Firefighting Fundamentals

Question 1

what is the primary duty of firefighting?

Answer 1

save lives

Question 2

what is the secondary responsibility of the firefighter?

Answer 2

extinguish fires, limit damage to aircraft, shipboard, airfield installed equipment airfield structures

Question 3

what does the fire triangle include?

Answer 3

heat, fuel and oxygen

Question 4

what is the fourth critical element that research has indicated about fires?

Answer 4

chemical chain reaction which allows fire to sustain itself and grow

Question 5

the removal of ________ prevents or extinguishes a fire?

Answer 5

any of the elements

Question 6

how many classes of fires are there?

Answer 6

4

Question 7

what are the characteristics of a class A fire?

Answer 7

combustible materials that produce an ash. Effective agents are water and AFFF

Question 8

what are the characteristics of a class B fire?

Answer 8

Flammable liquid substances. Effective extinguishing agents are AFFF, Halon 1211, PKP and CO2

Question 9

What are the characteristics of a Class C fire?

Answer 9

energized electrical fires. Energized: effective extinguishing agent CO2, Halon, PKP, H2O in fog patterns

Question 10

How do you combat a de-energized class C fire?

Answer 10

treat it as a Class A/B or D as appropriate

Question 11

What are the characteristics of a Class D Fire?

Answer 11

combustible metals such as magnesium and titanium use water in large amounts

Question 12

what is AFFF?

Answer 12

aqueous film forming foam. AFFF concentrates consist of synthetic fluorocarbon surfactant materials that are non-corrosive and have an unlimited shelf life when stored in a protected are. 6% AFFF concentrate required for shipboard equipment

Question 13

what is Halon 1211?

Answer 13

Bromochlorodifluromethane. intended for use of Class B and C fires. Colorless, faintly sweet smelling electrically nonconductive gas that extinguishes fire by inhibiting the chemical chain reaction of the combustion process

Question 14

what is CO2?

Answer 14

carbon dioxide. 15lb portable bottle and 50lb wheeled extinguishers. For use on Class B and C fires. Colorless, odorless gas the is 1.5 times heavier than air. Puts out fires by displacing oxygen to below the level that is required to support combustion

Question 15

what is PKP?

Answer 15

purple K powder or potassium bicarbonate. Dry chemical that extinguishes the flame by breaking the combustion chain. Does not cool, therefore reflash protection is required.