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FIRE SAFETY the Ansul Liquid Vehicle System (LVS), which provides both fire suppression and cooling in a single agent. LVS's 'Wet Agent' is a proprietary blend of organic and inorganic salts; incorporated into this blend are the properties associated with conventional Class B liquid foaming agents. Wet Agent, when sprayed into a fire, interrupts the chemical reaction that supports combustion. Because the agent is liquid, it can flow into areas in which flammable liquids can settle. The water content of Wet Agent cools the fuel and surrounding super-heated surfaces, minimizing the chance for re-ignition. Wet Agent also forms a film over flammable fuels, which minimizes re-flash potential. LVS system configurations include four-nozzle, 5-gallon; 10-nozzle, 15-gallon; and 20-nozzle, 30-gallon arrangements. Straight-line, split tee and manifold block distribution hose network options are also available. Pre-mixed agent containers and external pressure cartridges allow quick recharges, reducing equipment downtime. The LVS Wet Agent itself has a 25-year shelf life. LVS's fire suppression and cooling capabilities, along with additional security features operate within a temperature range of -40°F to 140°F (-40°C to 60°C). With an eye toward the industry's trend to locate mines in increasingly remote or undeveloped sites—and the attendant need to monitor and maintain fire suppression systems on mobile equipment at those mines—TFPP is currently developing a new generation of fire detection and activation technology which, according to Stromberg, will be fully electronically supervised. The generation beyond that, he explained, will also be integrated into the vehicle's onboard machine health monitoring system, allowing fire-system events to be recorded and reported as part of the monitoring system's data stream. variety of vehicle types are pre-terminated 'plug-and-play' cabling that reduces installation time, increases reliability and helps prevent installation errors; flexible hose layout and nozzle coverage options that result in unobtrusive installations; and availability of unique control configurations that allow field programming of options including discharge and relay delays, as well as system power options that include self-contained battery operation. Also available is cylinder pressure supervision that provides real time response to a low pressure agent cylinder condition. Additional benefits of the system, according to the company, range from superior IR detection technologies, which combines rapid response with high false alarm immunity; to field-programmable control panels with optional laptop interface, providing access to an available 4,000-event system log. Sentinel also offers a high degree of flexibility for dual discharge systems, with variable delay between discharges and relay contact operation. Kidde's Aquagreen XT, a foaming wet chemical agent designed for use on Class A and Class B fires, provides rapid flame knockdown and secures the hazard against the risk of re-ignition, according to the company. This is accomplished by two mechanisms: First, the foam creates a vapor-suppressing barrier that spreads across a liquid fuel separating the fuel from air. Second, with over 50% water content, the foaming agent also effectively cools surfaces as the heat is given up to vaporize the water. An additional benefit is that Aquagreen XT is also naturally freeze-protected as a result of a blend of certain additives; the use of salts negates the need for glycol as a freeze-point depressant. By employing this type of freeze-point depressant system, the fully biodegradable wet agent can offer an extremely low freezing point while still maintaining its fluidity at those very low temperatures. Strike Zone Although these integrated fire protection systems offer immediate, on-the-spot fire suppression capabilities, they aren't the answer to every mine-related fire event; and sometimes nontypical solutions can offer effective results as well. For example, when the time came for the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) to acquire a new firefighting vehicle for its emergency response team, the company explored a new avenue in fire protection by selecting an Oshkosh Striker Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicle from Oshkosh Corp., based in Wisconsin, USA. Going Green Kidde Fire Systems developed its new Sentinel system to provide a fully integrated fire protection solution for offroad vehicles. It offers the company's Aqua Green XT wet chemical agent, has an operating temperature range of -40°F (-40°C) to 200°F (93°C), and is available with IP-66 and NEMA 4 type control packages, from cables to control panel enclosures. Among its features intended to provide for convenient installation on a wide 48 E&MJ; • FEBRUARY 2013 This OshKosh Striker unit, designed to carry out aircraft-related fire and rescue operations in extreme conditions, was selected by Iron Ore Co. of Canada to provide firefighting support at its open-pit mine and plant facilities. www.e-mj.com