Chapter 1 Flashcards
How were the first firefighters paid?
Insurance companies
Where was the first recorded major fire in the New World? What year?
Jamestown 1608
What was banned in the city of Boston in the year 1631? Why was this banned?
Thatched roofs and wooden chimneys to prevent the outbreaks of fires
What year did Boston purchase its first fire engine?
1653
What year did Boston form the first-ever paid fire company?
1678
Where was the first fire organization formed in North America?
New Amsterdam (later known as New York)
What title did Peter Stuyvesant give to the group of men who acted as fire wardens?
Surveyors of Buildings
What year was the New Amsterdam Fire Company formed?
1658
After being encouraged by the success of Boston’s fire company, what year did the citizens of Philadelphia form a fire society?
1735
What year did New York form its own volunteer fire department?
1737
What were the hand-operated pumps replaced by in the mid-1800s?
Horse-drawn steam pumpers
What changed by the end of the 19th century during the Industrial Revolution?
Iron structures were replaced by steel (which was lighter and stronger). Steel-frame buildings known as skyscrapers could now reach ten to twenty stories.
What was formed in 1896 to develop consensus-based codes and standards intended to ensure fire and life safety?
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Which NFPA was the first published standard? This regulated the design and installation of fire protection sprinkler systems in structures.
NFPA 13
What is the obsolete term for resistance to fire?
Fireproof
What is hardware that is mounted on exit doors in public buildings that unlock from the inside? This hardware enables doors to be opened when pressure is applied to the release mechanism
Panic Hardware
What is the ability of two of more systems to exchange information and use the information that has been exchanged?
Interoperability
What was authorized by the Fire Research and Safety Act of 1968?
The National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control (NCFPC)
What is the purpose of the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control? (NFCPC)
to determine how to reduce fire loss in America
What was developed in an attempt to better integrate fire departments into the communities they serve as well as address concerns about the lack of minorities in the ranks?
Community-based fire protection programs
What is the shared assumptions, beliefs, and values of a group or organization?
Culture
What is specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group?
Jargon
What is the fire service sometimes referred to? It is referred to as this because it contains characteristics including a chain of command, ranks to define positions, uniforms, badges, symbols of rank, and an emphasis on teamwork.
Paramilitary organization
What are the 8 cultural strengths displayed by fire departments?
Integrity, Moral Character, Work Ethic, Pride, Courage, Loyalty, Respect, Compassion
What does the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) determine?
The AHJ determines what services are needed to protect its citizens and establishes the fire services to meet that need
What is the mission of the fire service?
The mission of the fire service is to save lives and protect property and the environment from fires and other hazardous situations.
What is an all-hazard concept approach?
a coordinated approach to a wide variety of incidents; all responders use a similar, coordinated approach with a common set of authorities, protections, and resources. Examples of all-hazard approach range from fire suppression, EMS, hazardous materials mitigation, community risk reduction, etc.
What is the organizational rank/pyramid/hierarchy of the fire department? (starting from the top)
Fire Chief Deputy Chief Assistant Chief Battalion Chief Captains Lieutenants Driver/Operators FF's/EMT's
What are the two type of fire ad emergency services organizations?
Public and Private
What is the difference between public and private organizations?
Public: Funded by the community through taxes, fees, grants, fund-raisers, donations, and contracts. The community may be a municipality, county, district, or other area as defined by the AHJ
Private: Raise money through contracts, billing, and revenue provided by their parent organization. Typically provide services to a single company, facility, or municipality.
What is the difference between career and volunteer firefighters?
Career firefighters work a required schedule and receive pay and benefits for their work. Volunteer firefighters do not work from a set schedule but must respond to all incidents to which they are called.
What are the two personnel groups of volunteer/career departments?
Line and Staff
What is the difference between line functions and staff functions?
Line personnel provides EMS to external customers (the public). Staff personnel provides administrative and logistical support for internal customers (line personnel) in areas such as finance maintenance and training.
What is the basic unit of fire fighting operations?
a company
What is a fire fighting company composed of?
A company officer, a driver/operator or engineer, FF, and/or EMT. Actual staffing is determined by the AHJ.
What are multiple companies within a response area grouped into?
a battalion or district
What is the role of the engine company?
Fire suppression duties, search/rescue, extrication, ventilation, and emergency medical care
What is the role of the truck (ladder) company?
Performs forcible entry, search and rescue, ventilation, salvage and overhaul, utilities control, provides access to upper levels of a structure
What is NFPA 1001
NFPA 1001 - Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications
What is NFPA 1582
NFPA 1582 - Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments
What are the 2 levels for FF Certification established by NFPA 1001
Firefighter I and II
What is the standardized approach to incident management that facilitates interaction between cooperating agencies? It is adaptable to indents of any size or type
Incident Command System (ICS)
What is the role of the rescue squad/company?
searches for and removes victims from area of danger or entrapment and may perform technical rescues
What is the role of the brush company?
