Chapter 1 Introduction To The Fire Service And Firefighter Safety

Question 1

All hazard concept

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Battalion

Answer 2

Fire department organizational subdivision consisting of several fire service companies in a designated geographic area

Question 3

Body substance isolation

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Carcinogen

Answer 4

Cancer producing substance

Question 5

Chain of command

Answer 5

Order of rank and authority in the fire and emergency services

Question 6

Chronic

Answer 6

Long term and reoccurring

Question 7

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Answer 7

Term for several diseases that result in obstructive problems in the airways

Question 8

Code

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Code enforcement

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Cold zone

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Community risk reduction (CRR)

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Company

Answer 12

Basic firefighting organizational unit consisting of firefighters and apparatus; headed by a company officer

Question 13

Culture

Answer 13

The shared assumptions, beliefs, and values of a group or organization

Question 14

Generator

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Ground vault circuit interrupter
(GVCI)

Answer 15

Device designed to protect against electrical shock; when grounding occurs, the device opens a circuit to shut off the floor of electricity

Question 16

Ground gradient

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Hazard

Answer 17

Condition, substance or device that can directly cause injury or loss; the source of a risk

Question 18

Hot zone

Answer 18

Potentially hazardous area immediately surrounding the incident site; requires appropriate protective, clothing, and equipment and other safety precautions for entry

Question 19

Immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH)

Answer 19

Description of any atmosphere that poses an immediate hazard to life or produces immediate irreversible, debilitating effects on Health

Question 20

Incident command system (ICS)

Answer 20

Standardized approach to incident management that facilitates interaction between cooperating agencies; adaptable to incidence of any size or type

Question 21

Incident commander (IC)

Answer 21

Person in charge of the incident command system, and responsible for the management of all incident operations during an emergency

Question 22

Intrinsically safe

Answer 22

Describes equipment that is approved for the use inflammable atmosphere; must be incapable of releasing enough electrical energy to ignite the flammable atmosphere

Question 23

Inverter

Answer 23

Step-up transformer that converts a vehicle 12 – or 24 – volt DC current into 110 – or 220 – volt AC current

Question 24

Line personnel

Answer 24

Personnel who provide emergency services to external customers (the public)

Question 25

Mitigate

Answer 25

To cause to become less harsh or hostile; to make less severe, intense or painful; to alleviate

Question 26

Personal account accountability system

Answer 26

Method for identifying which emergency responders are working on an incident scene

Question 27

Plans review

Answer 27

Process of reviewing building plans and specifications to determine the safety characteristics of proposed building; generally done before permission is granted to begin construction

Question 28

Policy

Answer 28

Organizational principal that is developed and adopted as a basis for decision-making

Question 29

Post incident analysis

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Power take-off (PTO) system

Answer 31

Mechanism that allows a vehicle engine to power equipment, such as a pump, winch, or portable tool; it is typically attached to the transmission

Question 32

Procedure

Answer 32

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.

Question 33

Rehabilitation

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Response district

Answer 34

Geographical area to which particular apparatus is assigned to be first due on a fire or other emergency incident

Question 35

Risk

Answer 35

Likelihood of suffering harm from a hazard; exposure to a hazard. The potential for failure or loss.

Question 36

Risk-management plan

Answer 36

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

Question 37

Situational awareness

Answer 37

Perception of the surrounding environment and the ability to anticipate future events

Question 38

Span of control

Answer 38

Maximum number of subordinates that one individual can effectively supervise; ranges from 3 to 7 individuals or functions, with 5 generally established as optimum

Question 39

Staff personnel

Answer 39

Personnel who provide administrative and logistical support to the line units (internal customers)

Question 40

Standard

Answer 40

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.

Question 41

Standard operating procedure (SOP)

Answer 41

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.

Question 42

Traffic control zone

Answer 42

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

Question 43

Training evolution

Answer 43

Operation of fire and emergency services training, covering one or several aspects of firefighting

Question 44

Unity of command

Answer 44

Organizational principle in which workers report to only one supervisor in order to eliminate conflicting orders

Question 45

Warm zone

Answer 45

Area between the hot and cold zones that usually contains the decontamination corridor hazardous materials incident

Question 46

Wildland/urban interface

Answer 46

Line, area, or zone where an undeveloped wildland area meets a human development area