Miscellaneous Flashcards
Data that are collected based on observation or experience and are capable of being verified.
Empirical data
Theory supported by the empirical data that the investigator has collected through observation and then developed into explanations for the event, which are based in the investigators knowledge, training, experience and expertise.
Hypothesis
The process by which a person starts from a particular experience and proceeds to generalizations. Also, the process by which hypothesis are developed.
Inductive reasoning
Establishes guidelines and recommendations for the safe and systemic investigation or analysis of fire and explosion incidents
NFPA 921
Standard designed to establish minimum JPRs for service as a fire investigator.
NFPA 1033
AHJ
Authority having jurisdiction
The process of determining the origin cause and development of a fire or explosion.
Fire investigation
The use of a person’s thinking skills and judgement in order to evaluate the empirical data and challenge the conclusions of the final hypothesis
Cognitive testing
The process by which conclusions are drawn by logical inference from given premises.
Deductive reasoning
Preconceived determination or premature conclusions as to what the cause of the fire was.
Expectation bias
The systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formation and testing of hypothesis
Scientific method
The process of air or gases being drawn into a fire, plume or jet
Air entrainment
The lowest temperature at which a gas-air mixture will ignite in the absence of an ignition source.
Autoignition Temperature (AIT)
A relatively thin layer of flowing hot gases that develops under a horizontal surface as a result of plume impingement and the flowing of gas being forced to move horizontally
Ceiling jet
A fire effect that appears on noncombustible surfaces after any combustible layers (such as soot, paint and paper) have been burned away. The effect may also appear where soot was not deposited due to high surface temperatures
Clean burn
A chemical process of oxidation that occurs at a rate fast enough to produce heat and usually light in the form of either a glow or flames.
Combustion
Heat transfer to another body or within a body by direct contact.
Conduction
Heat transfer by circulation within a medium such as a gas or liquid.
Convection
A flame in which the fuel and air mix or diffuse together at the region of combustion.
Diffusion flame burning
A reaction that releases energy in the form of heat
Exothermic reaction
The detailed study of how chemistry, fire science, and the engineering disciplines of fluid mechanics and heat transfer interact to influence fire behavior.
Fire dynamics
The temperature to which a liquid must be heated to sustain burning after the removal of an ignition source.
Fire point
The lowest temperature at which a liquid produces a flammable vapor.
Flashpoint
Transition stage of a fire which convections and radiated heat energy impinge on the other combustible items within the room, producing fire gases. These items then ignite nearly at the same time, causing full room involvement.
Flashover
Any substance that can undergo combustion.
Fuel
When the size of the fire is controlled by how much fuel is burning.
Fuel-controlled burn
Any article that is capable of burning.
Fuel item
The amount of fuel present.
Fuel load
A collection or array of fuel items in close proximity with one another such that flames can spread throughout the array of fuel items.
Fuel package
A collection or array of fuel items in close proximity with one another such that flames can spread throughout the array of fuel items.
Fuel package
A form of energy measured in joules
Heat
A measure of energy required to raise the temperature of an object one degree of a unit of mass.
Heat capacity
The measurement of the rate of heat transfer to a surface.
Heat flux
The energy being released by the individual fuels being consumed, measured in either watts or kilowatts.
Heat release rate (HRR)
The transport of heat energy from one point to another caused by a temperature difference between those points.
Heat transfer
The line where the flow of hot gas and cooler air changes.
Neutral plane
A substance that promotes oxidation during the combustion process.
Oxidizing agent
The conversion of a material from one state of matter to another that is reversible and does not change the chemical composition of the material.
Phase change
The column of hot gases, flames and smoke rising above a fire.
Plume
A flame where the fuel and oxidizer are mixed prior to combustion.
Pre-mixed burn
Process in which something is heated, causing the material to decay and produce fire gases.
Pyrolysis
The combined process of emission, transmission, and absorption of energy traveling by electromagnetic wave propagation between a region of higher temperature and a region of lower temperature.
Radiation
A concentration that exist above the LEL and below the UEL.
Stoichiometric ratio
A measurement of the amount of molecular activity when compared with a reference or standard.
Temperature
The measure of heat that could travel across an area with a temperature gradient expressed as one degree per unit of length (W/m K).
Thermal conductivity
An irreversible change in chemical composition as a result of pyrolysis.
Thermal decomposition
Those properties of the material that characterize its rate of surface temperature rise when exposed to heat. It is the product of the thermal conductivity, the density, and heat capacity.
Thermal inertia
Condition in which the heat generated exceeds the amount of heat loss within the material.
Thermal runaway
One of the elements of the fire tetrahedron. This element provides for the combustion and interaction of the other elements.
Uninhibited chemical chain reaction
The process of producing ignitable vapors from a liquid.
