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highlighted sections Flashcards

1
Q

how often should the scientific method be applied when conducting fire investigations?

A

every time

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2
Q

Although 921 is entitled a guide, it is considered to be what?

A

the standard of care for fire investigations

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3
Q

What is the purpose of NFPA 921?

A

to establish guidelines and recommendations

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4
Q

What are the steps of the sciencific method?

A 
recognize a need
define the problem
collect data
analyze the data
develop a hypothesis
test the hypothesis
select the final hypothesis
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5
Q

Is it ok to use speculations when analyzing data>

A

no, only facts and direct observations should be used

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6
Q

What is the purpose of the hypothesis

A

it is to provide an orientation for further data collection efforts

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7
Q

two things to do when testing a fire origin and cause hypothesis

A
  1. eliminate all other reasonable origins and fire causes

2. compare the hypothesis against known fire dynamics

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8
Q

The standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire investigator is

A

1033

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9
Q

a search under the 4th amendment occurs when…

A

a governmental employee or agent of the government violates an individual’s reasonable expectation of privacy

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10
Q

two requirements to plan view

A
  1. right to be there

2. evidence is in plain view

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11
Q

Post flashover damage is similar to full-room involvement damage without flashover which includes what?

A
  1. relatively even floor burning
  2. relatively even charring on surfaces
  3. surface burning on contests and furnishings
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12
Q

is establishing the burn-time by depth of char reliable?

A

no

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13
Q

3 types of drafts caused by fire department activities

A
  1. premature venting of structure
  2. improper ventilation location
  3. forced ventilation before extinguishment
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14
Q

Normal fire growth is what and produces what?

A

normal growth is upward and outward and produces a V-shaped fire pattern on vertical surfaces.

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15
Q

What is the total quantity of combustible contents including interior finishes and trim?

A

fire load

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16
Q

does total fuel load have any effect on the rate of fire growth in the pre-flashover stage?

A

no

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17
Q

fire growth before flashover is determined by what?

A

the heat release rate of the burning fuel

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18
Q

following flashover, the heat release rate is determined by what?

A
  1. the heat release rate of the burning fuel,
  2. the amount of air
  3. the exposed combustible contents
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19
Q

fire scenes should be ____ when possible

A

reconstructed

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20
Q

reconstruction of fire scenes helps what?

A

id the point of origin

id fire causes

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21
Q

what are protected areas?

A

unburned areas that were protected from something on top of them that reduces the oxygen below it or covered the combustible fuels

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22
Q

T or F: Arc mapping must be used in combination with other techniques, such as burn patterns and reconstruction

A

True

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23
Q

What is “the circumstances, conditions, or agencies that bring together a fuel, ignition source, and oxidizer resulting in a fire or a combustion explosion?”

A

fire cause

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24
Q

define fire cause

A

the circumstances, conditions, or agencies that bring together a fuel, ignition source, and oxidizer resulting in a fire or a combustion explosion

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25
Q

5 types of electrical heat energy

A
  1. resistance heating
  2. induction heating
  3. dielectric heating
  4. heat from arcing (including static)
  5. heat generated by lightning
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26
Q

what type of electrical heat energy is created when electric current flows through a conductive material?

A

resistance

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27
Q

What type of electrical heat energy is created when heat of material where an electric current is caused to flow through the material or its container?

A

induction heating

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28
Q

what is high-frequency heating, microwave?

A

dielectric heating

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29
Q

3 types of fire causes per nfpa 921

A

accidental
incendiary
undetermined

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30
Q

Before a fire can be determined to have been incendiary, what must be eliminated?

A

all accidental causes must be

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31
Q

one of the most common causes involving heating equipment is…

A

combustibles being places too near the heating unit

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32
Q

what are the indicators of a smoldering fire in furniture?

A

the collapse of springs (over 750 degrees is required to produce a loss of spring tensile strength.

