Company donates foam truck after Detroit Fire Dept stops scrapyard blaze

DETROIT (WJBK) - Detroit fire crews are getting one more tool to help the city with a donated high-volume foam trailer.

Ferrous Processing & Trading Company has donated the Chief Technologies Foam Trailer to help fire fighters take on flames from a safe distance. 

The inspiration for the $65,936 came from an incident back in January. Detroit crews responded to scrapyard fire at Ferrous that burned for several hours. The company was impressed with DFD's quick response but wanted to help out.

Mounted on the trailer are two 265 gallon "totes" of fire-smothering foam -- a nice step up from the five-gallon cans firefighters currently care that empty about every two minutes. 

Firefighters operate special high-volume monitors from a safe distance and when one of those 265 gallon tanks is empty, the other kicks in, giving crews a chance to replace the first one.

The foam is biodegradable, EPA approved and easily treated in sewage treatment plants.

"Having a continuous large volume flow of extinguishing agent, delivered at a safe distance, will assist DFD in upgrading its capabilities to save lives, prevent firefighter injuries and reduce property damage in Detroit," said Fire Commissioner Eric Jones.