Chapter 2: Procedures, Preincident Planning, Size-Up Flashcards
What is the purpose of an SOP and what factors are taken into consideration when writing one?
SOPs address any operation that can be handled using a standard approach. They will differ based on department and hazards found in communities. Types of property, resources available, equipment, training, among other things guide the promulgation of SOPs.
When new equipment is introduced, SOPs must be written detailing _____
When and how to safely use the tactic or equipment.
What is the importance of a “reasonable person clause” in relation to SOPs?
SOPs are general operating guidelines. Essentially states that procedures are to be followed, but that firefighters should follow a reasonable course of action when confronted with a situation in which modification of the procedure is appropriate.
When faced with a situation in which noncompliance with an SOP is required, members must
communicate the variance and be prepared to justify the modification.
Standard for the Organization and deployment of fire suppression operations, emergency medical operations and special operations to the public by career fire departments is what NFPA standard and what does it address?
NFPA 1710 addresses staffing at residential fires. A study done by NIST verified this study.
When all or part of a community is not serviced by a water distribution system with closely spaced hydrants, special provisions are necessary, such as:
working from tank water, setting up water relays, implementing tender shuttles. These options should be evaluated during preincident planning by first determining the “rate of flow”. Then sources of water and their accessibility and reliability.
Rate of flow
the minimum water application rate required for extinguishment.
Using the on board water supply to attack the fire can sometimes be referred to as the _____
“attack pumper” tactic. Second due engine usually supplies the first due with hydrant water or other source. May be best tactic when water supply is located far away from a small structure. Provisions must be made to ensure a reliable, adequate, continuous water supply.
Relay pumping
Involves moving water from the source (static or hydrant) through multiple pumpers to the apparatus operating at the fire scene. can be very effective at providing 1000GPM over a long distance when LDH or multiple relay lines are used.
Water Shuttle
accomplished via tender. High flow rates can be achieved provided the water source can meet the demand, the source is relatively close to the fire scene, and several large capacity tenders are available. Generally more difficult to move the same amount of water as relay pumping.
Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Firefighting NFPA standard:
NFPA 1142
Wood Truss
An assembly made up of small dimension lumber joined in a triangular configuration that can be used to support either roofs or floors.
balloon frame construction
an older type of wood frame construction in which the wall studs extend vertically from the basement of the structure to the roof. Generally built before 1940
Platform Frame construction
a construction technique using separate components to build the frame of a structure (one floor at a time). Each floor has a top and bottom plate that act as fire-stops .
Generally, frame structures built before 1940 typically will have _______ roof structures rather than _______ roof structures, unless the house has undergone major renovations or repairs.
Solid beam, lightweight truss.
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act Title III mandates
Hazardous Materials Planning.
Security concerns include
locked doors, limited access, energized electrical fences, fences with razor wire or barbed wire. Barriers delay FD entry and occupant egress.
Lockbox systems are usually placed at properties where:
an alarm system is tied to a central station, chemicals are stored in reportable quantities according to the SARA act, properties require immediate access by the fire department.
NFPA 1
Fire Code
Fuel Load
fuels provided by a building’s contents and combustible building materials. also called a fire load
Formal Preincident plans include both a narrative and drawings, wiith ______ being the most important. Some narrative information needed includes _____.
drawings. address, occupants, emergency contacts, telephone numbers, other general info.
NFPA 1620, Recommended Practice for Pre-Incident Planning, outlines steps in ______
developing, maintaining, and using a preincident plan.
Various occupancies defined in NFPA 1620 include
Assembly, educational, health care, detention and correctional, apartment buildings, dorms, hotels, lodging and rooming houses, residential board and care, mercantile, business, industrial, warehouse and storage.
Complex Preincident plan
Used when a property has more than 3 buildings, or when necessary to show the layout of the premises between buildings on the site. used to identify building and fire protection features as well as hazards for each building. Provide an overview of the complex.
Formal Preincident plan
A property with a substantial risk to life and/or property should be planned. include drawing of the property, floor layouts, narrative describing important features.
Notation
A piece of information about the premises. Information may accompany a preincident plan or be available when the building does not have a preincident plan. Marking an “X” on the exterior of a building that should not be entered is another for of preincident plan.
