Must specialty or aspirating nozzles be used with “Class A” foams to be effective?
No, standard initial attack nozzles, hoselines, and procedures need not be modified in any way to take advantage of the new properties of water that the foam concentrate has provided. Ideally, for specific applications of wildland and exposure protection, an aspirating nozzle is a great asset as it provides expansion ratios up to 12:1 and a much dryer foam blanket. A better possible choice is a new unique series of combination fog/foam nozzles. These nozzles offer the nozzleman the ability to choose the consistency of foam needed, yet provide a wide protective fog pattern for firefighter protection. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has been instrumental in the research and development of nozzles of this type to fill their needs for both structural and wildland firefighting.
