Was reading Bx incidents and foam operation at Con Ed facility. In 1985 there was very little, if any, foam program within the FDNY. At the time I was Dep. Boro Cmdr Brooklyn, Car 7B. One of the duties of this position was LI Pipeline Coord. The LIPL Authority run the fuel supply lines from NJ to Kennedy and LGA. Working a 9x6 one day a second alarm was transmitted in S.I. for a "leak" in the LIPL. I responded as the coordinator. To make a long incident short the "leak" was 21,000 gallons of basically gasoline flowing down the street to fortunately storm drains into the Arthur Kill. By the grace of God there was no ignition and the incident went to 4 alarms. The next day at headquarters I was talking to Lew Harris (Ass't Ch.of Operations) and Home Bishop (Ch. of Operations) about the incident. I said that we needed some sort of foam program developed in the department for large scale incidents such as this. Two days later in the bag I get an order from Ops that I am now the Foam Coordinator for the department. I knew very little about foam, never really interested me. Talking to some other chief's I was told that here was a BC in the 56th Battion in the Bx who loved foam. His name was Pete Valenzano, his nickname was Bubbles (for the foam).I called him and asked him if he was interested in running a foam program at the Div. of Trg. He said yes. I called the Chief of Department, John O'Rourke and asked him for Pete's detail. He said I could have him for two weeks, Pete was there for 10 years until he retired. From Pete came the FDNY's Foam Ops, the Foam Coordinators, color coding for foam cans, and a large number of additional units. I believe that with the transmission of the 10-86 (from Pete) the FDNY could roll 10,000 gal. of foam concentrate to an incident. Cities from all over the U.S. came to the FDNY to see our foam program. I have read a number of foam ops within the FDNY since Pete retired, unfortunately he has never been given the credit he deserved. He was, and still is, the father of the FDNY Foam Program/Coordinators. Pete retired around 1995. Iived only a few years before dying of cancer, he spent a lot of time in the Bx during the war years. May he Rest in Peace, thanks for the foam Bubbles, again,again, and again.
FDNY Foam Coordinators - Father Of
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Chief, thanks for the history of the FDNY Foam Program, it's good to see you back posting, you always had an interesting insight into the Dept. and many great stories.
Yes that's a Great Story Chief. Thank you. And it is good to see you back here. I (as I'm sure most of us were) was alittle concerned that maybe something was wrong. Your stories on "My Younger Buff Years" were Great also "As You Were SMACK in the Middle of It".
And just as I was lucky enough o learn many things by watching the FDNY over the years, I also learned that the FDNY had color coded their foam cans, and that certain foams were used at various types of incidents. It was sevral years ago that I was talking to a Chief (maybe Bubbles) where I learned that sometimes two differnt types of foam would be used at one incident. I "Think" we were talking about a plane crash type incident where "Protien Foam" would be applied First, then "AFFF" on top of that. (?).
Thank you Chief (*******). Good to have you with us. And may Chief Valenzano Rest in Peace. Chief Valenzano certainly accomplished a Very IMPORTANT Job for the FDNY, One that "he" designed and is still a very important duty carried out today.
And just as I was lucky enough o learn many things by watching the FDNY over the years, I also learned that the FDNY had color coded their foam cans, and that certain foams were used at various types of incidents. It was sevral years ago that I was talking to a Chief (maybe Bubbles) where I learned that sometimes two differnt types of foam would be used at one incident. I "Think" we were talking about a plane crash type incident where "Protien Foam" would be applied First, then "AFFF" on top of that. (?).
Thank you Chief (*******). Good to have you with us. And may Chief Valenzano Rest in Peace. Chief Valenzano certainly accomplished a Very IMPORTANT Job for the FDNY, One that "he" designed and is still a very important duty carried out today.
Thanks for the concern nfd, but, I couldn't remember my password, finally found it on a pad in my desk. Been a while but as I remember it it was that you couldn't apply AAAF on top of fluoroprotein foam, it would break it down. But you could go the other way. As FDNY foam coord. I was sent to Bayonne, NJ one afternoon on mutual aid for foam for a tank fire. They were applying a base of fluoroprotein onto the tank when Newark's airport AAAF truck responded and applied their foam, which completely broke down the original foam base. I spoke to Pete about it and he "educated" me on the right applications. Pete really put the FDNY on the map where foam was concerned. We had a cargo plane crash, a DC8, at JFK one day and Pete ran the whole foam operation. The Port Authority Police said it was the first time they could remember where a cargo planes heavy body of fire was extinguished, without it just burning itself (the whole interior of the plane) out. Take care, and if I don't post for a few months tell them to send me a new password.
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Just as a response to thie subject, 1n 1967 an american aircraft carrier was involved in strike ops over SEA. A Zuni rocket (2.75 head of explosives) malfunctioned and lauched itself, exploding against several strike aircraft preparing for a mission. One of the aircrew members was future Sen McCain, his A-4 was hit by an errant rocket. Initial fire suppression members were working when several 500lb bobms detonated, killing or wounding all first responders. Other crew members still employed foam, but back-up, inexperienced members applied water over the foam nigating its effectiveness. You have got to know what you are doing in foam application, applying water over foam is just pi**ing it down the sewer
