Why in this modern age are we fighting fires with just water and seeing good men lose there lives fighting them.

Yes it happens all too often Firefighters dying at the scene of a fire but why?
Today firefighters have a tremendous amount of resources available to fight fires and extinguish them.
Including Class A  Foam and other cooling chemicals which quickly knock down fires and put them out fast including emergency grenade type units which explode with powder and puts out fires fast
So why are they still just using water in so many locations ?
It comes down to some very pathetic facts including  stupidity , ignorance and macho we fight fires caveman attitudes

Yes I have heard it time and again Foam costs money water is free. But Volunteer depts have money to spend putting chrome wheels and diamond plate  on there shiny fire trucks so they can take them to parades  so whats the real priority's when it comes to firefighting .The amount of money spent on fire trucks not needed and money to customize them also not needed could more than easily offset the costs of putting Class A Foam to use.
Why Insurance Company's are not insisting on its use also is a mystery as well.
Not only does Class A Foam put out fires faster it saves the environment from all the smoke a fire generates
plus diesel fumes firetrucks put off at fire scenes etc. and it allows a structure to be saved  a win win but No
Firefighters want to be the Hero and Slay the Fire Breathing  Dragon  and it is getting them killed by the hundreds every year.I am not the only one saying it as well

http://www.firefighternation.com/article/firefighting-operations/top-10-excuses-not-using-foamcafs

This attitude and excuses need to stop we have the technology to put fires out faster and save lives and the fire service is not doing it.
they would rather your house burn to ground while they play around with straight nozzle fire streams than put it on fog and put a room out faster because the dangers of steam.. Well if a fog nozzle pattern is used properly the steam is minimal and there is no danger but no we will stay there and fight the fire as long as it takes .
I saw several firefighters hurt at a fire in eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh fighting a room fire  when it got out of control instead of getting out and setting the nozzle on fog and putting it thru the open window and let the fog do the job no they had to stay in the house and get hurt.
There was a gigantic car tire fire in Washington County  Pa. about 20 years ago
dramatic news coverage and as the fire was going hot the Firefighters in Greensburg where ready and willing to run there high expansion  Class B foam units to the scene to put out the tire fire with foam. No local firefighters would not let them said it could not be done and instead it took them a month to put out the fire after they brought in bulldozers to break up the piles so they could be attacked. 30 days of heavy dark dangerous acrid smoke for no reason other than wanting to be Macho and fight the dragon.

So when is it going to stop ?
with less and less volunteers available and light weight construction  its going to have to be very soon
because there will not be enough firefighters to handle calls and maybe then insurance company's and codes will start mandating it. till them when you see firefighter deaths and injury's on TV know that many of them where avoidable had the slay the fire breathing  dragon mentality been put to rest long ago and modern techniques and technology put to use.