Departments in CO, ME, and SD the Final Recipients of This Year’s Intelagard Macaw® CAFS Backpack Giveaway

August 24, 2021

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), Intelagard, and National Foam have partnered to support the volunteer fire service by awarding nine NVFC members with a Macaw® Backpack compressed air foam system (CAFS) and nozzle kit, five gallons of Knockdown® firefighting foam, and four gallons of EasyDECON® DF200. Each package is worth $6,500. The first six winners were announced in June and July.

The Intelagard Macaw® Backpack provides versatile power in a totally independent and portable CAF system. More powerful than standard fire extinguishers, the multipurpose Macaw® can be used for fire suppression, exposure protection, mop-up, hazardous materials cleanup, and decontamination. National Foam’s Knockdown® foam is a unique, environmentally responsible Class A foam concentrate that provides unmatched firefighting performance and flexibility. Knockdown® is specially designed for use in Class A/B foam systems and is excellent for use in CAFS.

The last three recipients of this year’s program are the Crystal Lakes Volunteer Fire Department (Red Feather Lake, CO), the Mattawamkeag (ME) Fire Department, and the Batesland (SD) Volunteer Fire Department.

Crystal Lakes Volunteer Fire Department

The Crystal Lakes Volunteer Fire Department (CLVFD) is a small, all-volunteer department located in rural northern Colorado. CLVFD’s 15 volunteers protect 10 square miles and a population that fluctuates between 250 and 2,500, depending on the season.

The entirety of CLVFD’s service area falls within the Roosevelt National Forest and therefore the wildland-urban interface. In 2020, they responded to the Cameron Peak Fire, the largest wildfire in Colorado’s history, which came within three miles of their community. Being located in a rural area, CLVFD has no access to fire hydrants or any pressurized water sources. Instead, they rely on drafting from the surrounding streams and lakes.

“[The Macaw® Backpack CAFS] would be a game changer for us and our community,” said safety officer Jim Kubichek. “We are unable to afford such a fantastic tool due to our need to replace our 32-year-old brush truck after the Cameron Peak Fire.”

Mattawamkeag Fire Department

Mattawamkeag Fire Department (MFD) is an all-volunteer department with 17 volunteers. Located in rural northern Maine, MFD protects a population of approximately 1,800 spread out over 78 square miles and responds to an average of 95 calls annually.

The lack of infrastructure and the nature of their service area means MFD often relies on foam for suppressing fires, making this backpack an essential and useful tool in their arsenal. “[The Macaw® Backpack CAFS] would help make firefighting much easier when working on wildland fires and debris fires beyond the reach of our apparatus,” said fire chief Michael Coombs.

Batesland Volunteer Fire Department

Situated on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in rural southwestern South Dakota, the Batesland Volunteer Fire Department (BVFD) is all-volunteer and one of two fire departments in their county. Protecting over 1,000 square miles and a population of approximately 7,000, BVFD responds to an average of 47 calls annually.

Being in a very underdeveloped area places a lot of strain on BVFD’s volunteers. Due to the lack of a reliable water source, they instead rely heavily on foam for suppressing fire, giving the CAFS backpack additional importance. “The added mobility and practicality of the Macaw® Backpack CAFS would be a real game changer in BVFD’s arsenal,” said chief Will Smith.

Although this program has concluded for 2021, there are still plenty of special opportunities and giveaways available to NVFC members. Click here to learn more.

About Intelagard

Intelagard provides a full range of innovative compressed air foam systems ranging in size from man-portable to truck and trailer-mounted units. The Intelagard CAFS enhance the fire extinguishing properties of water and stretches firefighting power. When used with firefighting foam, these patented CAFS create a superior bubble structure that blocks oxygen to the fuel, suppresses vapors, and provides a cooling effect to the fire. After a 9-year process the U.S. Military chose the Macaw® Backpack as the “new standard of portable fire suppression equipment.” Intelagard systems are also used for hazardous material clean up, crowd control, and chemical and biological decontamination. Learn more at https://intelagard.com/.

About National Foam
National Foam is the recognized leader of firefighting foam systems which end-users have come to rely on. Capabilities include R&D, custom system design, field technical support, foam concentrates, and foam hardware for fixed and mobile response systems. National Foam supports customers over a wide range of sectors including major oil and petrochemical companies, international airports, military bases, power stations, harbors and ports, and local municipal fire and rescue services. Learn more at www.nationalfoam.com

About the NVFC
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides critical resources, programs, education, and advocacy for first responders across the nation. Learn more at www.nvfc.org.