IFEX Water Cannon....

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Conrad, It looks european... we used to have what was called "bean guns" but they did not make use of compressed air, just nozzle design and high pressures for reach and penetration. I'm looking forward to reading here what this is used for... good luck.

CBz
http://strongmail.real.com/track?t=c&mid=701&msgid=407&...


Click link for video (Realplayer)
Amazing applications
I got a DVD from the company about the IFEX how to use it. Many countries use them. I don't know of any fire depts in the US using them but I know one firefighter can knock a car fire out in a few blasts from one with the backpack unit. The IFEX comes in many sizes from the backpack to a Hummer mounted unit. They have one that can be mounted to a helicopter and could knock out a building fire.

Wonder how that tract unit would do for wildland fires? You could blast fire and create fire breaks at the same time! A dual role! Don't think our budget would allow it!!
this is so funny we were just discussing water cannons at the station earlier tonight lol
A neighboring department did a trial study with these, but they didn't run out and purchase any. I don't if it was the cost, or operational issue.

Bean guns are cool!
They have some amazing videos about it at the website.

http://www.ffti.com.au/page/18/

Where can we get one!

Greenman
No but where can I try one.
"...Many countries use them. I don't know of any fire depts in the US using them but I know one firefighter can knock a car fire out in a few blasts from one with the backpack unit. The IFEX comes in many sizes from the backpack to a Hummer mounted unit. They have one that can be mounted to a helicopter and could knock out a building fire."

If this is true, and I'm not suggesting it's not, then why isn't this system taking off like...ahem...uh...wildfire?

I remember seeing this a few years ago on television. It, uh...blew me away.
I'd wondered ever since I was a little boy, if you could muster enough sudden wind, if you blow out a house fire.Think about it, you can blow out a candle with ease. You can blow out all the candles on your birthday cake. If you try, you can blow out a carburettor fire. I know, I've done it. Maybe some of you have.

The point is, or should be, obvious.

Add h2o and a dash of foam and it makes perfect sense. I sometimes have to entertain the notion that there are a number of those who are resistant to better methods because it will take a lot of the fun out of firefighting.
Let's face it, a lot of the allure of it is the danger, the equipment, drama, the teamwork and the cause.
There are those persons who actually look forward to a major fire. Some know who they are, others, not so much.

When I was about ten years old, I was wandering around with a buddy and stumbled onto a fire at the edge of the town dump. I'm sure someone was bored and thought they would put a match to a couple of pallets for kicks.
As soon as we saw it, we ran up to the firehouse about two blocks away and reported it to the handful of guys who were hanging out on that summer eve. They didn't believe us. We said OK, that we would hang around and gawk at the trucks for a while until someone with a phone called it in.
We waited.
Smoke appeared in the distance. They sent a car and we ran to meet them there. They said it wasn't big enough, and threw some more fuel onto the flames and told us to make it really big, so they would have something worth putting out. It would give them more practice.
Hey, we had permission from firemen to feed the fire.

When the chief of police pulled up in his squad car, we were in trouble. We had to watch from the confines of the back seat in his car and have the gathering townsfolk sneer at us. Bad boys.

We told Chief Wiggum the truth, were taken back to the firehouse where we named names and stood our ground.
We were then taken home and given a lecture with the help of our parental units. It ended up being anything but a fun Sunday evening, but we learned something. I'm not exactly sure what.

I would love to have a week go by without any calls, and I could easily live the rest of my life without ever going to another, "Big One". As fascinating as I find the flame, it is a horrible enemy when unwanted and uncontrolled. Anything that would mean rapid extinguishment with less water damage is a great thing.

I wonder what would happen if carbonated water were added to the mix...
You absolutely can blow out a fire - that's how they kill oil well fires! Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6jKhchCes8 (ignore all the "truther" and conspiracy crap on the page)

It's a little more complex than just blowing it up, but this is still one of the coolest things I can imagine.

For those of you too young to know Red Adair, he basically invented modern oil rig fire fighting. He was so tough, John Wayne played HIM in a movie!
We have IFEX 3000 impulse water gun on one truck.
To be honest we use it rarely, because this one does not have additional botlle for SCBA, so it can't be used in confined space as backpack unit. It can be used in confined space as handheld extinhuisher. We use it on small fires or car fires, fires where there is no need to lay down number of hoses. We use it to start with extinguishing until hose line is ready, but it is very rare situation.
http://www.ifex3000.de/eng/what_is.php
Our IFEX backpack unit is:
13 litre backpack tank
2 litre / 300 bar CFK botlle of air suply
hand gun
It is possible to add foam agent or additive into reservoir and have foam or penetrating water.
There is possibility to shoot single shots or multiple shots, if you leave water valve open (red valve on top of gun).
With one 2 litre botlle of air it is possible to spend 2 tanks of water. With 13 litres of water (one tank) it is possible to shoot 10-12 shots. One shot, shoots 1 lite of water with 25 bar of pressure. Water gun kick is strong, so the operator must be ready for it.
IFEX can be used to reduce the fire until hose line is ready, especialy in fires on high objects.
Small IFEX units are useless on big fires where we need large amount of water.
I saw few years ago an IFEX unit mounted on a hose reel of a truck. Fireman atach gun on his SCBA air suply and shots until there's air in his bottle. Firefighters from this company (Slovenia tunnel firefighter) said that it's useful in car fires in tunnels.
Some IFEX videos:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=277BC791B757E5D0

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