The Future of Firefighting Foams: Moving from AFFF to Fluorine-free Solutions

James Perriss is a firefighting foam and fire suppression specialist with over two decades of experience in the global fire protection industry, including more than 18 years focused on fluorine-free firefighting foams and the associated fixed fire suppression systems. He serves as Director of Product Management – Global Suppressants at Perimeter Solutions and sits on the Board of Directors for Solberg Asia Pacific Pty Ltd, where he leads global product strategy, innovation, and transition programs for fluorine-free foam and suppressant technologies.

As an active industry contributor, James sits the Fire Protection Association Australia (FPA Australia) Technical Advisory Committee (TAC 11/22 – Special Hazards) and has participated in the Foam Working Group, with a strong focus on fluorine-free firefighting foam (SFFF) adoption and foam transition strategies.

James has taken a leadership role in the industry’s transition away from PFAS-based foams, working closely with regulators, end users, engineers, and PFAS remediation companies across Australia, New Zealand, Asia-Pacific and globally. Supporting the company’s global fire testing programs, certification, and approvals for Solberg fluorine-free foam concentrates and associated system hardware – across oil & gas, aviation, emergency services, and industrial special hazards, with deep expertise in EN1568, LASTFIRE, ICAO, UL, FM, MilSpec, and NFPA standards.