PCT #2 Flashcards
What is the Flammability range, LEL, UEL?
-Flammability range: concentration range of a gas or vapour that will burn or explode if an ignition source is present. The limits of the flammable range are between the UEL and LEL.
-Ideal Mixture: (most efficient mixture, is the ratio of fuel to air that will burn with the maximum intensity and efficiency
-LEL: lowest concentration of a gas or a vapor in the atmosphere that will ignite in the presence of an ignition source.
-UEL: highest concentration of a gas or a vapor in the atmosphere that will ignite in the presence of an ignition source
What are some methods of containment for HAZMAT?
-Up-righting and sealing leaking containers
-Allowing the leak to continue then handling appropriately
-Plugging and patching leaking containers
-Closing valves and closing and tightening lids
-Damming, diverting, dykking, retention
When inside a fully encapsulated gas suit, what are you protected from?
-Liquids
-Solids
-Gases
-Vapours
Where a high level of splash protection is required
Where a harmful gas or vapour is present
Fill in the table for the different gases and alarm levels on the Microrae:
Illustrate and label the decontamination corridor:
What are the 4 basic functions of a sprinkler system?
-Detect the presence of fire
-Locate the area involved in fire
-Raise the alarm, both with the occupants of the building and the fire brigade
-Attack the fire
What does EWIS stand for and what is its purpose?
-Emergency Warning Intercommunication System
-Required in larger buildings and buildings over 25 metres in height. -Allows occupants to be alerted to an emergency situation via an alert tone, and/or be told to evacuate
-Instructions can also be issued from the EWIS panel to all building occupants via a public address system.
-Two way communications are available through the Warden Intercom Phones (WIP).
List types wet and dry alarms:
Wet: Sprinkler Systems
Dry: Smoke, Heat and Flame
What can cause false alarms?
-welding, cutting, or grinding.
-Interference with wiring
-Rainwater can leak into the back of the detector
-Improper installation or maintenance
-Sprinkler heads knocked off
-Activation from exhaust emissions
-Steam
Label the components of a sprinkler system:
What are symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion?
Stroke: Cyanosis, difficulty walking, collapse, unconsciousness
Exhaustion: Dizziness, lethargy, Increased heart rate, nausea, abdominal discomfort
What are the components of the Scott Propak SCBA?
Harness and backplate
Cylinder band and clamp
Cylinder connector assembly
Cylinder
Pressure reducer
Rescue second mask attachment
Pressure gauge and warning whistle
Demand valve and supply hose
Facemask
First breath mechanism button
What are the four irrespirable atmospheres?
Smoke
Toxic fumes and gases
Extreme temperatures
Oxygen deficient
Outline the procedure for an entrapment:
-Send a ‘RED’ radio message with condition, assistance needed, location and cylinder reading.
-Activate DSU, make tapping noises to alert crew to location
-Remain calm and avoid exertion, get in a comfortable position
-If charged branch is available, saturate surroundings
-move to a safe area near load bearing structure, windows and doors
List the components of the stage 2 BA control board:
BA stage 2 control board
Siren
Entry control officer
On deck crew.
When and where to wear BA?
Whenever entering a structure or atmosphere that is considered as an irrespirable atmosphere.
You would only doff BA when clear of the structure, or hot zone and in clean fresh air.
Why would you take charged hose line while performing search and rescue?
Allows for means of controlling the environment or dealing with an escalation of fire conditions.
It also gives Firefighters a means of readily identifying the exit location.
Types of compressed gas labels
LPG Red triangle
CNG Red triangle
What are 4 ways of determining if a vehicle is LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas)?
-A red square or diamond mounted in the centre of the number plate with LPG
-Toggle switches on the dash to allow change from LPG to petrol
-The gas cylinders
-Gas cylinder filling points
What are 2 ways of determining if a vehicle is CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)?
-A red diamond on the number plate with CNG lettering
-Lack of large mixers or regulators in the engine compartment
What is the isolation procedure for a damaged service gas line?
-Have fire protection ready
-Wear full structural and BA
-Utilise a gas clamp
-Tools for digging, scooping earth
-If isolating a main, clamp either side of damage (mains are usually ring mains)
What is a BLEVE and some indicators of it occurring?
Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion
Occurs when a gas cylinder is involved in heat, and suffers from structural damage to the cylinder causing an explosion
Indicators:
-Discolouration of cylinder,
-Distortion of cylinder
-Relief valve activation
-Relief valve whistling getting louder
What information can be found on confined space entry permits?
