Chapter 2: Procedures, Preincident Planning, Size-Up

Question 1

What is the purpose of an SOP and what factors are taken into consideration when writing one?

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

When new equipment is introduced, SOPs must be written detailing _____

Answer 2

When and how to safely use the tactic or equipment.

Question 3

What is the importance of a “reasonable person clause” in relation to SOPs?

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

When faced with a situation in which noncompliance with an SOP is required, members must

Answer 4

communicate the variance and be prepared to justify the modification.

Question 5

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?

Answer 5

NFPA 1710 addresses staffing at residential fires. A study done by NIST verified this study.

Question 6

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:

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Rate of flow

Answer 7

the minimum water application rate required for extinguishment.

Question 8

Using the on board water supply to attack the fire can sometimes be referred to as the _____

Answer 8

“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.

Question 9

Relay pumping

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

Water Shuttle

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Firefighting NFPA standard:

Answer 11

NFPA 1142

Question 12

Wood Truss

Answer 12

An assembly made up of small dimension lumber joined in a triangular configuration that can be used to support either roofs or floors.

Question 13

balloon frame construction

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Platform Frame construction

Answer 14

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 .

Question 15

Generally, frame structures built before 1940 typically will have _______ roof structures rather than _______ roof structures, unless the house has undergone major renovations or repairs.

Answer 15

Solid beam, lightweight truss.

Question 16

Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act Title III mandates

Answer 16

Hazardous Materials Planning.

Question 17

Security concerns include

Answer 17

locked doors, limited access, energized electrical fences, fences with razor wire or barbed wire. Barriers delay FD entry and occupant egress.

Question 18

Lockbox systems are usually placed at properties where:

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

NFPA 1

Answer 19

Fire Code

Question 20

Fuel Load

Answer 20

fuels provided by a building’s contents and combustible building materials. also called a fire load

Question 21

Formal Preincident plans include both a narrative and drawings, wiith ______ being the most important. Some narrative information needed includes _____.

Answer 21

drawings. address, occupants, emergency contacts, telephone numbers, other general info.

Question 22

NFPA 1620, Recommended Practice for Pre-Incident Planning, outlines steps in ______

Answer 22

developing, maintaining, and using a preincident plan.

Question 23

Various occupancies defined in NFPA 1620 include

Answer 23

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.

Question 24

Complex Preincident plan

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

Formal Preincident plan

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

Notation

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

Preincident plan drawings should include

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

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 _______

Answer 28

tasks being unassigned or totally missed.

Question 29

Decisions regarding what buildings should be preplanned is jurisdiction dependent. A building should be preplanned if there is:

Answer 29

High life hazard (including firefighter safety issues), difficult extinguishment problem, or high value property.

Question 30

Potential demand

Answer 30

properties with a potential for a large loss of life or property.

Question 31

realized demand

Answer 31

the actual number of fires in a building or type of building

Question 32

Compartmentation

Answer 32

Subdividing of a building into small areas (rooms) capable of limiting the spread of fire and products of combustion.

Question 33

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

Answer 33

preconnected hose lines

Question 34

Some special hazards, if they are present in quantity, which would require a preincident plan include:

Answer 34

flammable liquids, plastics, rubber tires, idle wood pallets and smaller areas.

Question 35

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 _______

Answer 35

estimated rate of flow, percentage of involvement.

Question 36

Primary Factors

Answer 36

The most important factors, assessed during size up, which change from incident to incident and depend on specific incident conditions.

Question 37

Secondary factors

Answer 37

Less important factors at an incident, which change from incident to incident and depend on specific incident conditions.

Question 38

Size up begins _____

Answer 38

before the incident with the development of SOPs and preincident planning.

Question 39

Size up continues _____

Answer 39

through the incident and through the overhaul phase.

Question 40

An oxygen sufficient condition in which room temperatures reach the ignition temperature of the suspended pyrolytic emissions, causing all combustible contents to suddenly ignite.

Answer 40

Flashover

Question 41

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

Answer 41

Backdraft

Question 42

Smoke __ , __, __, and ___ will provide clues about ht e possibility of flashover, location of the fire, and survivability inside the burning building.

Answer 42

volume, velocity, density, color.

Question 43

The fire’s location determines the method and direction of attack. _____ is the primary life safety tactic and operational priority.

Answer 43

extinguishment

Question 44

Locating the fire and its ______ is critical to the development of an incident action plan

Answer 44

extension paths.

Question 45

If the gas is contained under conditions in which expansion is not possible, the heated gas will undergo

Answer 45

an increase in pressure

Question 46

Flow paths can be controlled by

Answer 46

applying water and/or ventilation

Question 47

Fire, heat and smoke travel the path of least resistance meaning they travel

Answer 47

upwards, outwards, down

Question 48

opening a door creates an _____ supplying oxygen to the fire and a _____ allowing smoke and fire gases to escape.

Answer 48

air intake opening, low pressure opening.

Question 49

Vent openings generally increase the available oxygen and often result in _____

Answer 49

a rapid increase in fire intensity and size

Question 50

_______ can spread and accelerate fire spread, change the ventilation flow path, and precipitate a backdraft or flashover.

Answer 50

Improper venting

Question 51

The vent opening should direct the flow path and fire

Answer 51

away from occupants and firefighters.

Question 52

area of refuge

Answer 52

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.

Question 53

Rapid Intervention crew

Answer 53

A minimum of 2 fully equipped personnel on site, for immediate rescue of injured or trapped members.

Question 54

Good practice indicates that the RIT crew be comprised of at least ___

Answer 54

one officer and 3 firefighters.

Question 55

Collapse zone

Answer 55

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.

Question 56

Building Construction Types

Answer 56

Type I: Fire Resistive
Type II: Noncombustible
Type III: Ordinary
Type IV: Heavy Timber
Type V: Wood Frame

Question 57

NFPA 220

Answer 57

Standard on Types of Building Construction

Question 58

Dead Load

Answer 58

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.

Question 59

Special considerations for dead loads

Answer 59

Heavy roof loads such as roof mounted equipment, particularly if the roof is supported by unprotected truss construction.

Question 60

Live loads

Answer 60

The weight of the buildings contents, people, or anything that is not permanently attached to the structure.