Chapter 6: Firefighter PPE

Question 1

Airborne Pathogens

Answer 1

Disease-causing microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, or fungi) that are suspended in the air.

Question 2

Air-Purifying Respirator (APR)

Answer 2

Respirator that removes contaminants by passing ambient air through a filter, cartridge, or canister; may have a full or partial facepiece.

Question 3

Asphyxiation

Answer 3

Fatal condition caused by severe oxygen deficiency and an excess of carbon monoxide and/or other gases in the blood.

Question 4

Cascade System

Answer 4

Three or more large, interconnected air cylinders, from which smaller SCBA cylinders are recharged; the largest cylinders typically have a capacity of 300 cubic feet (8 490 L).

Question 5

Closed-Circuit SCBA

Answer 5

SCBA that recycles exhaled air; removes carbon dioxide and restores compressed, chemical, or liquid oxygen. Not approved for fire fighter ops. Also known as O2-Breathing Apparatus (OBA) or O2-Generating Apparatus.

Question 6

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

Answer 6

Rules and regulations published by executive agencies of the US federal government. These administrative laws are just as enforceable as statutory laws (known collectively as federal law), which must be passed by Congress.

Question 7

Fire Fighting Boots

Answer 7

Protective footwear meeting the design requirements of NFPA, OSHA, and CAN/CSA Z195-02 (R2008).

Question 8

Gas

Answer 8

Compressible substance, with no specific volume, that tends to assume that shape of the container. Molecules move about most rapidly in this state.

Question 9

Hearing Protection

Answer 9

Device that limits noise-induced hearing loss when firefighters are exposed to extremely loud environments, such as apparatus engine noise, audible warning devices, and the use of power tools and equipment.

Question 10

Helmet

Answer 10

Headgear worn by firefighters that provides protection from falling objects, side blows, elevated temperatures, and heated water.

Question 11

High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter

Answer 11

Respiratory filter that is certified to remove at least 99.97% of monodisperse particles of 0.3 micrometers in diameter.

Question 12

Hydrostatic Test

Answer 12

Testing method that uses water under pressure to check the integrity of pressure vessels.

Question 13

Hypoxia

Answer 13

Potentially fatal condition caused by lack of oxygen.

Question 14

Open-Circuit SCBA

Answer 14

SCBA that allows exhaled air to be discharged or vented into the atmosphere.

Question 15

Oxygen-Deficient Atmosphere

Answer 15

Atmosphere containing less than the normal 19.5% O2. At least 16% O2 is needed to produce flames or sustain human life.

Question 16

Particulate

Answer 16

Very small particle of solid material, such as dust, that is suspended in the atmosphere.

Question 17

Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL)

Answer 17

Legal term for the max amount of a chemical substance or other hazard that an employee can be exposed to; typically expressed in ppm (part per million) or milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3). If exposed to this concentration for an entire 40-hour work week, 95% of healthy adults would not suffer health consequences.

Question 18

Personal Alert Safety System (PASS)

Answer 18

Electronic lack-of-motion sensor that sounds a loud alarm when a firefighter becomes motionless. It can also be manually activated.

Question 19

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Answer 19

General term for the equipment worn by fire and emergency service responders; includes helmets, coats, trousers, boots, eye protection, hearing protection, protective gloves, protective hoods, SCBA, and PASS devise. Also known as Bunker clothes, full structural protective clothing, Protective clothing, turnout clothing, or turnout gear.

Question 20

Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR)

Answer 20

Motorized respirator that uses a filter to clean surrounding air, then delivers it to the wearer to breathe; typically includes a headpiece, breathing tube, and a blower/battery box that is worn on the belt.

Question 21

Protective Coat

Answer 21

Coat worn during fire fighting, rescue, and extrication operations.

Question 22

Protective Gloves

Answer 22

Protective clothing designed to protect the hands.

Question 23

Protective Hoods

Answer 23

Hood designed to protect the firefighter’s ears, neck, and face from heat and debris; typically made of Nomex, Kevlar, or PBI, and available in long or short styles.

Question 24

Protective Trousers

Answer 24

Trousers worn to protect the lower torso and legs during emergency ops. Also known as bunker pants or turnout pants.

Question 25

Proximity Fire Fighting

Answer 25

Activities required for rescue, fire suppression, and property conservation at fires that produce high radiant heat; includes aircraft, hazmat transport, and storage tank fires.

Question 26

Pulmonary Edema

Answer 26

Accumulation of fluids in the lungs.

Question 27

Qualitative Fit Test (QLFT)

Answer 27

Respirator fit test that measures the wearer’s response to a test agent, such as irritant smoke or odorous vapor. If the wearer detects the test agent, such as through smell or taste, the respirator fit is inadequate.

Question 28

Quantitative Fit Test (QNFT)

Answer 28

Fit test in which instruments measure the amount of a test agent that has leaded into the respirator form the ambient atmosphere. If the leakage measures above a pre-set amount, the respirator fit is inadequate.

Question 29

Respiratory Hazard

Answer 29

Exposure to conditions that create a hazard to the respiratory system, including products of combustion, toxic gases, and superheated or oxygen-deficient atmospheres.

Question 30

Search Line

Answer 30

Nonload-bearing rope that is anchored to a safe, exterior location and attached to a firefighter during search operations to act as a safety line.

Question 31

Structural Fire Fighting

Answer 31

Activities required for rescue, fire suppression, and property conservation in structures, vehicles, vessels, and similar types of properties.

Question 32

Vapor

Answer 32

Gaseous form of a substance that is normally in a solid or liquid states at room temperature and pressure; formed by evaporation from a liquid or sublimation from a solid.