Station: [008] Foam charge

This foam tank truck represents the special challenges a factory fire brigade has to face.

Expanding industries and diverse production processes have been creating new dangers since the beginnings of industrialisation.

Many plants, iron works and collieries have been forced to set up their own factory fire brigades.

On the one hand, the technical training is similar to that of municipal fire brigades. On the other hand, the training and equipment is adapted to the hazards and local conditions of the plant.

Many factory fire trucks are customer-built to meet the needs of the industrial site. Thus many unique designs have been created.

The foam tank fire engine shown here is one of two vehicles built for the "Nord-West-Oelleitung" refinery in Wilhelmshaven. The inscription on the door identifies it as tanker No. 2.

In contrast to tank fire trucks of common fire brigades, this tanker does not carry water but 5.000 litres of foam.

In large factories and plants it is common that permanently installed water pipes supply water in abundance. However, chemical production processes, often require special extinguishing agent mixtures. Foam, powder and carbon dioxide must be transported to the scene of the fire and mixed with water.

Foam, for example, can be used in a ratio of 1:95, so that a foam concentrate supply of 5.000 l is already sufficient for a larger application as, e.g, producing a larger foam carpet for a longer period, in order to suffocate the source of the fire.

The fire brigade vehicles exhibited here, whether foam or powder tankers, are mostly equipped with extinguishing agent launchers on their roofs.

The inscriptions on the doors name many factories from the Ruhr area.

Please follow the red line along the yellow foam canisters!