Extinguishes ground cover or grass fires and protects structures in the areas close to fields and woodlands, referred to as the wildland/urban interface
What is the role of the hazardous materials company?
mitigates hazardous materials incidents
What is the role of the emergency medical/ambulance company?
provides emergency medical care to patients and may transport them to a medical facility
What is the role of the special rescue company?
performs technical rescues including rapid intervention for the rescue of FF
What is the role of the aircraft rescue and fire fighting company?
performs rescue and fire suppression activities involving aircraft accidents
What refers to an organizations responsibility to provide leadership and an individuals responsibility to follow orders?
Discipline
What is a guide to decision making in an organization? These guides are mandated
Policy
Who are policies and procedures mandated by?
AHJ
What are detailed written plans that list specific steps for approaching a recurring problem or situation?
Procedure
What are examples of some procedures?
the steps required to ventilate a roof, the steps required to mitigate a hazardous materials situation
What are the rules for how personnel should perform routine functions or emergency operations?
Standard operating procedure’s (SOP’S)
What is a set of principles, protocols, and procedures that are developed by committees through consensus? This is not mandated
Standard
What is a collection of rules and regulations that have ben enacted by law in a particular jurisdiction?
Code
What are issued from the top of the chain of command and used to implement departmental policies and procedures?
Orders and Directives (generally mean the same thing)
How do utility companies assist fire departments?
Their personnel assist at accidents by shutting off natural gas lines, electricity, or public water mains
Which individuals in the fire department are authorized to interact with the media?
Incident commander, ranking officer (lieutenant/commander/chief/etc), or Public Information Officer (PIO)
How were early fire organizations started?
Early organizations were started by volunteering. The first organization was formed in New Amsterdam (New York) through appointed Surveyors of Buildings - a group of men who acted as fire wardens.
How do organizational characteristics, cultural challenges, and cultural strengths influence the fire service?
These concepts influence the fire service because they encourage about discipline, diversity, inclusion, responsibility and personal accountability.
What are three main types of staffing found in the fire service?
Career departments, volunteer departments, and combination departments.
How are duties of an engine company difference from a rescue squad/company?
The engine company’s main function is fire suppression. Engine companies also perform additional duties including search and rescue, extrication, and ventilation. Rescue companies primary functions are search and rescue.
What is another word for a telecommunicator?
Dispatcher
What is the primary difference between FFI and FFII duties?
FFI works under direct supervision of a FFII or company officer. FFII is trained to coordinate FFI and FFII personnel while working under the supervision of a company officer.
How are qualifications for different line positions regulated?
Qualifications for different line positions are regulated through NFPA 1001 - Standard for FF Professional Qualifications. This establishes two levels of for FF certification
What are the organizational principles for the fire service?
Chain of command, Unity of command, Span of Control, Division of labor, Discipline
What is the difference between policies and procedures?
Policy: a mandated guide to decision-making within an organization
Procedure: detailed and step-by-step written plan that lists specific steps for approaching a recurring problem or situation
What is span of control?
This principle establishes the maximum number of subordinates or functions the any one supervisor can control, typically 3-5 (optimally 5)
What is another word for a telecommunicator?
Dispatcher
When was the first engine purchased in Colonial North America?
1653
What organization formed in 1896 develops codes and standards to ensure fire and life safety for the public?
National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA)
What was a result of the Iroquois Theater Fire, Chicago (1903)?
required panic hardware on exit doors
What was a result of the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire, Boston Massachusetts (1942)?
increased fire and life safety requirements in assembly-type occupancies
Why was the National Commission of Fire Prevention and Control (NCFPC) established?
to determine how to reduce fire loss
What are cultural challenges in the fire service?
diversity, resistance to change, differences of personal characteristics, and accepting personal responsibility
What cultural strength in the fire services is based on the feelings of self-respect and personal worth?
pride
The all-hazards approach means the fire service ___________
provides a variety of services in the community
A department type is determined by how _____
an organization is funded
Which type of staffing performs required functions for minimal or no pay?
volunteer
What type of company is responsible for forcible entry?
truck company
What part of the fire service is composed of a variety of companies located in a response area?
battalion
What type of company protects structures in the wildland/urban interface?
Brush company
What type of company performs fire suppression duties at structure, vehicle, wild land, and other types of fires?
Engine company
What NFPA standard establishes basic training criteria for FFI and FFII?
NFPA 1001
What is the main duty of a FFI?
perform assigned tasks under supervision
Which federally affects hiring practices and building accessibility?
Fair labor standards act
What is a collection of rules enacted by law in a particular jurisdiction?
Code
What is a set of principles or procedures developed by consensus?
Standard