Part 1: Preliminary information
Part 2: Isolation
Part 3: Other precautions
Part 4: Atmospheric testing requirements
Part 5: Personal protective equipment
Part 6: Personal entering/vacating
Part 7: Authorisation
What are 3 methods for isolating services in a confined space context?
-Isolate dangers from confined space
-Isolation of moving parts
-Turn off at the source
-De-energise and lock-out
-De-energise and tag-out
What are six uses for aerial appliances?
-Rescue and recovery
-Placing personnel and equipment on a building
-Water tower
-Lighting tower
-Observation platform
-Crane
Where are the 4wd chains kept?
Rescue 48, 49
What are some considerations for positioning the appliance?
-Position as close as possible to the rescue incident without encroaching on the scene
-consider scene/evidence preservation.
-Allow access/egress for other emergency vehicles
-Position vehicles so as to maximise the effect of the on-board lighting system.
-Topography of the surrounding area, including bends in the road, crests etc.
-Water run-off from pump or firefighting activity
Considerations for restowing an appliance
Some specialty equipment may need to be relocated from the original appliance to the new replacement appliance. EG TICS and Microraes These items should be noted as relocated.
What are the 5Rs?
Report the fault to the Station Officer.
Rectify the problem at Station (if possible).
Replace or exchange the item.
Repair: Liaise with the ESA Workshops or Spec Ops.
Re-stow: It may be necessary to re-stow the entire appliance
What are the 3 main functions of the Resus Kit?
Oxygen Therapy
Oxygen Resuscitation
Suction
What is involved in the Daily check for each of the 6 main components of a Resus Kit?
-Open cylinder and check for at least 100 Bar (10,000 kPa)
-Check function of the oxygen therapy outlet by rotating the recessed flow control valve on the pressure reducer
-Connect demand valve and resuscitator bag to the patient valve, squeeze the bag and check demand valve functions by refilling bag
-Check suction by pressing button valve, cover suction inlet hose and feel for air coming out of suction catheter line
-Close the cylinder
Release pressure (suction button valve or squeeze resuscitation bag)
-Check inventory
List some gaining access tools and their location on the appliance:
Sledge hammer- offside first pocket
Halligan tool- Offside first pocket
Axe- Offside first pocket
Toolbox- Rear appliance pocket
Why is it important to write notes in the blue book when carrying out a gaining entry technique?
In case the scene needs to be investigated, any gaining access methods can be appropriately accounted for and documented .
What are some contemporaneous notes you might enter into the blue book?
made during and incident or as soon as possible afterwards to collect accurate and true information in regard to an incident.
-signs of intentionally lit fire
-the cutting of a seatbelt in an MVA to extract a patient
-actions of crew in a rescue
What is the safe distance from a live winch?
1.5x the length of the winch
What is cavitation, what causes it, and what are some indicators of it?
When in a vacuum, water boils at a lower temperature. This causes vapour bubbles to form and implode which can cause damage to the impeller and subsequentially, the pump.
Causes: Lift too high, a restriction in suction hose, hydrant supply being overrun
Indicators: sounds like small stones running through the pump, collector hose goes soft, compound gage will drop, decrease in delivery flow, engine revolutions increase
Why should the onboard water tank be filled immediately?
So that there is always a reserve supply of water, should a hydrant supply or collector hose fail.
What are the gauges on a pump panel and what do they indicate?
-Compound gauge: indicates the pressure of water entering the pump from closed supplies in kPa. When the zero is crossed and the needle runs into the red it means supply is being over-run (cavitation). When used for draughting it indicates the height of lift from open supplies in kPa. Each -kPa calibration equals 1m lift
-Main pressure gauge: shows the delivery pressure in kPa that the main pump is generating.
-High pressure gauge: shows the delivery pressure in kPa that the HP pump is generating.
-Flow gauge: Amount of flow in L/min through the delivery valves.
What is the maximum practical suction lift in the ACT?
7.5
What are some supplementary cooling techniques?
-Crack an unused HP line to flush on the ground
-Open a HP line into the top hatch
-Connect the filler length from a delivery to the hydrant to tank to create a closed circuit
-Open branches regularly
What is the main function of the pressure relief valve?
To reduce the impact of any sudden closing of branches which can send shock to the other branch crew
What is the maximum pressure that the relief valve will bleed off?
200kpa
How are hydrant locations found?
Comcen
MDT
Blue cats eye
F.H placard on curb
usually every 60-90m
Fireground calculations
Pressure= Head x10
LPM= KPA/10-50
Eg: 2000/10-50
=200-50
=150
Time= Capacity/LPM
Eg: 1500/150
=10 minutes
Requirements of an ACT F&R Brigade knot:
Easy to tie
Easy to untie
Doesn’t damage the knot
Serves its purpose
What does LAST Stand for?
