Were AFFF firefighting systems installed on every Coast Guard cutter?

Why some cutters carried AFFF and others did not

Whether a cutter needed AFFF depended largely on its mission and design. Aviation-capable cutters handled helicopter takeoffs and landings, JP5 fuel storage and refueling, aircraft maintenance, flight deck crash rescue, and hangar fire protection, all of which involve fuel fires that water alone cannot put out. Because of this, Coast Guard engineering guidance has long called for foam water fire protection systems on aviation facilities and other areas with flammable liquid hazards. The cutter classes most likely to have had AFFF include:

• Legend class National Security Cutters, with large flight decks, enclosed hangars, and fuel systems supporting MH-60 and MH-65 helicopters
• Hamilton class High Endurance Cutters, with helicopter flight decks and, after modernization, retractable hangars
• Famous class Medium Endurance Cutters, with permanent flight decks and enclosed hangars for helicopter operations
• Polar class icebreakers and USCGC Healy, with aviation facilities supporting embarked helicopters during polar missions

Smaller cutters without permanent helicopter facilities or hangars generally relied on portable firefighting equipment and were less likely to have dedicated AFFF systems, though some with a landing deck but no hangar may have still carried limited foam equipment depending on their configuration.

ELG Law can help evaluate your AFFF exposure eligibility

Whether you encountered AFFF depended on your cutter's mission and aviation capability, not just your service in the Coast Guard. If your duties involved flight deck drills, hangar fire suppression, or fuel spill response, and you were later diagnosed with a qualifying cancer, ELG Law can help you review your case.