Jones & Bartlett: Fire Department Incident Safety Officer (28 Questions)

Question 1

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, smoke leaving
the structure has four key attributes, they are:
A) Amount, Rate, Direction, and Colour
B) Volume, Velocity, Density and Colour
C) Volume, Velocity, Direction, and Colour
D) Amount, Rate, Direction, and Intensity

Answer 1

B) Volume, Velocity, Density and Colour

Question 2

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, _______
_________ defines materials that aren’t necessarily burning, but are chemically
degraded by heat.
A) Incomplete combustion
B) Off-gassing
C) Off-aggregating
D) Pyrolytic decomposition

Answer 2

D) Pyrolytic decomposition

Question 3

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, hostile event
warning signs that include: yellowish-gray smoke emitting from cracks and seams with
bowing black-stained windows along with sucking and puffing from the cracks and
seams would indicate a:
A) Flashover
B) Explosive growth phase
C) Backdraft
D) Smoke explosion

Answer 3

C) Backdraft

Question 4

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, hostile event
warning signs that include: increase in smoke speed, ghosting, laminar flow of smoke
that is becoming turbulent and smoke flowing from hallways and stairways faster than a
firefighter can move would indicate a:
A) Flashover
B) Flame-over
C) Backdraft
D) Smoke explosion

Answer 4

B) Flame-over

Question 5

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, hostile event
warning signs that include: smoke that is being trapped in a separate space above the
fire, signs of growing fire and signs of smoke starting to pressurize would indicate a:
A) Flashover
B) Flame-over
C) Backdraft
D) Smoke explosion

Answer 5

D) Smoke explosion

Question 6

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, hostile event
warning signs that include: dense smoke that appears to have totally filled a building
(floor to ceiling), smoke that rapidly speeds up when an exterior door is opened, and
exhaust flow paths that intermittently puff or try to suck air would indicate:
A) Flashover
B) Explosive growth phase
C) Backdraft
D) Smoke explosion

Answer 6

B) Explosive growth phase

Question 7

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, hostile warning
event signs that include: turbulent smoke flow that has filled a compartment, vent-point
ignition and a rapid change in smoke volume and velocity (getting worse in seconds)
would indicate a:
A) Flashover
B) Explosive growth phase
C) Backdraft
D) Smoke explosion

Answer 7

A) Flashover

Question 8

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, ____________
occurs when smoke reaches sustaining temperatures that are above the fire point of
prevalent gases. The gases can suddenly ignite when touched by an additional spark or
flame. Fire spread changes from flame contact across content surfaces to fire spread
through the smoke. This hostile event is known as a:
A) Flashover
B) Backdraft
C) Flame-over
D) Smoke explosion

Answer 8

C) Flame-over

Question 9

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, ___________
occurs when oxygen is introduced into a closed, pressurized space where fire products
are above their ignition temperature. This hostile event is known as a:
A) Flashover
B) Backdraft
C) Flame-over
D) Smoke explosion

Answer 9

B) Backdraft

Question 10

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, ____________
occurs when a spark or flame is introduced into trapped smoke that is below its ignition
temperature but above its flashpoint. This hostile event is known as a:
A) Explosive growth phase
B) Backdraft
C) Flame-over
D) Smoke explosion

Answer 10

D) Smoke explosion

Question 11

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer,
_____________ occurs when air is introduced to a ventilation-limited fire. It can include
smoke flame-over in flow paths and flashover of individual rooms that are heat
saturated. This hostile event is known as:
A) Explosive growth phase
B) Backdraft
C) Flame-over
D) Smoke explosion

Answer 11

A) Explosive growth phase

Question 12

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, occurs when
radiant heat reflected within a room or space. All surfaces reach their ignition
temperature at virtually the same time due to rapid heat buildup in the space. This
hostile event is known as:
A) Flashover
B) Explosive growth phase
C) Backdraft
D) Flame-ove

Answer 12

A) Flashover

Question 13

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, which of the
following about smoke characteristics is incorrect?
A) The thicker the smoke, the more explosive it is
B) Faster smoke is further from the seat of the fire
C) Fire that emits very little visible smoke is hot, well ventilated and clean-burning
D) Black smoke indicates hot smoke, regardless of material involved

Answer 13

B) Faster smoke is further from the seat of the fire

Question 14

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, which of the
following about smoke characteristics is incorrect?
A) Thick black smoke in a compartment reduces the chance of life sustainability
B) Smoke can either be turbulent or laminar
C) Smoke cannot be used to help find the location of the fire in a building
D) Smoke follows the path of least resistance

