SCBA Maintenance, Fire Behavior, ICS/NIMS, Tools and Equipment, Ropes/ Knots Flashcards
SCBA care
Check to see Hydrostatic is current
- Inspect for damage
- Remove cylinder check main valve
- Spray Frame and Harness with water
- Scrub tank with brush, mild soap and water
- Scrub face piece and mask with soap and water (ten minute contact time) 3 pumps in and out
- Rinse and Air Dry
Who checks the SCBA units at the fire house?
Who’s Responsible for SCBA units at the fire academy?
- The Driver and Fire Fighter are responsible for SCBA use and minor maintenance.
- The Cadet is responsible for checking and refilling equipment every morning.
When are SCBA’s inspected?
AFD hydrostatic testing?
- SCBA are annually inspected for malfunctions
- SCBA’s get hydro static checks every 5 years
(pressure testing)
What must a fire fighter be proficient at while changing an air tank?
- Changing SCBA for some one else
2. Changing Air Tank in dark and high stress situations.
What are Cascade Machines and where are they located?
- Cascade machines are used to refill empty SCBA air tanks.
- They are located at Station 13, 17, The Fire Academy and Squad 1, and Squad 3 provide portable Cascade units on HAZMAT apparatus.
Skip Breathing
- Do not remove face piece
- Skip Breathing helps prolong air tank
- Take a short breath (do not exhale between breaths)
- Relax with a long exhale
- Each breath in should be 5 seconds.
Preparing for SCBA emergency
- Always check PPE and SCBA before use
1. Be prepared to react
2. Keep calm, stop and think
3. Notify crew and began to Exit IDLH (together)
4. If in danger activate integrated PASS Device SE7
Toxic Gases Found in Today’s Fires
- Hydrogen Cyanide- A toxic gas produced by the combustion of material containing cyanide usually plastics.
- Carbon Minoxide- Toxic gas silent killer, odorless, tasteless, colorless. Binds 200 times more that O2 causing interruption in hemoglobin exchange.
- Phosgene- combustion of vinyl materials, causes Pulmonary Edema
Air Supply Depleted
- Remove regulator from face piece
- Cover opening with gloved hand or flash hood
- Notify crew and move out.
- Entire crew must exit the building
When should the Emergency By-pass mode be used? How is it activated?
- Purge valve must be opened when regulator failure occurs
- Once by-pass mode is activated the fire fighter should advise crew members and exit the hazardous environment together immediately
Heat is what?
Smoke is what?
- Heat is energy
2. Smoke is fuel
Fuel Controlled Fire Behavior include phenomenon?
- Ignition
- Growth
- Phenomenon known as flash over occurs - Fully Developed
- Decay- after full is burned out
Ventilation Controlled Fires include phenomenon?
- Ignition
- Growth
- Early Decay (caused by oxygen/fuel depletion causing heavy,black,thick,turbulent smoke to ignite when ventilated.)
- Flashover Phenomenon
- Fully Developed
- Decay
Fire is?
a rapid chemical process that produces heat and usually light.
What are the three states of matter?
Solid, Liquid, Gas
Pyrolysis is?
Decomposition of a solid brought about by high temperatures.
What role does “surface to mass ratio” play in fire behavior?
Surface to mass ratio has to do with the displacement and composition of a solid object. These characteristics influence the way the solid will burn (Rate,Heat)
At what percentage of oxygen does combustion stop?
14% oxygen
Fuel Oxidizer
when oxygen binds chemically to another substance to create a new compound. Fire is a rapid fuel oxidizer
Heat Release Rate?
speed at which the energy is released
BTU vs. GPM
Heat energy is measured in British Thermal Unit, Gallons Per Minute are used to extinguish fires.
List and describe the 2 forms of energy?
- Potential Energy- has the potential to exert power. Not in motion.
- Kinetic Energy- object, or substance that exerts power during motion.
What does Energy, Work, and Power mean?
- Energy- heat/light produced
- Work- kinetic energy put to work
- Power- amount of work delivered over time
Types of Energy
- Chemical
- Mechanical
- Electrical
- Light
- Nuclear
Chemical Energy?
Energy created by chemical reaction.
Exothermic- produce heat
Endothermic- absorb heat
Ex. Gasoline and ignition temperature
Mechanical Energy?
Energy created when two materials rub against each other/friction.
Ex. compressed air moving into cylinder
Electrical Energy?
Energy produced from heat running through wires
Ex. Overloaded wires, extension cords.
Light Energy?
Energy produced by electromagnetic waves bundle in photons.
Ex. Candles, fires, bulbs, and lasers
Nuclear Energy?
Energy produced from Fission or Fussion
Fission- the splitting of a atom into two small nuclei
Fussion- the combination of two small atom nuclei
Elements of a Fire Traingle? If you take one element away what happens?
- Fuel
- Oxygen
- Heat
Take one element away the fire is extinguished
Elements of a Tetrahedron?
- Fuel
- Oxygen
- Heat
- Sustained Chemical Chain Reaction
Properties of complete combustion vs. incomplete?
Complete combustion emits less smoke Ex. Kitchen stove blue flame.
Incomplete emits more smoke and less flame.
Ex. Plastics and vinyl fabrics
Carbon plus Nitrogen?