Vaporization
A fire pattern that indicates fire direction on wood wall studs. It leans toward the direction of travel.
Beveling
Process in which chemically bound water is driven out of gypsum by the heat of the fire.
Calcination
Carbonaceous material that has been burned or pyrolyzed and has a blackened appearance.
Char
A complicated pattern of short cracks in glass that can be either straight or crescent shaped and can extend through the entire thickness of the glass.
Crazing
The observable or measurable changes in or on a material as a result of exposure to the fire.
Fire effects
The visible or measurable changes or identifiable shapes formed by a fire effect or group of fire effects.
Fire pattern
The process of identifying and interpreting fire patterns to determine how the patterns were created and their significance.
Fire pattern analysis
A discontinuous pattern on a surface that indicates an interruption of heat transfer.
Heat shadowing
A physical change from solid to liquid caused by exposure to heat.
Melting
The basic chemical process associated with combustion.
Oxidation
A diffraction pattern formed when hydrocarbons float on a surface.
Rainbow effect
Hot products of combustion; condensates.
Smoke deposits
The chipping and putting of concrete or masonry surfaces.
Spalling
Flammable liquid flash point
Below 100 degrees
Combustible liquid flash point
Above 100 degrees
Fire resistive Non-combustible (commonly found in high-rise buildings and Group I occupancies)
Type I-A
3 Hr. Exterior walls
3 Hr. Structural frame
2 Hr. Floor/ceiling assembly
1 1/2 Hr. Roof protection
Type I-A Fire Resistive
Fire resistive Non-combustible (commonly found in mid-rise office & Group R buildings)
Type I-B
2 Hr. Exterior walls
2 Hr. Structural frame
2 Hr. Ceiling/floor separation
1 Hr. Ceiling/roof assembly
Type I-B Fire resistive
Protected Non-combustible (commonly found in newer school buildings)
Type II-A
1 Hr. Exterior walls
1 Hr. Structural frame
1 Hr. Floor/ceiling/roof protection
Type II-A Non-combustible
Unprotected Non-combustible (most common type of non-combustible construction used in commercial buildings). Building constructed of non-combustible materials but these materials have no fire resistance
Type II-B
Protected combustible (also known as “ordinary” construction has brick or block walls and a wooden roof or floor assembly which is 1 hour fire protected
Type III-A
2 Hr. Exterior walls
1 Hr. Structural frame
1 Hr. Floor/ceiling/roof protection
Type III-A Ordinary Construction
Unprotected combustible (also know as “ordinary” construction; has brick or block walls with a wooden roof or floor assembly which is not protected against fire. These buildings are frequently found in “warehouse” districts of older cities.)
Type III-B
2 Hr. Exterior walls
No fire resistance for structural frame, floors, ceilings or roofs
Type III-B
Heavy Timber (also known as “mill” construction; to qualify all wooden members must have a minimum nominal dimension of 6-8 inches.)
Type IV
2 Hr. Exterior walls
1 Hr. Structural frame or Heavy Timber
Heavy Timber Floor/ceiling/Roof Assemblies
Type IV Heavy Timber
Protected Wood Frame (commonly used in the construction of newer apartment buildings; there is no exposed wood visible.)
Type V-A
1 Hr. Exterior walls
1 Hr. Structural frame
1 Hr. Floor/Ceiling/Roof
Type V-A Wood-Frame
Unprotected Wood Frame (examples of Type V-N construction are single family homes and garages. They often have exposed wood so there is no fire resistance.)
Type V-B
Efforts should be made to determine that witness statements are ____ and ____
Accurate; reliable
An ____ is a complete list of all items of evidence recovered from a fire scene
Evidence log
The exposure to flame and intense heat begins to oxidize soot deposits, paint and even the charred paper of wallboard, consuming the carbon present is referred to as ____
Clean burn
The demarcation in these areas can guide investigators in determining fire spread; may indicate areas of high heat and do not necessarily represent the origin of the fire
Clean burn
Can be used to spread the fire from one area to another and can be liquid or solid
Trailers
Evidence can be collected and/or submitted in ____, ____ or ____ bags made for the containment of evidence
Unlined metal cans, glass jars; specialized bags
Is incomplete combustion and is combustible
Smoke
A rapid oxidation process, a chemical reaction resulting in the evolution of light and heat in varying intensities
Fire
A fire in an area of ____ will burn faster
Concentrations of oxygen
Although hazardous materials are present at both residential and commercial structures; they are usually more dangerous in locations such as ____
Residences
Final sketches should always include the north directional arrow and ____
Not to scale
If the ____ is broken, it cannot be restored and the collected evidence is valueless
Chain of custody
You have to be able to determine the ____ before you can determine the ____
Origin of the fire; cause
Heat energy naturally move from areas of higher temperature to lower temperature through a process known as ____
Heat transfer
The rate of transfer increases when the differences between objects is greater
Heat flux
Heat flux is commonly expressed as ____
Kilowatts per square meters
A measurement of the amount of molecular activity when compared with a reference or standard
Temperature
Refers to a form of energy
Heat
Occurs when solid objects are heated and energy is transferred from hotter to cooler areas through direct contact
Conduction
The measure of heat that could travel across an area with a temperature gradient, is expressed as one degree per unit of length
Thermal conductivity
A measure of the energy required to raise the temperature of an object one degree of a unit of mass
Heat capacity
When heat is absorbed from heated gases or liquids by cooler objects or materials
Convection
Convection may occur by one of two mechanisms ____ or ____
Natural; forced
The transfer of heat via electromagnetic waves is defined as
Radiation
The primary types of heat transfer are ____
Conduction, convection, radiation
Fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles.