Answer 14

C) Smoke cannot be used to help find the location of the fire in a building

Question 15

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, you are on-
scene and notice brown smoke emanating from the structure. What does this indicate to
you?
A) Early heating or ‘filtered’ smoke
B) Warning sign of impending collapse in lightweight wood buildings
C) Warning sign of impending Backdraft
D) A proper air mixture has been achieved for a smoke explosion

Answer 15

B) Warning sign of impending collapse in lightweight wood buildings

Question 16

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, low-volume
white smoke from more than one location of a large building would indicate:
A) Sulfur compounds, a warning sign of impending backdraft
B) Working fire deep within
C) Warning sign of impending flashover
D) Flame-pushed smoke, fire nearby that is well ventilated

Answer 16

B) Working fire deep within

Question 17

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, thin, black, fast
smoke would indicate:
A) Warning sign of impending flashover
B) Heat-pushed smoke that has traveled a distance or has had the
carbon/hydrocarbon filtered
C) Flame-pushed smoke; fire nearby that is well ventilated
D) Unfinished wood reaching late heating

Answer 17

C) Flame-pushed smoke; fire nearby that is well ventilated

Question 18

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, you are on-
scene and notice brown smoke emanating from the structure. What does this indicate to
you?
A) A proper air mixture has been achieved for a smoke explosion
B) Early heating or ‘filtered’ smoke
C) Warning sign of impending backdraft
D) Usually a sign that a contents fire is transitioning into a structure fire

Answer 18

D) Usually a sign that a contents fire is transitioning into a structure fire

Question 19

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, dirty white
smoke with velocity would indicate:
A) Warning sign of impending flashover
B) Heat-pushed smoke that has traveled a distance or has had the
carbon/hydrocarbon filtered
C) Flame-pushed smoke; fire nearby that is well ventilated
D) Unfinished wood reaching late heating

Answer 19

B) Heat-pushed smoke that has traveled a distance or has had the
carbon/hydrocarbon filtered

Question 20

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, which of the
following about smoke characteristics is incorrect?
A) Smoke that is getting faster (and turbulent), thicker, and darker is a sign that
things are getting worse
B) No firefighters should be in black fire; they should immediately cool and withdraw
C) Colour can be filtered by distance or resistance, so rely on velocity for the true
heat story
D) Turbulent smoke that fills a compartment is a warning sign of a smoke explosion

Answer 20

D) Turbulent smoke that fills a compartment is a warning sign of a smoke explosion

Question 21

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, Type I building
types are known as:
A) Ordinary
B) Noncombustible
C) Fire Resistive
D) Wood frame

Answer 21

C) Fire Resistive

Question 22

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, Type III building
types are known as:
A) Ordinary
B) Noncombustible
C) Fire Resistive
D) Wood frame

Answer 22

A) Ordinary

Question 23

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, Type II building
types are known as:
A) Ordinary
B) Noncombustible
C) Fire Resistive
D) Wood frame

Answer 23

B) Noncombustible

Question 24

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, Type V building
types are known as:
A) Ordinary
B) Noncombustible
C) Fire Resistive
D) Wood frame

Answer 24

D) Wood frame

Question 25

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, determining
whether a fire is a ‘contents’ or ‘structure’ fire is imperative. Which of the following fires
would not be considered a content fire that could become ‘structural’?
A) A content fire in unfinished basement
B) Fire in concealed spaces
C) A mattress fire in a bedroom
D) Attic fire

Answer 25

C) A mattress fire in a bedroom

Question 26

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, what truism is
incorrect when determining evaluating time before a structure will collapse?
A) Age deterioration or the lack of care and maintenance will not influence collapse
B) The lighter the structural elements, or heavier the imposed load, the faster the
structure comes down
C) Brown or dark smoke coming from lightweight engineered wood products means
that time is up
D) Wet (cooled) steel buys time

Answer 26

A) Age deterioration or the lack of care and maintenance will not influence collapse

Question 27

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, which of the
following is not a sign or indicator of potential collapse?
A) Bulges and bowing of walls, sagging floors and roofs
B) Significant kitchen fire with no extension
C) Large volumes of fire impinging on structural components
D) Deterioration and cracks of mortar joints and masonry

Answer 27

B) Significant kitchen fire with no extension

Question 28

According to Jones & Bartlett’s Fire Department Incident Safety Officer, when
establishing a collapse zone, the rule is to create a zone that is ____ to _____ times the
height of the structure.
A) 1 to 2 times the height of the structure
B) 1.5 to 2 times the height of the structure
C) 1.5 to 3 times the height of the structure
D) 2 to 3 times the height of the structure

Answer 28

C) 1.5 to 3 times the height of the structure