Chapter 1 - Introduction to the fire officer

Question 1

What is the first step in a progressive sequence and is generally associated with an officer supervising a single fire company or apparatus?

Answer 1

Fire officer I

Question 2

Generally refers to the senior non-chief officer level in a larger fire department. An officer at this level could be the overall supervisor of a multiple unit fire station?

Answer 2

Fire officer II

Question 3

Generally referred to a chief officer position. An individual who is qualified at this level, might work as a battalion or district chief in a large department and possibly as a deputy or assistant chief in a smaller organization.

Answer 3

Fire officer III

Question 4

Personnel at this level tends to be fire chiefs or whole senior positions in charge of a major component of the fire department

Answer 4

Fire officer IV

Question 5

Where did the foundation of company officer practice come from?

Answer 5

World War II combat experience

Question 6

Departments that provide an incentive for firefighters by paying them for each response to an alarm?

Answer 6

Paid on call

Question 7

As of 2012, how many firefighters are working in the United States?

Answer 7

1.1 million

Question 8

What is the percentage of full-time career firefighters and the percentage that are (volunteers,paid on call, and part time ) firefighters?

Answer 8

31% full-time career paid

69% volunteer/part time/paid on call

Question 9

3 to 4 career firefighters work in communities with populations of ……… or more

Answer 9

25,000

Question 10

Most volunteer firefighters work and fire departments that protect small rural communities with populations less than ……..

Answer 10

2,500

Question 11

Where and when was the first document on fire in North America?

Answer 11

Jamestown Virginia
1607

Question 12

In 1630, Boston Massachusetts, established the first fire regulations in North America when it banned ………?

Answer 12

Wood chimneys
and
thatched roofs

Question 13

Where and when was the first volunteer fire company established under the leadership of Benjamin Franklin?

The union fire company

Answer 13

Philadelphia
1735

Question 14

What was the date of the great Chicago fire that burned through the city for three days?

Answer 14

October 8, 1871

Question 15

Not as widely publicized, what is the deadliest fire in United States history?

Answer 15

Peshtigo firestorm

Question 16

Richard Newsham developed these in 1720 in London England?

Answer 16

Hand powered Pumpers

Question 17

What year did steam powered Pumpers become developed?

Answer 17

1829

Question 18

Insurance companies marked the homes of their policyholders with a ………. That show the name or logo of the insurance company.

Answer 18

Plaque or fire Mark

Question 19

Who organized the first fire insurance company in United States?

Answer 19

Benjamin Franklin

Question 20

What civilization developed the first municipal water systems, just as they had developed the first fire companies?

24 BC
Augustus Caesar

Answer 20

The Romans

Question 21

George Smith, a fire fighter in New York City developed the first fire hydrant in what year?

Answer 21

1817

Question 22

In Washington DC in the 1850s, the introduction of ………was a major advancement in the fire service?

Answer 22

Public call boxes

Question 23

In Canada, as of 2007, an estimated ……..% of the 42,753 fires occurred in residences.

There were …….. civilian fire deaths

Answer 23

69%

224

Question 24

In 1678, Boston required that …….. be used for all roofs?

Answer 24

Tile or slate

Question 25

Who is the fire chief usually accountable to?

Answer 25

The leader of the governing body, such as the city Council, the County commission, the mayor, or the city manager.

Question 26

Who is usually the officer in charge of a single alarm working fire?

Answer 26

Battalion chief

Question 27

The management concept that each fire fighter answers to only one supervisor, and each supervisor answers to only one boss.

This offers a direct route of responsibility from the fire chief to the fire fighter

Answer 27

Unity of command

Question 28

Refers to the maximum number of personnel or activities that can be effectively controlled by one individual.

Answer 28

Span of control
(3-7)

Question 29

A way of organizing an incident by breaking down the overall strategy into smaller tasks.

Specific assignment of a task to an individual makes that person responsible for completing the task and prevents duplication of job assignments

Answer 29

Division of labor

Question 30

A moral, mental, and physical state in which all ranks respond to the will of the leader. Also the guidelines that a department sets for firefighters to work within.

SOP’s, SOG’s, policies, and procedures are all forms of this because they outlined how things are to be done, and usually how far a person can go without requesting further guidance.

Answer 30

Discipline

Question 31

Henri Fayol published the ……… textbook in 1916, that describes the four functions of management.

Answer 31

General and industrial management

English translation Constance Storrs 1949

Question 32

The four functions of management are………..?