Locate the casualty
Access the casualty
Stabilize
Transport
What does ARCHER stand for?
A- Anchors
R- Reeving
C- Carabiners
H- Harness
E- Equipment
R- Ropes
List the 6 positions of a vertical rescue team:
-Incident controller
-Operations control
-Edge control
-Litter crew
-Hauling crew
-Safety officer
What are the signs of an impending trench collapse?
-Parallel cracks
-Fretting
-Slumping
-Bulging walls
-Deflection and creaking of shoring
What questions should be asked on arrival to a trench collapse?
-How long ago did the collapse occur
-Are there any casualties/How many?
-How deep is the trench?
-Where in the trench were they last seen
-What is the purpose of the trench
-What has been done already
List the elements of the incident marking as well as victim identification:
V= Victim with an arrow in the direction of location
L1= One living
D2= Two Dead
As elements are crossed out it means action has been done
What are 2 methods to confirm the location of a bushfire?
Fire towers- triangulation on a map
Location of smoke
What percentages should the foam-pro be set to for Wet, Medium, and Dry foam effects and what is each one used for?
-Wet 0.2% (for direct attack at the head or flank of fires)
-Medium 0.5% (for indirect attack such as creating control lines)
-Dry 0.8% (for exposure protection/structure pre-treatment)
What are some advantages and limitations of CAFS?
PROS
-Long distance reach
-Very light (lighter than water)
-At least 5x more efficient than water
-Ability to cling to structures for long periods of time
-Uses less water
CONS
-Higher skill required to operate
-Needs flushing
-Higher maintenance
-CAFS cannot be discharged near water sources (environmental)
Characteristics of CAFS
-Small, strong uniform bubbles
-Greater foam durability
-user can easily adjust ratios
-Lower foam concentrate % required
Who is the leading agency for swift water rescues and what rules apply to ACTF&R?
AFP
ACTF&R under no circumstance should enter swift water.
What info should be collected and passed to your supervisor if you are responding to a USAR incident?
-Incident location
-Type and magnitude of incident
-Current situation
-Cause of collapse
-Type and number of casualties
-Major Hazards (electrical, water, gas, environment)
What are the different collapse patterns in an USAR context?
-Curtain Fall Wall Collapse
-Inward / Outward Collapse
-Lean Over Collapse
-Lean to Collapse
-Angle Wall Collapse
Explain how the arrangement of fuels can affect a wildfire:
● Separate pieces of fuel are harder to ignite,
● Tightly packed will smoulder,
● Fine loosely stacked burn quickly.
List some wildfire hazards and precautions?
-Hearing loss
- Hazardous trees and branches
-Fire over-runs
-Vehicle accidents
-Traffic
- Extreme temps
-Trips, slips and falls
- Electrical hazards
-Bushfire smoke
-Burning buildings and vehicles
-Fatigue
- Cuts, scratches, burns and bruises
- Exposure to sunlight
-Poor hygiene
- Critical incident stress
- Hazardous materials
-Bites and stings
What are the 8 Stages of RCR?
PRIGEDRT
Preparation- training
Response
Incident management
Gaining Access
Emergency Care
Disentanglement- Disassemble, Displace, Distort, Severance
Removal and transfer
Termination
List 3 appropriate actions to manage LPG/CNG hazards.
-ignition key to ‘OFF’
-Isolate the gas supply at, or near, the cylinder, ensure that ALL cylinders are isolated.
-Disconnect the battery
What are the responsibilities of ACTFR, ACTAS and AFP during an MVA?
● ACTFR
Primary rescue agency
Patient extrication
Firefighting
● AFP
Overall scene management
Accident investigation
Coronial investigation
Crowd control
Traffic control
● ACTAS
All aspects of patient care
Small gear that can be used in RCR?
Halligan
Sledge
Crowbar
Pinchbar
Chocks/Wedges
Outline safety requirements when dealing with EVs:
-Chock the wheels
-Inspect SRS systems
-Push the power switch and confirm the “ready” indicator is off
-Remove ignition key
-Inspect vehicle prior to using tools
What is meant by an outer circle search?
30m from vehicle usually
looking for additional injured persons and or hazards. This can be made simultaneously with the inner circle assessment
What is meant by an inner circle search?
about 2 to 5 metres.
This involves looking in, under, above and around the vehicle to determine numbers of casualties, types of injuries, types of entrapment’s, hazards involved, access
What is an action circle?
