BY KEVIN ALDRIDGE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP -- When the township's new fire department launches next month, it will be the only unit in Southwestern Ohio equipped with one of the newest tools to fight fires.
More than 2,500 gallons of Barricade, a fire-suppressing agent used to fight Florida wildfires earlier this year, will be arriving in Deerfield Township in about three weeks.
It comes courtesy of Fire Protection Inc. in Florida, fire officials said Tuesday.
"I'm looking forward to working with Chief (Bill) Kramer and helping him attain his goal of making Deerfield Township a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art fire-prevention unit," John Bartlett, co-founder of Fire Protection Inc., said this week.
Barricade is a highly concentrated water additive that produces a fire-resistant coating when mixed with water. The gel-type coatingforms a thermal barrier that protects objects from exposure to flames. The additive -- formulated from the same types of non-flammable, super-absorbent polymers used in disposable diapers -- will be a welcome addition to the department, Chief Kramer said.
"The addition of this product to our arsenal will allow us to fight fires more efficiently and protect structures that are within close proximity to a burning object," Mr. Kramer said. "It is the single most advanced and effective water additive in the fire service today."
Barricade is not inexpensive. A gallon of pure concentrate, which would cover about 1,000 square feet, costs $26, Mr. Bartlett said. A 5-gallon bucket is $130.
Chief Kramer, who experimented with Barricade during his tenure with the Indianapolis Airport Authority, said the benefits of using the product far outweigh its price.
"This product is almost revolutionary with regard to its ability to stop fire from spreading to adjacent structures," he said. "There have been a lot of different extinguishing agents that have come around in the past few years, but I think this is a genuine leap forward for firefighting."
Mr. Barlett, who also is a firefighter in Palm Beach County, Fla., said what separates Barricade from conventional foams is that, once applied, it protects against the spread of flames for hours.
"In the most extreme conditions, Barricade will last for a minimum of six hours and in most other conditions, it can last for 24 hours or longer," he said. "Best of all, once applied, Barricade can be reactivated by simply spraying it down with a little bit of water."
Mr. Bartlett said he would conduct a training session in mid-October with firefighters on the uses of Barricade.
