Service the first large municipal fire department in the world to make the switch.
Markham Fire & Emergency Services (MFES) has announced its transition to an innovative non-toxic bio-based gel for its entire fleet of fire apparatus, aiming to enhance the health and safety of its firefighters, residents and the environment.
By adopting the new gel, MFES becomes the first large municipal fire department in the world to make the switch.
“The City of Markham and MFES takes the health and safety of our staff, residents, visitors and our natural environment very seriously,” said Deputy Chief Matt Keay of MFES.
“Once we identified the risk associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – known as PFAS – in our firefighting foams, we immediately began looking for safer alternatives.”
In collaboration with FireRein and PPE Solutions, MFES decided to replace its fluorinated firefighting foam containing PFAS with the new fire suppressant Eco-Gel™. The substance is a non-toxic water additive that suppresses both Class A and Class B fires.
Firefighters will therefore use less water to knock down both regular fires and hydrocarbon fuel fires. The gel suppressant is already in use in several other industries, including wildfire and mining, due to its safety and effectiveness.
The transition entailed two main components, Deputy Chief Keay explains; the safe removal and responsible disposal of PFAS-containing chemicals, and their replacement with the safer and effective alternative.
“I commend the leadership at MFES for their proactive approach in addressing the hazards associated with firefighting foams and implementing the transition of our fire trucks to the non-toxic gel,” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti.
Currently, the non-toxic gel has completed testing in the DRAGO unit, an auxiliary vehicle that shoots mist more than 200 feet with a width of 50 feet, and found that it increased reach by approximately 20 per cent while improving the effectiveness of fire suppression.