Preincident plan drawings should include
entry and exit doors, fences, gates, exterior security features, areas of refuge, general floor layout, building and area dimensions, stairways, fire escapes, elevators, fire separations, utility shutoffs, alarm panels, lockbox, fire protection system and sectional control valves, fire protection system intakes, fire protection system manual actuation, fire protection system agent supply, hose outlets for standpipes, fire pumps, fire hydrants, potential staging areas, haz-mat locations, emergency vents and controls, other info important to the IC.
When preparing a preincident plan, one of the most common errors is preassigning companies to respond to specific locations. Preassigning companies to specific tasks could result in _______
tasks being unassigned or totally missed.
Decisions regarding what buildings should be preplanned is jurisdiction dependent. A building should be preplanned if there is:
High life hazard (including firefighter safety issues), difficult extinguishment problem, or high value property.
Potential demand
properties with a potential for a large loss of life or property.
realized demand
the actual number of fires in a building or type of building
Compartmentation
Subdividing of a building into small areas (rooms) capable of limiting the spread of fire and products of combustion.
A building with compartments requiring more than 2 standard _________, as calculated by using the volume of the fire compartment divided by 100, should be preplanned
preconnected hose lines
Some special hazards, if they are present in quantity, which would require a preincident plan include:
flammable liquids, plastics, rubber tires, idle wood pallets and smaller areas.
The ______ should be included on the preincident plan when applicable. Where very large areas with heavy fuel loads exist, a decision may be made in advance of the fire regarding defensive or non-attack situations for fires beyond a certain _______
estimated rate of flow, percentage of involvement.
Primary Factors
The most important factors, assessed during size up, which change from incident to incident and depend on specific incident conditions.
Secondary factors
Less important factors at an incident, which change from incident to incident and depend on specific incident conditions.
Size up begins _____
before the incident with the development of SOPs and preincident planning.
Size up continues _____
through the incident and through the overhaul phase.
An oxygen sufficient condition in which room temperatures reach the ignition temperature of the suspended pyrolytic emissions, causing all combustible contents to suddenly ignite.
Flashover
A fire condition that occurs when oxygen is introduced into a superheated, oxygen deficient compartment charged with smoke and pyrolytic emissions resulting in an explosive ignition
Backdraft
Smoke __ , __, __, and ___ will provide clues about ht e possibility of flashover, location of the fire, and survivability inside the burning building.
volume, velocity, density, color.
The fire’s location determines the method and direction of attack. _____ is the primary life safety tactic and operational priority.
extinguishment
Locating the fire and its ______ is critical to the development of an incident action plan
extension paths.
If the gas is contained under conditions in which expansion is not possible, the heated gas will undergo
an increase in pressure
Flow paths can be controlled by
applying water and/or ventilation
Fire, heat and smoke travel the path of least resistance meaning they travel
upwards, outwards, down
opening a door creates an _____ supplying oxygen to the fire and a _____ allowing smoke and fire gases to escape.
air intake opening, low pressure opening.
Vent openings generally increase the available oxygen and often result in _____
a rapid increase in fire intensity and size
_______ can spread and accelerate fire spread, change the ventilation flow path, and precipitate a backdraft or flashover.
Improper venting
The vent opening should direct the flow path and fire
away from occupants and firefighters.
area of refuge
a floor area with at least 2 rooms separated by smoke resisting partitions in a building protected by a sprinkler system, or a space located in an egress path that is separated from other building spaces.
Rapid Intervention crew
A minimum of 2 fully equipped personnel on site, for immediate rescue of injured or trapped members.
Good practice indicates that the RIT crew be comprised of at least ___
one officer and 3 firefighters.
Collapse zone
generally the height of the structure, plus an allowance for falling debris. In most cases this translates to one and a half times the height of the structure.
Building Construction Types
Type I: Fire Resistive Type II: Noncombustible Type III: Ordinary Type IV: Heavy Timber Type V: Wood Frame
NFPA 220
Standard on Types of Building Construction
Dead Load
The weight of the building; consists of the weight of all materials of construction incorporated into a building, including but not limited to floors, roofs, ceilings, stairways, built-in partitions, finishes, cladding, and other similarly incorporated architectural and structural items, as well as fixed service equipment.
Special considerations for dead loads
Heavy roof loads such as roof mounted equipment, particularly if the roof is supported by unprotected truss construction.
Live loads
The weight of the buildings contents, people, or anything that is not permanently attached to the structure.
