Essentials of Fire Fighting > Introduction to Fire Service and Firefighter Safety > Flashcards

Introduction to Fire Service and Firefighter Safety Flashcards

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1
Q

What does AHJ stand for?

A

Authority having jurisdiction

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2
Q

What is the mission of fire services?

A

To save lives and protect property/environment from fires and other hazardous situations.

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3
Q

What services are included in an All-Hazard Concept?

A
  • Community Risk Reduction
  • Fire Suppression
  • Technical Rescue
  • Emergency Medical Services
  • Fire Cause Determination
  • Hazardous Materials Mitigation
  • Airport and Seaport Protection
  • Emergency Management Services
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4
Q

Who is responsible for establishing the manner in which its fire sevice is organized?

A

The Authority Having Jurisdiction

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5
Q

Fire Service Organization includes what componants?

A
  • Type of department
  • Number of facilities and their locations
  • Types and number of apparatus
  • Number of personnel
  • Organizational hierarchy
  • Functions and responsibilities of specific jobs and ranks
  • Minimum training and cerification level requirements to attain those ranks
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6
Q

What knowledge is required in order to understand the organizational layout of your department?

A
  • Organizational structure and principles
  • Types of fire departments
  • Fire companies
  • Stafing
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7
Q

The most common fire department organizational structure is?

A

Scalar

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8
Q

What is a scalar organizational structure?

A

One that has an uninterrupted series of steps.

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9
Q

Inside a scalar system, Unity of Command ensures what?

A

That each member of the command chain reports to only one supervisor.

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10
Q

In a scalar system, what are the Five organizational principles in terms of functioning effectively as a member of your organization?

A
  • Adhering to the chain of command
  • Unity of Command
  • Span of Control
  • Discipline
  • DIvision of labour
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11
Q

in a scalar system, what is the Chain of Command, and why is it important?

A

The formal line of authority, responsibility, and communication within an organization.

The fire chief is on the top of the chain and the firefighters/EMTs are at the bottom.

Adhering to the chain of command ensures unity of command

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12
Q

In a scalar system, what is the Span of Control and why is it important?

A

The maximum number of subordinates and functions allowed to a supervisor. Maximum is typically 3 to 7 subordinates with 5 being optimum.

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13
Q

In a Scalar system, what is the importance of discipline?

A

The supervisor’s responsibility to provide leadership and a suboridate’s responsibility to follow orders. Discipline is ensured through rules, regulations, and policies that define acceptable behaviour, performance and outcome. Rules, regulations and policies must be clearly written and communicated within and throughout the organization.

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14
Q

In a Scalar system, what is the importance of Division of Labour?

A

Dividing large jobs into smaller componants to make them more manageable. This equalizes work, and increases efficiency.

Division of labour:

  • assigns responsibility
  • assigns specific tasks
  • prevents duplication of effort
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15
Q

True or false, fire departments can only be publicly funded.

A

False

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16
Q

True or false, both firefighters and administrative staff live at the station while on duty.

A

False, administrative staff typically work conventional 9-5, Monday to Friday hours.

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17
Q

What is a composite department?

A

A mixture of career and volunteer firefighters.

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18
Q

What is a Fire Company?

A

Fire company is comprised of an apparatus, firefighters and is lead by a company officer.

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19
Q

What is a Fire Battalion or Response District?

A

Multiple Fire Companies Grouped together.

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20
Q

What are all the types of Companies?

A
  • Engine Company
  • Truck (Ladder) Company
  • Rescue Company
  • Brush Company
  • Hazardous Materials Company
  • Emergency Medical/Ambulance Company
  • Aircraft Rescue and Fire FIghting (ARFF) Company
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21
Q

What are the duties of an Engine Company?

A
  • Fire suppression at structures, vehicles, wildland and any other areas
  • Search and rescue
  • Extraction
  • Ventilation
  • Emergency medical care.
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22
Q

What are the duties of a Truck (Ladder) Company?

A
  • Forcible entry
  • Search and rescue
  • Ventilation
  • Salvage
  • Overhaul
  • Utilities control
  • Provides access to upper levels of a structure
  • Provides elevated water streams, extractions and emergency medical care
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23
Q

What are the duties of a Rescue Company?

A
  • Searches for and rescues victims from dangerous areas
  • Specially trained for technical rescues
  • Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC)
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24
Q

What are the duties of a Brush Company?