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33
Q

DC or AC - electric current flowing continuously in one direction through a circuit at a constant rate

A

DC

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34
Q

DC or AC - constantly changing intensity and direction

A

AC

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35
Q 
Volt, Amp, or Watt?
the pressure (electromotive force) of the electricity in a circuit
A

volt

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36
Q

Volt, Amp, or Watt?

the quantity of electrictiy flowing through the circuit

A

amp

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37
Q

Volt, Amp, or Watt?

the unit of power (rate of doing work)

A

watt

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38
Q

Amps = ______ divided by ______

A

wattage, voltage

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39
Q

Watt = _______ multiplied by ______

A

voltage, amperes

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40
Q

What is the friction encountered by the electric current?

A

resistance

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41
Q

what is electrical resistance?

A

friction encountered by the electric current

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42
Q

electrical resistance is determined by what? (3 things)

A

size of the wire
the material of which it is made
length of the wire

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43
Q

electrical resistance produces what?

A

heat and drop in voltage

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44
Q

What type of buildings receive electricity through three wires (single-phase service)

A

Most residential and smaller commercial

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45
Q

Single phase consists of what wires

A

two insulated 120-volts and an uninsulated neutral wire

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46
Q

What is it when a hot wire in contact with some other object capable of supporting current flow?

A

ground flow

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47
Q

What is it when a hot wire is in contact with neutral wire?

A

direct short circuit

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48
Q

most residential breakers are what type?

A

thermal-magnetic type

49
Q

______wire have less resistance than _____ wires and carry more current

A

larger, smaller

50
Q

Pure copper melts at _____ degrees F.

A

1980

51
Q

Pure aluminum melts at _____ degrees F.

A

1220

52
Q

what causes aluminum connections to loosen and heat

A

thermal expansion

53
Q

What is a resistance heating

A

it is heat that is generated when a conductor is overloaded

54
Q

what is a common cause of resistance heating

A

cords carrying too great a load

55
Q

electrical arcs can generate temperatures over _____ F

A

34,000

56
Q

when overheating occurs in a screw-type fuse, isinglass usually shows what?

A

little or no burning or discoloration

57
Q

when a short circuit occurs in a screw-type fuse, isinglass usually shows what?

A

discolor (dark spot on the glass)

58
Q

what is a visual indicator that a mechanical break from objects strikes a wire?

A

flat ends

59
Q

What is a major cause of electrical fires?

A

loose or failed connections

60
Q

a common problem with recessed lighting is

A

that it may have a light bulb of excessive wattage installed

61
Q

when looking at recessed lighting, always check for what?

A

insulation packed on top of the fixture which prevents heat and dissipating and can ignite surrounding materials.

62
Q

What is a common reason for electrical blankets to cause a fire?

A

misuse by owner

63
Q

What are the most common causes of fas-fueled fires

A

leaks from pipes or equipment

64
Q

3 ways that spontaneous heating can be produced

A

chemical action
oxidation
fermentation or microbial thermogenesis

65
Q

before a fire can be ruled incendiary, what must be eliminated

A

every reasonable accidental cause

66
Q

do all or only close to the area of origin do major accidental ignition sources throughout a structure need to be examined?

A

all

67
Q

what type of item used to causes incendiary fires are one of the most difficult to prove and easiest to set

A

available combustibles

68
Q

if multiple points of origin, do you need to eliminate all accidental fires at each location?

A

yes

69
Q

What is a trailer?

A

any combustible or flammable material used to spread the fire from one area to another

70
Q

3 things to about using waxed paper as a trailer

A
  1. burns slowly and without extreme heat
  2. may not burn surface it burned on
  3. leaves fire ash which may be difficult to find
71
Q

flammable liquids have flash points above or below 100F

A

below

72
Q

combustible liquids have flash point above or below 100F

A

above

73
Q

according to 921, what is a doughnut-shaped pattern

A

the irregularly shaped burn area surrounds a less burned area, may result from an ignitible liquid

74
Q

how do doughnut-shaped patterns occur?

A

it happens when the vapors burn as the liquid protects and cools the floor surface

75
Q

floor tile or vinyl floor blistering occurs from what and occurs how often?

A

occurs from heating the floor covering and can occur in any fire

76
Q

_____ is a result of concrete being heated

A

spalling

77
Q

spalling may be caused by (3)

A

heated concrete cooled by water
moisture within the concrete
age or mixture of concrete

78
Q

spalling is common in ______

A

total fire loss

79
Q

incendiary devices are classified by the type of ignition mechanism, what are the 3?

