JBLM Fire Suppression System
US Army Corps of Engineers
In 2019, the US Army Corps of Engineers awarded Verdis-Takisaki Joint Venture a project that entailed installation of a High Expansion Foam (HEF) fire suppression system in a helicopter hangar at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
The hangar has been newly remodeled and the HEF system is the crowning touch. Suppression chemicals stored in an external storage tank and water from the wet sprinkler system are mixed in a mixing valve at the riser inside the building then pumped to overhead foam diffusers in the hangar ceiling. The system is activated by open flame, smoke, or heat. It can also be activated manually. The building can house up to six Apache or Blackhawk helicopters at once. The system is designed to dispense 3 meters of foam within 4 minutes.