A
  • Extinguishes brush and forest fires
  • Protects structures from wildland fires
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25
What are the duties of a Hazardous Material Company?
Mitigates hazardous material incidents.
26
What are the duties of an Emergency Medical Company?
Provides medical care to patients and may tranfer them to hospital if required.
27
What are the duties of an Aircraft rescue and FIre Fighting (ARFF) Company?
Rescue and fire suppression activities for aircraft.
28
True or false, Volunteer firefighters are not jurisdictional employees.
True, they may be full-time but are not jurisdictional.
29
What are the two kinds of personel that can be found at career fire departments?
Line personnel and Staff personnel
30
To be concidered for employment at a fire station, all candidates must have at least:
- High school diploma or GED - 18 years and older - Medical requirements - Physical fitness requirements
31
What medical care must applicants be able to perform?
- CPR - Bleeding control - Infection control - Shock management
32
True or False, A Firefighter 1 is subordinate to a Firefighter 2.
True
33
What are the six potential specializations a Firefighter 2 may have?
- Fire apparatus driver - Hazardous Materials Technician - Rescue Technician - Airport Technician - Wildland Firefighter - Emergency Medical Services Personnel
34
What are the duties of a Fire Apparatus Driver?
- Drive the fire suppression apparatus - Operate pumps and aerial devices - Service and maintain all apparatus
35
What are the duties of a Hazardous Materials Technician?
-Certified to mitigate HAZMAT and chemical, biological, radiological , nuclear, or explosive emergencies.
36
What are the duties of a Rescue Technician?
- Perform rescues at high-angle (rope), - Trench, - Structural collapse, - Confined space, - Vehicle and machinery - Water - Ice - Cave or mine
37
What are the duties of an Airport Firefighter?
-Specifically trained in airport operations
38
What are the duties of a Wildland Firefighter?
-Extinguish fire in vegetation and protect structures from wildfires.
39
What are the duties of an Emergency Medical Services Personnel?
-Treat patients with medical emergiencies
40
What types of Officers are there in a fire department?
- Company Officers - Fire department incident safety officers - FIre department health and safety officers - District/Battalion chiefs - Assistant/Deputy chiefs - Fire Marshals - Fire Chief
41
What is a Company Officer?
Person who supervises a fire company at the station and at incidents.
42
What is a Fire Department Incident Safety Officer?
Person who moniters personnel safety at an incident. Can be a qualified Fire Officer at the scene.
43
What is a Fire Department Health and Safety Officer?
Person who monitors the health and safety of the program.
44
What is a Fire Department Health and Safety Officer?
Person who monitors the health and safety of the program.
45
What is a District/Battalion Chief?
- Person who supervises a group of fire companies and stations. - They can also manage units responsible for logistics, prevention, training, planning, or other functions.
46
What is an Assistant/Deputy Chief?
Person who manages upper level functions, such as emergency operations, administration, prevention, or training.
47
What is a Fire Marshal?
Person who manages prevention, plan reviews and investigation divisions.
48
What is a Fire Chief?
Person responsible for all operations within the department.
49
List the responsibilities of Fire Prevention Division?
- Code enforcement - Plans Review - Community risk reduction (CRR)
50
List the positions associated with the Fire Prevention Division
- Fire Prevention Officer/Inspector - Plans Examiner - Fire and Arson Investigator - Fire and Life Safety Educator - Fire Prevention Engineers
51
What are the duties of a FIre Prevention Officer?
-Inspection and enforcement of building codes
52
What are the duties of a Plans Examiner?
- Ensure code compliance | - Inspect site plans and fire protection system plans
53
What are the duties of a Fire and Arson Investigator?
Investigator of fires and explosions to determine cause and origin.
54
What are the duties of a Fire and Life Safety Educator?
Educate public about fire prevention and safety
55
What are the duties of a Fire Protection Engineer/Specialist?
Review architectural plans to ensure compliance with fire safety codes.
56
What are the duties of a Training Officer/Chief of Training?
Oversees all training and trainers.
57
How must a fire department ensure that all the personnel are aware of regulations?
- Distribute them with physical of electronic copy - Communicate them verbally to all personnel - Post them in an obvious place like a cork board
58
Where can you find your department's regulations if they were not given to you?
Administrative office
59
What is a Policy?
Guide to descision-making
60
Who makes the policies of a fire department?
Top management
61
What are organizational norms?
Policies that are unwritten and implied rather than official