A

chemical
electrical
mechanical

80
Q

thermite may reach temperatures of up to _____F

A

4300

81
Q

what can burn through steel?

A

thermite

82
Q

Molotov cocktails may fail for four common reasons

A
  1. thick glass bottle used
  2. bottle does not strike a solid object
  3. self-extinguishes in flight
  4. wick falls out during flight
83
Q

homemade napalm is a mixture of what?

A

gasoline and styrofoam

84
Q

T or F. A valid fire cause cannot be determined unless the area of origin has been identified and confirmed

A

True

85
Q

What is the destruction of, failure to save evidence, or alteration of evidence that could have been used by another in future litigation?

A

spoliation of evidence

86
Q

what is spoliation?

A

destruction of, failure to save evidence, or alteration of evidence that could have been used by another in future litigation?

87
Q

What is a graphic portrayal of the scene or incident and of items within the scene that are of interest to the investigation

A

a sketch

88
Q

What is the primary purpose of a sketch?

A

orientation

89
Q

What is the most important thing to write on sketches?

A

“not to scale”

90
Q

What is the most common plotting method for fire investigation?

A

rectangular coordinates

91
Q

What must be kept if an image is enhanced?

A

an original image and you must state the extent to which the image was enhanced

92
Q

What is the biggest problem when photographing fire scenes?

A

poor lighting

93
Q

the primary purpose of field notes?

A

help to recall incidents, situations, and details

94
Q

What is a pugilistic attitude?

A

post mortem, the boxer-like stance of flexed elbows and needs, clenched fist, caused by the shrinkage of body tissues and muscle due to dehydration caused by heating

95
Q

studies have shown that up to ___% of fire victims die from CO poisoning

A

60%

96
Q

CO binds with hemoglobin ____ times more than oxygen

A

210

97
Q

HCN is _______

A

hydrogen cyanide

98
Q

HCN is ____ times more toxic than CO

A

35

99
Q

_____ is the “deliberateness” of an act

A

intent

100
Q

What is the most deadly type of fire motive?

A

spite and revenge

101
Q

serial arson is committed by firesetters who _____

A

set 3 or more fires with a significant cooling-off period between fires

102
Q

the average age for juvenile firesetters between ___ and ___

A

4, 9

103
Q

are all juvenile-set fires arson?

A

no

104
Q

what is a sudden conversion of potential energy (chemical or mechanical) into kinetic energy with the production and release of gas(es) under pressure

A

explosion

105
Q

what are low-order explosions

A

incomplete detonation or complete detonation at or below 3300 feet per second (pushing apart explosion)

106
Q

what are high order explosions?

A

complete detonation above 3300 fps

107
Q

what makes an explosion a seated explosion

A

those that create a crater or damage at the center of the blast area

108
Q

what is the blast pressure effect?

A

as gases are produced and expand outward from the point of origin, they produce a pressure front that is primarily responsible for the damage

109
Q

explosions will take the avenue _______ in a structure

A

of least resistance

110
Q

what should you do before evidence is collected?

A

photographed in place

111
Q

where would an investigator use a grid search during explosion investigation?

A

used closer to the blast site

112
Q

what is the difference between an admission and a confession?

A

admission is a verbal acknowledgment of guilt and confession is a signed statement acknowledging guilt

113
Q

Which interviews must be thoroughly documented?

A

all

114
Q

the value of any information obtained is largely dependent on _____ and ______

A

validity, reliability

115
Q

what is a theory or tentative explanation?

A

hypothesis

116
Q

what can an expert witness provide that a fact witness can not

A

opinions

117
Q

4 elements on whether an expert witness testimony can be admitted

A
  1. is the evidence beyond the normal understanding of the jury?
  2. is the evidence relevant
  3. is the witness qualified to give an expert opinion
  4. are the expert’s opinions and methods reliable
118
Q

in a civil case, the preponderance of the evidence =____% or more

A

51

Investigator (5 decks)

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