Chapter 1 Introduction To The Fire Service And Firefighter Safety Flashcards
All hazard concept
Provides 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
Battalion
Fire department organizational subdivision consisting of several fire service companies in a designated geographic area
Body substance isolation
Comprehensive method of infection control in which every patient is assumed to be infected ; ppe is worn to prevent exposure to bodily fluids and bloodborne and airborne path
Carcinogen
Cancer producing substance
Chain of command
Order of rank and authority in the fire and emergency services
Chronic
Long term and reoccurring
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Term for several diseases that result in obstructive problems in the airways
Code
A collection of rules and regulations that has been enacted by law in a particular jurisdiction. Codes typically address a single subject area; Examples include a mechanical, electrical, building, or fire code.
Code enforcement
Process of enforcing, a body of law aimed and reducing fire and life, safety hazards, as well as mandating the proper installation and maintenance of building/structure and life safety features to provide adequate community fire prevention
Cold zone
Safe area outside of the warm zone where equipment and personnel are not expected to become contaminated and special protective clothing is not required; the incident command post and other support functions are typically located in this zone
Community risk reduction (CRR)
The fire department or other agencies, identification, and prioritization of risk to the community, followed by the integration application of resources to improve public safety through minimizing the probability or occurrence and/or the impact of unfortunate events
Company
Basic firefighting organizational unit consisting of firefighters and apparatus; headed by a company officer
Culture
The shared assumptions, beliefs, and values of a group or organization
Generator
Portable device for generating auxiliary electrical power; generators are powered by gasoline or diesel engines and typically have a 110 – and/or 220 – volt capacity outlets
Ground vault circuit interrupter
(GVCI)
Device designed to protect against electrical shock; when grounding occurs, the device opens a circuit to shut off the floor of electricity
Ground gradient
Electrical field that radiates outward from where the current enters the ground; it’s intensity dissipates rapidly as distance increases from the point of entry
Hazard
Condition, substance or device that can directly cause injury or loss; the source of a risk
Hot zone
Potentially hazardous area immediately surrounding the incident site; requires appropriate protective, clothing, and equipment and other safety precautions for entry
Immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH)
Description of any atmosphere that poses an immediate hazard to life or produces immediate irreversible, debilitating effects on Health
Incident command system (ICS)
Standardized approach to incident management that facilitates interaction between cooperating agencies; adaptable to incidence of any size or type
Incident commander (IC)
Person in charge of the incident command system, and responsible for the management of all incident operations during an emergency
Intrinsically safe
Describes equipment that is approved for the use inflammable atmosphere; must be incapable of releasing enough electrical energy to ignite the flammable atmosphere
Inverter
Step-up transformer that converts a vehicle 12 – or 24 – volt DC current into 110 – or 220 – volt AC current
Line personnel
Personnel who provide emergency services to external customers (the public)
Mitigate
To cause to become less harsh or hostile; to make less severe, intense or painful; to alleviate
Personal account accountability system
Method for identifying which emergency responders are working on an incident scene
Plans review
Process of reviewing building plans and specifications to determine the safety characteristics of proposed building; generally done before permission is granted to begin construction
Policy
Organizational principal that is developed and adopted as a basis for decision-making
Post incident analysis
Overview and critique of an incident by members of all responding agencies, including dispatchers, typically takes place within two weeks of the incident in the training environment, and may be used to evaluate student and instructor performance during a training evaluation
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Disorder caused when persons have been exposed to a traumatic event in which they have experienced, witnessed, or been confronted with an event or events that involve actual death, threaten death, serious injury, or the threat of physical injury to self or others
Power take-off (PTO) system
Mechanism that allows a vehicle engine to power equipment, such as a pump, winch, or portable tool; it is typically attached to the transmission
Procedure
Outline of the steps that must be performed in order to properly follow an organizational policy. Procedures help, and organization to ensure that a consistently a approaches a task in the correct way, in order to accomplish a specific objective.
Rehabilitation
Allowing firefighters or rescuers to rest, rehydrate, and recover during an incident also refers to a station at an incident where personnel can rest, rehydrate, and recover
Response district
Geographical area to which particular apparatus is assigned to be first due on a fire or other emergency incident
Risk
Likelihood of suffering harm from a hazard; exposure to a hazard. The potential for failure or loss.
Risk-management plan
Written plan that identifies and analyzes the exposure to hazards, select appropriate risk management techniques to handle exposures, implements those techniques, and monitors the results
Situational awareness
Perception of the surrounding environment and the ability to anticipate future events
Span of control
Maximum number of subordinates that one individual can effectively supervise; ranges from 3 to 7 individuals or functions, with 5 generally established as optimum
Staff personnel
Personnel who provide administrative and logistical support to the line units (internal customers)
Standard
Instead of principles, protocols, or procedures that explain how to do something or provide a set of minimum standards to be followed. And hearing to a standard is not required by law, although standards may be incorporated in codes, which are legally enforceable.
Standard operating procedure (SOP)
Formal methods or rules to guide the performance of routine functions or emergency operations. Procedures are typically written in a handbook, so that all firefighters can consult and become familiar with them.
Traffic control zone
Operational zone established on or near a roadway for the rerouting of traffic and protection of civilians and responders; may include a hot, warm, warm, and cold zone, depending on the incident
Training evolution
Operation of fire and emergency services training, covering one or several aspects of firefighting
Unity of command
Organizational principle in which workers report to only one supervisor in order to eliminate conflicting orders
Warm zone
Area between the hot and cold zones that usually contains the decontamination corridor hazardous materials incident
Wildland/urban interface
Line, area, or zone where an undeveloped wildland area meets a human development area
