DECK-INTEGRATED FIRE FIGHTING
Helideck Fire Fighting.
Our pioneering DIFFS unit replaces fixed foam monitors with sensor-activated spray nozzles, flush-mounted in the deck surface. Fire out in 4 seconds. Preferred under CAP 437 and ICAO. Available in foam or sea-water configuration.
4s
FIRE SUPPRESSION TIME
CAP 437 / ICAO
PREFERRED UNDER
Zero
HUMAN INTERVENTION REQUIRED
2
CONFIGURATIONS (FOAM / WATER)
WHY THIS EXISTS
Fighting a deck fire shouldn't take crew off rescue duty.
For decades, helideck firefighting meant fixed foam monitors. Crew operate them manually, standing behind the monitors, fighting the deck fire while the helicopter crew try to evacuate passengers.
Wind affects coverage. Human reaction time costs seconds. Manual operation in a traumatic situation costs more. And the rescue and firefighting team, the people best positioned to extract crew from the aircraft, are stuck on the monitors instead.
DIFFS reframes the problem. The deck fights the fire automatically. The crew is freed to do what only they can do: get people off the helicopter.
THE SYSTEM
DIFFS nozzles, integrated into the deck. Sensor-activated.
DIFFS nozzles are spaced evenly across the deck and mounted flush with the surface, presenting no trip hazard. UV/IR flame detectors monitor the deck continuously.
On detection of a fire, or on manual activation from a remote station, the deluge valve releases firewater through the network. Foam concentrate is metered through a turbine proportioner. No separate pump, more stable proportioning. Nozzles spray foam or water uniformly across the deck.
Auto and manual activation are always available. Most installations specify auto activation with manual override buttons at remote stations.
<15s
FIRE OUT FROM ACTIVATION
UV/IR
FLAME DETECTION
AUTO + MANUAL
ACTIVATION MODES
ENGINEERING ADVANTAGES
Built for the worst day. Engineered for every other day.
1. Crew freed for rescue
Spray activation runs concurrently with crew work on the deck. The rescue and firefighting team is freed from monitor duty to assist with helicopter evacuation.
2. No human reaction time
Sensor-activated. The system doesn't wait for a crew member to recognise, decide and act. Less chance of human error in traumatic situations.
3. Uniform coverage, wind-independent
Multiple nozzles spray evenly across the deck. Coverage isn't degraded by wind, and debris blocking individual nozzles doesn't compromise overall suppression.
4. Smaller deck footprint
Fixed firefighting platforms can be eliminated or reduced. The firefighting system is the deck.
CONFIGURATION
Foam for most platforms. Sea water for XE installations.
Standard DIFFS specifies foam — typically 3% AFFF, with 1% available — supplied via a turbine proportioner that delivers a stable foam mix throughout the discharge period.
For platforms fitted with our XE Enhanced Safety™ helideck, CAP 437 7th edition (Para 2.10 Note) permits sea-water-only DIFFS to deal with residual fire burn. The passive fire-retarding deck does the primary suppression; DIFFS handles the residual.
Sea-water configuration delivers material savings on cost, foam concentrate procurement, foam disposal and lifecycle management, and is the greener specification for any new-build programme.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engineered to the standards your operators audit against.
Design Standards
UKCAA CAP 437 7th edition (2013), Ch 5 · ICAO Annex 14 heliport standards · Live fire tested to 2008 / 2009 CAA standards · Class-witnessed compliance testing
System Components
Electric-operated deluge valve · Pop-up corrosion-resistant spray nozzles, flush-mounted · UV/IR flame detectors · Remote manual activation stations · Deluge valve release panel · Foam storage tank (1% or 3% AFFF) · Turbine foam proportioner
Activation
Automatic (UV/IR detection) · Manual (remote stations) · Multiple activation methods on every unit · Standard configuration: automatic with manual override
Package Includes
Complete DIFFS skid · Firewater piping network · All nozzles, valves, sensors and controls · Foam concentrate (specified per programme) · Full documentation · Class approvals · Installation supervision · Live fire test on commissioning where required
COMPLIANCE
CAP 437 7th edition. In writing.
UK Civil Aviation Authority CAP 437 7th edition (2013), Chapter 5, Para 2.10, considers DIFFS "a more efficient alternative" to fixed monitor systems.
Para 2.11 specifies DIFFS performance and requires live fire testing — including testing for nozzles blocked by helicopter accident debris — to demonstrate compliance to the satisfaction of the appropriate authority. Our system has been tested and approved against this standard.
Para 5 confirms that unmanned installations are best served by a passive fire-retarding helideck — the XE specification — paired with DIFFS.
UKCAA
ICAO
DNV
Lloyd's Register
ABS
CAP 437 7th edition
CAA Live Fire Tested
IMO
ALSO SUPPLIED
The full firefighting and safety package.
For programmes where DIFFS is paired with traditional firefighting equipment, or where local code requires monitor-based suppression, we supply the full deck firefighting and rescue specification.
Foam Monitors
Fixed and portable foam monitor systems specified to CAP 437 and Civil Aviation Code requirements, where DIFFS is not the selected primary system.
Complementary Media
Dry chemical, secondary foam supply and emergency response media supplied per platform specification.
Rescue Equipment
Crew rescue equipment, breathing apparatus, fire-retardant suits, manual extinguishers and deck rescue tools to operator and class specification.
Documentation
Download the technical pack.
Enquiries
Specifying DIFFS for an upcoming programme?
Tell us about the deck size, platform type and operating standard. We'll come back to you within two working days.
