Abstract: A valve for use e.g. as a pilot valve in an offshore water deluge fire fighting system has a ported cylindrical body and an elastomeric sleeve defining between them an annular passage for flow between the various ports. Selected ports can be closed by means of captive balls which are cammed out by a central spool to deform localized areas of the sleeve into sealing contact with the housing wall surrounding the port openings. In this way the moving parts of the valve are isolated from the fluid by the sleeve and problems of sticking, e.g. caused by salt deposits when used with seawater, are avoided. In another embodiment, a flat pad of elastomeric material is used to the same effect in a ported body defining a planar flow passage.