Traditional AFFF formulations contained PFAS compounds that remain in the human body for years, accumulating especially in the liver and kidneys and increasing the risk of kidney and testicular cancers.
Military bases
Louisiana has several military installations where Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting units historically used AFFF during aircraft emergencies, fuel spill responses, and live-fire training, including:
- Barksdale Air Force Base
- Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk)
- Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans
- Camp Beauregard Training Center
Airports
Federal aviation regulations required Louisiana's certificated commercial airports to keep firefighting foam on hand for aircraft fuel fires. ARFF personnel responded to incidents and trained at:
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
- Baton Rouge Metropolitan
- Shreveport Regional
- Lafayette Regional
- Lake Charles Regional
- Alexandria International
- Monroe Regional
Volunteer fire departments
Louisiana has hundreds of volunteer and combination fire departments protecting rural communities, industrial corridors, and transportation routes. Volunteer firefighters encountered AFFF while responding to highway tanker crashes, fuel storage fires, industrial plant incidents, and petrochemical emergencies.
Fire training facilities
The Louisiana Fire & Emergency Training Academy in Baton Rouge offers specialized Airport Firefighting and ARFF courses meeting FAA Part 139 and NFPA 1003 standards, including hydrocarbon fuel fire suppression and tank farm fire response. LSU's Fire & Emergency Training Institute, established in 1963, provides industrial and maritime firefighting programs supporting responders in refinery, petrochemical, and port environments.