Class A
Fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils.
Class B
Fires involving anything with power; electricity.
Class C
Fires involving metals.
Class D
Kitchen fires are class ____
K
When attempting to preserve organic evidence from a fire scene, you should allow the material to ____
Air dry at room temperature
When attempting to preserve organic evidence from a fire scene, you should package in a ____
Clean proper container
When attempting to preserve organic evidence from a fire scene, you should store in a ____, ____ and ____
Dry, cool; secure location
While on scene fighting the fire, a firefighter can seize evidence without consent or a warrant known as ____
Exigent circumstance
The US Supreme Court decisions in Michigan v Tyler and Michigan v Clifford outline the scope of a fire investigator’s right to entry under this rule
Exigent circumstance
Most contamination of physical evidence occurs during
The collection process
A ____ must be discarded if it can’t be proven
Hypothesis
An ____ should provide information that will help the judge and jury understand the facts of the case
Expert witness
An expert witness must be accepted for each ____
Separate trial
An expert witness must possess ____, ____ and ____ in the area of expertise
Special knowledge, training; experience
An expert witness is allowed to offer ____
Opinions
An expert witness is allowed to remain in the courtroom during ____
The entire proceeding
Even though an expert witness is allowed to share opinions; opinions should be ____ and ____
Relevant; scientifically based
A fact witness (lay witness) provides fact testimony (lay testimony) and is not allowed to ____
Share opinions
Per NFPA 921, a ____ is a systematic approach beginning from the exterior to the interior
Fire investigation
NFPA ____ is the standard for Fire Investigator Professional Qualifications
1033
Generally a function of an engineering examination performed in a laboratory
Comparative examination
The explanation of differences and the explanation of similarities is ____
Comparative analysis
Per IFSTA and Kirk’s Fire Investigation books, ____ is the most common motive for Arson Fires
Spite/Revenge
The four stages of fire are
Incipient, Growth, Fully developed and Decay
During the interview, the person being interviewed can ____
Leave at any time
During the interview, the most effective approach is to ____ and ____
Ask open-ended questions; the questions should be developed ahead of time
During the interview, one person should ask all of the questions and then allow ____
The other investigator to ask questions before concluding
Anything that a witness tells you that he/she was able to see is referred to as ____
Witness viewpoint
During the interview, the investigator should try to anticipate what the person being interviewed is ____
About to say
Interviews should be conducted in ____
Private locations
During the interview, the investigator should ____ and ____
Maintain eye contact; actively listen
May be analyzed by Prosecutors, Defense Attorneys, Judges or others
Interview transcripts or notes
The Investigator should be able to see the ____ in order to observe ____
Interviewee’s entire body; body language
More accusatory in nature and the person being interrogated is not free to leave whenever they wish
Interrogations
____ contains the constitutional “right to counsel” which is also part of the protections afforded under the ____
Sixth Amendment; Miranda Rule
The four components of the Miranda Rules are____
- The right to remain silent and refuse to give a statement
- The warning that any statement made can later be used as evidence against the witness
- The right to have an attorney present to represent the witness during questioning
- The right to have an attorney provided free of charge, before any questioning begins, if the person cannot afford to hire an attorney
Interviews and Link Analysis will help develop
New leads
Items of evidence corresponding to the evidence log can be ____, ____ or ____
packaged, labeled; tagged
Follow department policies and procedures when collecting ____
Physical evidence
Items collected from a ____ is usually beyond the scope of a fire investigator’s authority
Deceased victim
Gloves used to collect evidence should be marked the same as the ____ and ____
Evidence; photographed
Many fire injuries or deaths are connected to other crimes and must be investigated jointly by ____ and ____
The fire investigator; other agencies
Evidence, such as body fluids and fingerprints, collected from a victim following a fatal fire should be collected by ____
Technical experts
An insurance company has to release items of information upon written request from an appropriate agency per the ____. The request should be written to avoid the appearance of ____
Arson Immunity Act; corroboration
Creates and increases the likelihood of an explosive atmosphere
The concentration of vapors
Formal drawings that are completed after the investigation
Diagrams
Generally freehand diagrams or diagrams drawn with minimal tools that are completed at the scene
Sketches
Where would you get a drawing of topographical plans
Surveyor
Where would you get a drawing of site plans
Civil engineer