The area immediately around the vehicle. At all times it must be kept clear of debris, glass and vehicle parts. When rescuers have temporarily ceased use of tools, they may be placed in this area. If the tool is finished with it should be returned to the tool staging area.
Label the monocoque diagram
Rules for Airport F&R
-The rule of thumb is initially to fight only the fire that interferes with the rescue and establishing an evacuation path.
-Care must be taken when approaching, as survivors or victims may have been ejected along the crash path.
-Use only foam for firefighting, approach from upwind and uphill if possible
Gate 5 , beacons off, Meet with airport safety to be escorted
What legislation governs ACTFR response?
Emergency services act 2004
What does the ACTF&R EA outline?
Specific agreement between employer and employee (ACT government and Firefighters) which outlines the minimum entitlements for pay, leave, hours, overtime.
First point of reference for any disputes, claims or disagreements.
Outline section 44 of the emergency service act
1.To protect and preserve life, property, and the environment form fire in built up areas
2.Responsible for operational planning for fire response including fire preparedness in built up areas.
HAZMAT
USAR
CBR
- Assistance and support to other ESA agencies
Any other function, regulation - Respond to fire in rural areas
Provide first response to other incidents for other ESAs where necessary
Outline section 34 of the emergency service act
Outlines the powers of the Chief Officer of an ESA.
Chief officer can delegate to any member of the public service or other ESA agency
-can close a street to traffic or public
-bring equipment onto land, into a structure or vehicle
-remove, dismantle or demolish structure or vehicle
-remove or destroy an animal, substance or vegetation
-control, shut off or disconnect fuel, gas or electricity
-use a supply of water without charge
What is the emergency plan 2023?
Outlines responsibilities, authorities + mechanisms to manage emergencies and their consequences within the ACT.
Provides structure and order in emergencies for multiple agencies
Identifies the lead and support agencies in relation to incident or hazard.
What is RiskMan and how do you get access to it?
-The RiskMan application is an accident/incident reporting system designed for the online entry, notification and investigation of WHS incidents and accidents occurring in ACTPS workplaces.
-To submit an incident/accident/injury report click on ACTFR intranet – Brigade Forms – HR – RiskMan Accident/Injury Reporting.
or scan the QR code
Critical incident stress management
What is a flashover and list the signs?
What is a backdraught and its signs?
when a fire that has consumed all available oxygen suddenly explodes when more oxygen is made available.
- Ventilation controlled, non-vented fire
- Dirty smoke
- Non-visible flame
- Signs of extreme heat (blackened windows, blistering paint)
- Pulsing smoke
- Whistling noises from air trying to get into the compartment
What is a fire gas ignition and what are the warning signs?
-An event that occurs in a separate compartment due to build-up of fire gases, high heat, and an ignition source
-Pyrolysis will occur from a separate compartment from the seat of the fire
What is blow torch effect and what are some signs?
created when a ventilated controlled, vented fire is exposed to high winds, The fire receives high levels of O2, rapidly progressing through the stages of combustion.
-Pulsing smoke
-Working fire
-Ventilation controlled vented fire
-Noticeable winds
What is the process for evacuating a multi-story building?
-When conducting search and rescue operations in a multi-storey building, priority should be given to the fire floor, the 2 floors above the fire, and then the floor below the fire.
-Firefighters should set up a staging area 2 floors below the fire or closer if safe to do so.
-You should take a high rise kit, 2 lengths of 38 as well as break and enter tools.
What are the 6 different classes of fire and appropriate fire extinguishers for each?
Class A- ordinary combustible solids, woods, paper, plastics, cloths
Water extinguisher Red Band
Class B- flammable liquids, petrol, oil, paint, alcohol
Foam extinguisher Blue Band
Class C- Compressed gasses, LPG, butane, acetylene, natural gas
Dry Chemical White Band
Class D- metals magnesium, aluminium
Dry Chemical White band
Class E- Electircal fires
Co2 Black Band
Class F- Cooking fats and oils
Wet Chemical Oatmeal/beige band
What is a hazard what is a risk?
A hazard is a source of danger
A risk is the likelihood that hazard will cause injury or damage
What are the three different types of bush fires?
Ground fires- soil layer
Surface fires- just above the ground low lying vegetation
Crown fires- crowns of trees ahead of intense fire
What are surface fuels and ladder fuels?
Surface fuels- fuels on the ground such as vegetation, bushes, small trees and shrubs, forest litter
Ladder fuels- a continuous ladder of fuels from the ground surface to the crown of trees.
