SoyFoam: Fire Fighters Demo First Soybased Fire Suppressant

This week the United Soybean Board announced the first and only soybased fire suppressant had been certified safe for sale.

But what do fire fighters think about the new product? 

Fire fighters from across the U.S. participated in a fire demonstration at the Dalton, Georgia fire department looking at the effectiveness of Soyfoam.

A Farm to Fire demo allowed fire fighters to see first-hand how it performed with different types of fires at 1% and 3% concentrations.  That included farmer and fire fighter Jeff King of Coryden, Kentucky.  "I was impressed with this.  The knockdown, ability to knock down the fire.  We weren’t’ able to relight it which was very impressive."

South Dakota farmer and Roscoe fire fighter Andy Weisser also tested the product and is excited that it’s less corrosive than conventional foams.  "I have faith that it should keep our equipment in better quality verses the trouble that we are having with the current products.  Corrosion has been a problem with the current foam products that we have been using."

Mark Krieger also raises soybeans and serves on the volunteer fire department in Pittsburg, New York.  He says he’s excited about growing the soybeans that make this a biodegradable product.    

"Like 180 days its completely and within 18 days a lot of it is broke down.  Whereas some of the chemicals that they use in the foams they use today, they last forever."

That also means the foam won’t contaminate the water supply says Mike McCreary, a fireman from Wolsey, South Dakota. "Being environmentally friendly it's going to be awesome.  If it runs off into the storm drains and runs out, you ain’t got to worry about it."  

Soyfoam is also safe for fire fighters like Matt McCranie because its free of PFAS. The Claremont, South Dakota, farmer says, "It’s a safer alternative to use verses the other ones that are on the market that have fluorine's in them or are higher carcinogenic."

And so he and the other firemen are anxious to recommend it for use. 

King says, "I’m going to push as soon as this gets commercially available at my department at home we’re going to swap out and go to all the soybased foam."  

Farmers attending the farm to fire demonstration say it’s exciting to find a new use, especially for soybean meal. 

Bob Haselwood serves on the Kansas Soybean Commission.  "Especially with all the new crush plants going on there could possibly be a surplus of soybean meal and that this firefighting foam is using soybean meal in the process or soybean flour. "  

And he and other farmers like Mike Krieger, are proud to grow soybeans for this and other biobased products that are more sustainable.  "Being that I’m a volunteer firefighter it's nice to know that something that I grow is being used on the fire ground."

Soyfoam, a product that goes from farm to fire.