Where would you get a drawing for floor plans
Architect
Where would you get a drawing of electrical diagrams
Electrical engineer
In all fire cases, a minimum of a ____ drawing should be done
Simple sketch drawing
Photographs, audio tape recordings, video tape recordings, notes and/or sketches can all be used to ____
Properly record a scene
____ can be recovered by absorbing them with sterile medical dressings, lime dirt or flour
Traces of suspected liquid accelerants
Do not use scented items such as ____
Laundry detergent
The importance of ____ cannot be overemphasised
Chain of custody
Melting temperature for copper
1981
Melting temperature for aluminum
1220
Melting temperature for gold
1945
Melting temperature for silver
1760
Melting temperature for lead
621
In fire related deaths, the establishment of the manner and cause of death is the responsibility of the ____ or ____
Coroner; medical examiner
The preservation of evidence at the fire scene should begin with the ____
First arriving fire units and/or police authorities
____, ____, ____, as well as ____ can be used to create a physical barrier which can provide a starting place for the scene search and does provide some recognized scene security
Rope, traffic cones, barricades; barrier tape
Fire causes should only be classified as ____, ____, ____ or ____
Accidental, natural, incendiary; undetermined
The four interview procedures are ____
- Plan the interview
- Conduct the interview
- Document the interview
- Evaluate interview info
The main purpose of photographing a scene is to ____
Support and document the investigator’s findings
An interview becomes an interrogation when ____
It becomes accusatory
____ liquids should be documented as ignitable liquids
Flammable/combustible
The ratio of the average molecular weight of a given volume of gas or vapor to that of air at the same temperature and pressure and is also referred to specific gravity
Vapor density
Vapor density effects are greatest in ____
Still air conditions
The vapor density of the ____ or ____ may affect the movement of the fugitive gas as it escapes from its container or system
Gas; vapor
Back draft is a ____
Smoke explosion
Evidence that is destroyed, damaged, altered or otherwise not preserved
Spoliation of Evidence
Loss, destruction or material alteration of an object or document that is evidence or potential evidence in a legal proceeding by the one who has the responsibility for its preservation
Spoliation
Digital photography is recognized method of photography to most ____
Courts of Law
When using film photography, color film is the best choice because ____ is lost in black and white film and the photos contain less information
Subtle coloring of burn patterns
When flame, heat and smoke impinge on an object or surface; creates/produces a border between affected and less affected areas of the object or surface
Line of demarcation
____ should only be worn by those who have been trained to use it
Special protective equipment
Components of a risk management plan
- Risk Identification
- Risk Evaluation
- Risk Control
- Risk Management
____ starts with the first arriving units on the scene
Preservation of evidence
The fire tetrahedron consists of ____
Heat, fuel, oxygen and the uninhibited chemical chain reaction
A fire scene should be worked by ____ and ____
The investigator; one other person
Fact testimony is also referred to ____
Lay testimony
____ is restricted only to facts observed
Fact testimony (aka lay testimony)
____ must be certified in each case and can offer opinions with their testimony
Expert witness
One purpose of ____ is so the investigator can make a more accurate origin analysis
Fire scene reconstruction
Can be found in a variety of places including from the manufacturer, the facility hazard plan and the local emergency planning committee and sometimes with the shipping papers but never in a ERG
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) aka Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
An abnormal connection of low resistance between normal circuit conductors where the resistance is normally much greater is called a ____
Short circuit
____ are to Canada what ____ are to the United States
Dangerous Goods; UN Classes of Hazardous Materials
The perfect combustion condition is referred to ____
Stochiometric ratio
The stochiometric ratio is a concentration that exists above the ____ and below the ____
Lower explosive limit; upper explosive limit
The most common hazard associated with cooking equipment as well as portable heating equipment is ____
The potential for ignition of nearby combustibles
15 amp = ____ awg
14
20 amp = ____ awg
12
30 amp = ____ awg
10
40 amp = ____ awg
8
50 amp = ____ awg
6
A basic knowledge of ____ is necessary for an investigator to help recognize when fires progress in abnormal or unusual patterns
Fire behavior
NFPA ____ should be used as reference material when conducting a fire investigation
921
There are ____ burn patterns discussed in NFPA 921 (V-pattern, Inverted V-pattern, spalling, saddle burn, etc.,)
78
Fires usually burn ____ and ____. Fires can burn ____ but when they do, they are following a fuel load
Upward, outward; downward
Field notes are subject to ____
Subpoena
