Fire Officer Test Flashcards
Historically, how did the fire service originate in the United States?
As communities of civilian volunteers
When steam-powered fire engines were introduced in the 1800s, what was the reaction of many volunteer fire fighters?
Fire fighters were threatened by the apparatus and resisted their use.
What were the first building codes originally developed to prevent?
Building collapse
Which condition could ensue if it were not for the principle of unity of command?
Fire fighters could receive multiple, possibly conflicting, orders from different officers.
With _____________, the specific assignment of a task to an individual makes that person responsible for completing the task and prevents duplication of job assignments.
division of labor
Attributes or qualities that can be described and measured during a promotional examination are
known as _____________.
dimensions
To be effective in a role-playing exercise, a candidate’s supervisory decisions should be strictly based on __________.
policies and regulations
What does the term “data dump” mean in the context of emergency incident simulations in assessment centers?
The candidate demonstrates his or her depth of knowledge about a particular subject.
In an assessment center role-play simulation where a candidate is dealing with a subordinate with an
issue, which of the following is a key point?
Maintain control of the interview.
A(n) _____________ is used to present a series of simulation exercises that are used to evaluate a
candidate’s competence in performing the actual tasks associated with a job.
assessment center
When an officer tells subordinates that he does not agree with an order but that the order has to be
enforced anyway, what is the result?
The officer’s authority and supervisory ability are undermined.
What is one of the three recommended activities for fire officers to help them work effectively with their supervisors?
Keep the supervisor informed.
If fire officers have the authority to solve a given problem that has come up, what should they do?
They should go ahead and make a decision.
Fire officers should consult their supervisors if they are going to make a decision that ___________.
goes beyond their scope of authority
Which agency enforces the federal laws establishing the civil rights of Americans in the workplace?
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
As part of active listening, when should the listener interrupt the speaker?
Never; the speaker should be allowed to have a full say
What is one good method for keeping a conversation on the topic at hand?
Directed questioning
Using the order model of communication, assuming an order was issued from Command to Engine 5, what should be the last part of that communication?
Confirmation from Command
Which type of documents are SOPs?
Formal and permanent
How does HIPAA relate to fire department communications?
It deals with protection of individuals from the release of sensitive information.
What is the trend, if any, in the rate of fire fighter deaths while responding to calls in recent years?
The rate is increasing.
What are the most common activities being performed when fire fighters are injured?
Fire-ground operations
Which situation justifies exposing fire fighters to a high level of risk?
Realistic chance of saving a life
Who determines fitness-for-duty status after reviewing documentation of a member’s exposure?
Fire department physician
In addition to meeting regulatory requirements, how can records of accidents be used?
Identifying trends
What does a Theory X manager believe?
People do not like to work.
A Theory Y manager believes that people need to be __________ rather than __________.
encouraged/controlled
What does the accommodating person demonstrate, according to the Blake and Mouton Managerial
Grid?
Low concern for results, high concern for people
Employee relations include all activities designed to __________________.
maintain a rapport with the employees
What does the controlling person demonstrate, according to the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid?
High concern for results, low concern for people
A goal of an effective fire officer is to delegate decision making in routine activities to the
________.
lowest possible level
In reinforcement theory, which term is defined as ignoring bad behavior?
Extinction
What does goal setting rely on as a motivational strategy?
The natural competitiveness of people
What is the first obligation in a mayday situation?
Maintain radio discipline
Which management strategy involves removing the negative consequences of good performance?
Negative reinforcement
“The process of achieving proficiency through instruction and hands-on practice in the operation of
equipment and systems” is the definition of __________.
training
_____________ is the process of imparting knowledge or skill through systematic instruction.
Education
Which agency mandates blood borne pathogens training in the fire service?
OSHA
______________ is a method of directing, instructing, and training a person or group of people with
the aim of achieving some goal or developing specific skills.
Coaching
What is the first step when developing a specific training program that is not already an existing
program or lesson plan?
Assess the need.
________________ is present when fire officers tend to rate their subordinates more harshly than
warranted on annual evaluations.
Severity
What is the evaluation error called in which a supervisor rates a fire fighter only on his or her most
recent behavior rather than on the fire fighter’s performance throughout the entire preceding
evaluation period?
Recency
Positive discipline is reinforced by __________.
recognizing improved performance and rewarding excellent performance
What is the ultimate goal of negative discipline?
Performance improvement
Which program is designed to deal with issues such as substance abuse, emotional or mental health
issues, marital and family difficulties, or other difficulties that affect job performance?
Employee assistance program
How can the balance of power between labor and management be described during the 20th century?
It has swung back and forth like a pendulum.
What is the legal status of striking by public safety workers?
It is illegal in many states.
What is the justification for outlawing strikes by fire fighters?
The severity of the potential impact on public safety is great.
__________________ is a method whereby representatives of employees (unions) and employers
determine the conditions of employment through direct negotiation.
Collective bargaining
Which statement is correct about a right-to-work state?
Workers cannot be compelled to join a union as a condition of employment.
When citizens ask fire officers about non-fire issues such as where the nearest flu shot clinic is and
fire officers do not know the answer, what should they do?
Make every effort to find the information and provide an answer to the citizen.
The fundamental goal of public safety education programs is to _______________________.
prevent injury, death, or loss due to fire or other types of incidents
The CERT program is designed to assist local communities in functioning effectively during the first
_____ hours after a catastrophic event.
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What should a public information officer do if he or she has information that needs wide
dissemination?
Hold a press conference.
What is the primary focus of CERT?
Citizen disaster preparedness and response
In general, at which level should a problem be solved within an organization?
At the lowest possible level
Who are usually the best people to solve a problem?
Those directly involved with it
When solving a problem, what must be the fire officer’s primary focus area?
The best interest of the fire department
What is the first role of a fire officer when dealing with a citizen’s complaint?
Respond in a professional manner.
What is the primary purpose in requiring fire fighters to read a new policy and sign off that they
understand it?
This step ensures accountability.
A(n) __________ load is a force that is perpendicular to the plane of the section but does not pass
through the center of the section.
eccentric
Unprotected steel rods and cables can fail at what temperature?
800°F
Structural steel will fail at what temperature?
1000–1100°F
In a compartment fire, the space between the hot ceiling layer and the cooler air flowing into the
compartment is known as the:
neutral plane.
Which stage of fire is considered the second stage, in which the fire spreads to adjacent combustible
materials?
Free burning
Water storage tanks on the roof of a building containing reclamation water are considered which
type of load?
Dead load
When fighting a fire in a photovoltaic (PV) system, the first thing a fire fighter should do is:
de-energize the system at the control panels.
Which type of collapse usually occurs when the connection between the floor(s) and the loadbearing
walls is lost?
Pancake collapse
Which type of construction reduces volume of concealed spaces in which fire can hide from hose
streams?
Plank and beam
What name is given to the top and bottom members of a truss?
Chords
A brick veneer wall differs from a bearing wall in that __________ are usually visible in bearing
brick walls.
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