“We use that now to replicate the real AFFF and that way we have some confidence that we are mixing it at the right ratio and the majority of the system in the truck is still functioning correctly,” he said. 

“Even though Ansulite doesn’t contain PFAS, it’s still a product that’s designed to create a barrier to oxygen.

“It’s called a suffocant so if that suffocant gets in the waterway, then it will prevent any animals that live in the water from receiving the oxygen transfer.”

There are 37 firefighters stationed at RAAF Base Tindal and they are all trained to be able to respond to an aircraft fire.

Even the style of firetruck used varies from urban trucks; the driver is stationed in the centre of the cab and is able to project water up to 70 metres from a nozzle on top of the truck.

The team is highly trained, however the first time they have an aircraft emergency will be the first time they see how effective AFFF is.

“Each and every one of them is trained on the foam systems - that is the primary telesquirt that sits above the trucks - it can project water, or it can project water and AFFF depending on the severity of the incident they are managing,” Wing Commander Tatnall said.

“Firefighters on the ground are very professional, highly trained and we use that training and provide them with the best equipment we can to ensure that in the event there is an emergency, they are able to respond effectively.

“Should that happen, then everything will happen behind that to recover from the situation and clean the airfield as best we can post incident.”