62
What are Procedures in a fire department?
Detailed written plans with specific steps a common problem or situation.
63
What are Standard Operating Procedures?
Procedures that allow employees to perform tasks to a certain standard.
64
What does NIMS-ICS stand for?
National Incident Managment System- Incident Command System
65
List the 6 major organizational functions of the NIMS-ICS
- Command - Operations - Planning - Logistics - Finance/Administration - Intelligence
66
What are the duties of EMS and local hospitals in a disaster situation?
- EMSs provide direct medical assistance on-site | - Hospitals can dispatch medical professionals if necessary
67
What are the duties of Emergency/Disaster Management?
They are trained to coordinate mutli-agency activities.
68
What are the duties of Law Enforcement in a disaster?
- They assist with scene security - Traffic and crowd control - Investigation - Explosive disposal
69
What are the responsibilities of Utility companies during a disaster?
Shutting off natural gas, electricity, water mains
70
What are the responsibilities of the Media during a disaster?
informing the public of any dangers in their areas
71
What are the six hazards to which firefighters might be exposed on duty?
- Hazardous materials releases - Communicable diseases - Energized electrical equipment - Driving/riding in apparatus during emergency responses - Non-emergency issues, such as substance abuse - Other hazards associated with fire fighting
72
What are the five guidlines to maintaining safety during training?
- Use PPE - Situational awareness - Good physical health - Following safety regulations - Maintaining PPE and training equipment
73
What is an SCBA?
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
74
When should personnel be fully equiped with PPE?
Whenever they are operating in an environment that is immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH).
75
How many sets of PPE should each person have?
At least 1, preferably 2
76
What are the componants of the risk management plan and accountability system?
- Operations must have intervention crews on-site for firefighter rescue - Rehabilitation facilities - Postincident analysis
77
What must all facilities have according to the NFPA 101?
- Space for cleaning, disinfecting, and storing infection control devices. - Inspection, maintanance, and prompt repairs. - no tobacco
78
True or False, higher skin temperature decreases the skin's ability to absorb chemicals deposited on it.
False. Higher temperatures from high intensity industrial fires increases the absorbtion of chemicals on the skin.
79
What is the ratio for increased skin absorbtion to change in skin temperature?
400% for every 5 degrees increase.
80
What are the six recommendations for decreasing exposure to carcinogens?
- Wear SCBA around fire or smoldering buildings - Remain upwind of smoke and diesel exhaust - Remove contaminated gear before entering rehab area - Do not wear contaminated gear anywear people will be without PPE - Thoroughly clean contaminated gear before wearing again - Wash tyour body thoroughly after a fire
81
When should a firefighter wear a body substance isolation (BSI)?
Whenever working on a patient to prevent the transfer of infectious diseases.
82
What does COPD stand for?
Chronic Obtructive Pulmonary Disease
83
What five things should you constantly be surveying when on the fireground?
- Location of fire and my proximity to it - Changes of the fire's bahviour, spread and growth, including rapid development - Changes to a building's structural integrity - Wind direction and strength - Hazards that may have been missed during the size-up
84
True or false. You should always exit the apparatus facing forward.
False. Use of the handholds are optimized when going backwards out of the apparatus and therefore poses a smaller threat of falling.
85
What are the four things that pose a safety hazard to passengers of an apparatus?
- Loud noise - Loose equipment - danger of falls within the apparatus if not properly secured - Danger of apparatus being hit by another vehicle
86
True or false. Firefighters must wear their fire helmets while inside the apparatus.
false.
87
What are the four things a firefighter can do to maximize their safety within the apparatus?
- Stay seated and belted - Wear hearing protection - Secure loose objects - Close cabdoors properly
88
What are the three control zones of an incident scene?
-Hot, warm and cold zones
89
What defines a Hot Zone?
The area where the trained personnel are working to resolve the incident. Only those that are directly involved in solving the problem are allowed here.
90
What defines a Warm Zone?
People in the warm zone are in full PPE and are assisting those in the Hot Zone.
91
What defines a Cold Zone?
This is still a part of the incident but it is a staging area, ICP , rehabilitation area and information officer area.
Essentials of Fire Fighting
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