Answer 32

1. Planning
2. Organizing
3. Leading
4. Controlling

Question 33

Developing a scheme, program, or method that is worked out before hand to accomplish in objective

Answer 33

Planning

Question 34

Putting resources together into an orderly, functional, structured whole

Answer 34

Organizing

Question 35

Guiding or directing in a course of action

Answer 35

Leading

Question 36

A complex process of influencing others to accomplish a task

Answer 36

Leadership

Question 37

Restraining, regulating, governing, counteracting, or overpowering

Answer 37

Controlling

Question 38

Directives developed by various government or government authorized organizations to implement a law that has been passed by a government body

Answer 38

Rules and regulations

Question 39

Formal statements that provides guidelines for present and future actions. They often require personnel to make judgments

Answer 39

Policies

Question 40

Written organizational directives that establish or describe specific operational or administrative methods to be followed routinely for the performance of designated operations or actions

Developed within the fire department and approved by the fire chief

Answer 40

Standard operating procedures
SOP’s

Question 41

SOP’s provide a uniform way to deal with emergency situations enabling different ……… to work together smoothly, even if they have never worked together before.

Answer 41

Stations or companies

Question 42

A system that defines the roles and responsibilities to be assumed by personnel and operating procedures to be used in the management and direction of emergency operations

Answer 42

Incident command system
(ICS)

Question 43

The fire officer II Is expected to determine the ……. and …….. of a fire and develop and perform a post incident analysis of a multi company operation.

Answer 43

Area of origin
And
Preliminary cause

Question 44

In this role, the company officer is encouraged to acquire the appropriate levels of training, experience, self development, and education throughout their professional journey to prepare for the chief fire officer designation.

Answer 44

Managing fire officer

Question 45

IAFC identifies the Fire Officer II level as a ………

Answer 45

Managing fire officer

Question 46

The para military structure of the fire department was established in the 1860s, when cities were replacing independent volunteer companies with municipal fire departments based on ……… model?

Answer 46

Civil war military deployment model

Question 47

Based on data submitted to (NIFRS) fire fighting accounts for only ……….. of the response work load of firefighters.

Answer 47

5%

Question 48

And occasional incipient fire or inferno occurs in fewer than ………. activated fire alarm responses?

Answer 48

1 out of 100

Question 49

NFPA # for the professional qualification standards for fire officers

Answer 49

NFPA 1021

Question 50

What are the leading causes of death for firefighters within a burning structure?

Answer 50

Flashover and structural collapse

Question 51

And obsolete amplification device that enabled the chief officer to give orders to the firefighters during an emergency ;

precursor to the bullhorn and portable radio.

Answer 51

Chiefs trumpet

Question 52

What position supervises a single fire suppression unit or a small administrative group within a fire department?

Answer 52

Fire officer I

Question 53

How does a fire officer I accomplish the departments goals and objectives?

Answer 53

Working through subordinates to achieve desired results.

Question 54

What year did the international Association of fire chiefs (IAFC) develop the officer development handbook?

Answer 54

2003

Question 55

Around A.D. 60, Who were the group of 7000 free men responsible for fire fighting in the Roman empire?

Answer 55

The Corps of Virgiles

Question 56

How many people were killed by the great Chicago fire of 1871?

Homeless?

Answer 56

300 dead
90,000 homeless

Question 57

When were water distribution systems developed to support fire suppression efforts

Answer 57

1800’s

Question 58

How would the chief shout commands prior to two-way radios becoming available?

Answer 58

Bugle or trumpet

Eventually becoming a symbol of authority in the fire service

Question 59

In Washington DC, when were building codes first adopted, prohibiting the building of wooden houses?

Answer 59

1814, after the British troops burned Washington DC.

Question 60

What symbol on homesteads indicated the homeowner had insurance that would pay the fire company for extinguishing the blaze?

Answer 60

Fire Mark

Question 61

What is the most important resource on the fire scene?

Answer 61

Knowledgeable, well trained, physically capable fire fighter.

Question 62

Who overseas the operation of a fire district?

Answer 62

A fire district board usually elected by voters in the district.

Question 63

What is a special political subdivision that can be established by state or county, with the single purpose of providing fire protection within a defined geographic area?

Answer 63

Fire protection district

Question 64

Who are responsible for managing the activities of several fire companies within a defined geographic area?

Answer 64

Battalion chiefs, or district chiefs

Question 65

Fire personnel usually in charge of major functional areas, such as training, emergency operations, support services, and fire prevention within the department.

Answer 65

Division Chiefs, deputy chiefs, and or assistant Chiefs.

Question 66

What are the four main principles of organization most fire departments are structured on?

Answer 66

1. Unity of command
2. Span of control
   3. Division of labor
3. Discipline

Question 67

Span of control should extend to no more than ________ people?

Answer 67

5

Question 68

How long does short range planning extend up to?

Answer 68

1 year

Question 69

How Long is medium range planning?

Answer 69

1-3 years

Question 70

Long range planning covers events longer than ____ years in advance.

Answer 70

3 years

Question 71

A complex process of influencing others to accomplish a task is?

Answer 71

The act of leadership

Question 72

EMS calls are the most frequent responses by fire departments at what percent?

Answer 72

66%

Question 73

What is the second most common reason for fire service responses?

Answer 73

Activated fire protection system alarms

Question 74

What is the third most common reason for fire department response

Answer 74

Investigating an odor, a hazardous condition, or other service call

Question 75

What are the primary causes of death within a burning structure

Answer 75

Flashover and structural collapse