Out and about Middleton, WI - Volunteer Retention - Ultra High Presssure foam

[gadgetguy 1]

I recently had a chance to visit the Middleton, WI which is just outside Madison, WI. They are combination career - paid on call dept. Only their Chief Officers are paid and the rest are on call volunteers.

Their leadership does some unique stuff that to attract and retain volunteers. It reminded me of the way firehouses were used in the old days sort of like a community center. They welcome firefighters to bring their kids to the station and have extra stuff to have things there for them to do whiel hanging out with Mom or Dad. They offer cut rate babysitting and exercise classes at the station. It is all in an effort to try to help the volunteers to not take time away from their family when volunteering which helps in retention. In these days of dwindling volunteers they have a waiting list.

http://www.mifd.net/mifd/Welcome.html

The other most interesting thing that they do is to run their fire command vehicle first out with a ultra high pressure a/b foam mounted on a skid pack in the back to effect a quick knock down with the on duty officer. It sounds like they sort of use it like the old indirect fog attack method in conjunction with a traditional direct attack with smooth bore nozzle hand lines. It is just another tool but the big advantage is how it reduces water damage and cuts the heat down dramatically in a fire.

What Chief Aaron Harris told me is that the typical size of a droplet of water coming out of the high pressure foam system is 60 times smaller than a droplet of water coming out of fog nozzle which dramatically helps absorb heat.

What I read on the manufacturer’s web site was that it creates miniscule water droplets delivered at an extremely high velocity. This method to extinguish fire quickly separates the fire from the fuel source and leaves a thin foam blanket in the wake to prevent the fire from reigniting.

Here’s how they use it. When they receive a fire call, the on duty command officer responds to the fire call carrying the ultra-high pressure fire suppression system. If the command officer can use the system to keep a fire in check or to begin putting out a dumpster fire, car fire, or small exterior fire, they will immediately engage it. They use the system to try to reduce the effects of the fire while their volunteer firefighters are responding, first responding to the station, and then to the fire call in their Class 1 engine. They do not use the system alone for interior attack; however, they will at times use the UHP system at a structure fire but always in conjunction with a hand-line off of a Class 1 engine. They rely on their Class 1 engine, the tools, and firefighters it carries to respond and mitigate their fire calls. They also use the system for fighting brush, grass, and wildland fires. The Chief said that the insurance companies are starting to ask questions of the larger city departments near them in Madison and Milwaukee about the water damage they see there vs. a similar fire in Middleton.

Anyone else using this type of system for structural firefighting?

Here's pictures of their command vehicle and the unit in the back?

I also thought you'd enjoy the color scheme of their tower ladder. The Cardinal emblem is their football teams logo.