“The AFFF system was very effective fighting fuel fires, but it was also very toxic. “Before the renovation, the fuel cell hangar protected the airplanes using a fire fighting system called aqueous film-forming foam,” said Lazaro Martin, the 919 SOW facilities operations specialist. The new fire suppression system uses high expansion foam that is fluorine and surfactant free with a higher ratio of air to water in the finished product making it more environmentally friendly than low expansion foam. This new system replaced the low expansion foam system that was previously in place. During renovations, fuel cell work was done in other hangars. The fuel cell hangar renovations included improvements for the heating ventilation and air conditioning system, electrical work, a mechanical room update and adjustment of the fire suppression system to accommodate the C-146A Wolfhound. “Right now, if we do fuel cell maintenance in one of the other hangars it actually shuts it down because we are not allowed to open tanks and do fuel cell maintenance with anything else in them.” Brent Payton, 492 SOW director of strategic requirements. “We are excited to get in this thing,” said Lt.

Civil engineers and contractors performed a fire suppression test last week marking one of the final steps for project completion. The 919th Special Operations Wing and 492 SOW will soon have a newly renovated fuel cell hangar ready for use.

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