general vocab Flashcards
1
Q
knox box
A
small, wall-mounted safe that holds building keys for retrieval by FD, EMS, and PD during ER situations
2
Q
Flashover
A
- occurs when all surfaces and objects within a space have been heated to their ignition temp and spontaneously combust
- takes place at the point between the growth and fully developed stages of a fire
3
Q
backdraft
A
- an explosion that occurs when oxygen enters an oxygen-deficient smoldering fire
- conditions typically exist during a fire’s decay stage, after the fire compartment has consumed all available oxygen
4
Q
rollover
A
takes place when pressure from the fire area pushes heated gases into uninvolved areas, causing flames to present in layers of smoke
5
Q
stratification
aka: thermal layering / thermal balance
A
- when fire gases separate into layers according to temperature
- gases with the highest temps move to the top laters and the cooler gases move to the bottom layers
6
Q
heat release rate (HRR)
A
- the amount of energy the fire releases over time
7
Q
classical decision making
A
- thinking with step by step, logical sequences to reach the best decision
- cognitive process, incs: analyzing the situation, identifying the problem, developing the solutions to the problem, weighing the advantages/disadvantages/risks/benefits of each option, and choosing the option that best solves the problem
8
Q
naturalistic decision making
A
- intuitive reaction to a problem
- “rolodex”
9
Q
recognition-primed decision making
A
- decision maker recognizes sensory clues that trigger memories of similar/previously encountered situations and (quickly) makes a decision based on successful past choices
- happens within naturalistic decision making
10
Q
fire tetrahedron
A
- oxygen (sustains combustion)
- fuel (any combustible material in the form of a solid, a flammable, a liquid, or a gas)
- heat (needed to raise the fuel to ignition temp)
- chain reaction (happens when the other three elements are present in their necessary conditions)
11
Q
Stages of Fire Growth (4)
A
- Incipient (when heat + oxygen + fuel source combine and have chemical reaction starting a fire)
- Growth (increase in size from areas of small flames to flames encompassing an entire compartment; rollover here)
- Fully Developed (fire envelops entire compartment; will burn until consumed all available fuel/oxygen)
- Decay (when available oxygen can no longer support combustion; backdraft here)
12
Q
modern materials
A
- man-made materials (plastics, synthetics, polyurethane, and polyester)
- HIGHER HRR = temps rise quickly / flashover occurs sooner (as compared to legacy)
13
Q
legacy (traditional) materials
A
- natural materials (cotton, wicker, solid wood, and dimensional lumber)
- slower HRR
14
Q
combustion
A
?
15
Q
ignition
A
- when heat, oxygen, and a fuel source combine and have a chemical reaction that results in a fire
- usually produces a very small fire that often self-extinguishes
16
Q
smoke
A
- a collection of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material combusts and the quantity of air these particulates and gases entrain and mix into
- smoke-filled atmospheres are toxic, flammable, and potentially explosive
- filled with carbon and carbon monoxide
- 4 inherent characteristics:
— volume
— velocity
— density
— color
17
Q
volume (smoke)
A
- indicates the amount of fuel that is “off gassing” within a given space
18
Q
velocity (smoke)
A
- speed of smoke leaving a structure
- provides insight into fire location relative to the smoke exhaust point and the status of the fire’s flow path
19
Q
density (smoke)
A
- thickness of the smoke and how much fuel is in it
- optical density = how difficult it is to see through the smoke
20
Q
color (smoke)
A
- provides clues about the materials burning
- darker the smoke = more volatile the fire
- four typical colors:
— white = incipient
— grey = slow fire growth as availability of fuel decreases
— brown = under-ventilated; fully developed fire is feeding off a wood fuel source
— black = under-ventilated; heavy fuel loads that are not being fully consumed; manmade materials
21
Q
RECEO-VS
A
Rescue
Exposure
Confinement
Extinguishment
Overhaul
Ventilation
Salvage
22
Q
strategy
A
- articulates the general plan or course of action taken to reach objectives
- manifests in the mode of ops (offensive or defensive)
23
Q
tactics
A
- specific actions employed to fulfill the strategy
24
Q
offensive mode
A
- taking direct action to mitigate a problem
- interior or exterior direct attack with goal of reaching the seat of a fire and extinguishing it
25
defensive mode
- prevent damage to an area around a structure
- usually when an OIC decides a building cannot be saved because of advanced fire involvement
26
victim survivability profile (VSP) / occupant survivability profiling
- conducting a thorough size-up of a structure fire to determine the likelihood of a victim’s rescue potential
27
withdrawal
- coordinated and specific relocation of units and their equipment from an area deemed untenable to a specific area deemed safe for continued ops
- does not always mean relocation from interior to exterior; could just mean relocation within a structure (ie: second floor to first floor)
28
emergency evacuation
- higher degree of urgency than a withdrawal
- when conditions dictate the immediate evacuation of all personnel from an unsafe structure or other dangerous areas
- evac order given verbally, signaled over the radio with evac tones, blasted over on-scene apparatus airhorns, or a combination of all 3
29
own water
- secured when EOIC deems a hydrant close enough to their optimal apparatus positioning for the incident to directly hook up to a hydrant without using a supply engine
- must consider distance from water source, elevation, and friction loss to ensure adequate water flow
30
forward lay (laying out)
- dropping supply line at a hydrant before arriving at the incident location
31
split lay
- when incident resides at or near an intersection, the incident has a long driveway, or other restricted access areas exist
- first-arriving engine drops a line at an intersection and announces the drop, naming the two intersecting streets
32
reverse lay
- when second arriving engine drops supply line at the first-arriving engine and proceeds to the hydrant