Hydrogen Cyanide
Combustion is?
Rapid chemical process, fuel temperature depends on the amount of oxygen available
Smoke is made up of what?
- Particles
- Aerosols
- Gas
Types of Fire Spread/Heat Transfer?
- Conduction- the transfer of energy from molecule to another. Ex. Metal to Metal
- Convection- the circulatory movement that occurs in a gas or liquid due to gravity and temperature differences. Ex. Heat rises
- Radiation- transfer of heat in waves Ex. Camp Fire
5 Classes of Fire
- Type A- wood, paper, cloth, ordinary combustibles. Extinguish with water
- Type B- flammable, or combustible liquids, gases. Turn off fuel source, Foam extinguisher exclude oxygen
- Type C- energized equipment, overloaded circuits faulty electrical appliances. Turn off electrical source fire then turns into a Type A.
- Type D- combustibel metals, Sodium, Magnesium, Titanium shavings. Extinguish with dirt or let it burn out on its own do not use water
- Type K- cooking oils, and fats, Ex. Kitchen Fire
Special extinguishers or smother
Turning solid to gas/vapors?
Sublimation
What is a “BOX”?
When fighting fires think of the structures as a box, including rooms inside structures.
What is the point of “no return”?
The point of no return is five feet into any box, fire fighter has 2 seconds to react to flash over it takes about 2 seconds to move five feet while crawling.
Ignition Phase
initial step Ex. lit match on paper
Growth Phase
occurs as the kindling starts to burn, increasing convection.
Fully Developed Phase
produces the maximum rate of burning. All available fuel has ignited and heat production at maximum rate.
Decay
the final phase period when fire is running out of fuel, rate of burning slows down, thermal radiation decreases as well
Flashover/Black fire
occurs between growth and fully developed phase, this is the point when fire has exhausted its fuel source and smoke has become so thick that it ignites when oxygen is introduced through ventilation. Causing temperatures to rise to 1000 to 1400 degrees. PPE does not protect against these temperatures.
What are signs that a flashover is imminent?
Read the smoke in closed box, thick, black, turbulent smoke cool down smoke with water. Smoke is fuel
Flame over/roll over
takes place during the growth phase, the flaming ignition of hot gases/ vapors that are layered in a box. 10 to 15 feet per second
Backdraft
Unique set of conditions required, caused by introduction of ventilation
Confined fire with large heat build up
Smoke puffing
Smoked stained windows
Turbulent smoke
Ugly yellow smoke
Backdraft is resolved with vertical ventilation
Volatility
amount of liquid that will be vaporized
Flash Point
is the lowest temperature at which a liquid fuel produces a flammable vapor
Flame Point/ Flame Point
the lowest temperature at which a liquid produces enough vapor to sustain a continuous fire.
Lower Flammable Limits
Lower Explosive Limits
- refers to the minimum amount of gaseous fuel that must be present in a gas/air mixture for the mix to be flammable or explosive Ex. 12.5 percent
Upper Flammable Limits
Upper Explosive Limits
- refers to the maximum amount of gaseous fuel that must be present in a gas/air mix for the mix to be flammable or explosive Ex. 74 percent
BLEVE
Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion- BLEVE occurs when a liquid is stored in a vessel under pressure. Ex. Propane tank, vapor gas does not let water evaporate and cool itself.
Smoke Reading using VVDC
Smoke volume, Smoke velocity, Smoke density, Smoke color. Ex. Thick, black , aggressive, turbulent smoke signs of Flash over
Laminar
smoothed or streamlined flow, low pressure fire is still young
Turbulent smoke Flow
agitated, boiling, angry, caused by rapid molecular expansion of the gases within the box.
Steps of smoke reading
- Key Attributes
- What is influencing the key attributes
- Determine the rate of of change
- Predict the event
- Same level smoke
- Smoke above level
- Smoke underneath level
- smoke exits through the top and fresh air goes through the bottom.
- smoke rises and opening clears
- smoke thins, but smoke still fills the door
White Smoke, Brown Smoke, Grey Smoke, Black Smoke
- white smoke is the ignition point
- brown smoke untreated wood possible structure collapse
- grey smoke mix of ignition points and fully developed fires
- black smoke most toxic material for flashover
Factors that contribute to smoke and fire behavior
1.Size of building, wind conditions, fuel in building, thermal balance
Standard on a Fire Department Incident Management System
NFPA 1561 issued 1990
ICS
Incident command system- ensures that operations are coordinated and conducted safely and effectively. Key points Planning, supervision and communications. integrates all facets of response into comprehensive national framework.
NIMS Presidential Directive (HSPD-5)
National Incident Management System/ Homeland Security (2003)- The organization- provides a consistant nationwide template to enable federal, state and local governments and private-sector and non-governmental organizations to work together effectively and efficiently to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size or complexity including acts of terrorism. With basic concepts of flexibility and standardization, NIMS principles are now taught in every incident management course.
History of the ICS
- Pre 1970’s every FD did their own thing
- Wildland operations created FIRESCOPE 1980s
- Then FGC (Fire Ground Command) was developed for day to day operations
- FGC and ICS were then combined to create NFPA Standard on Emergency Services incidents Management System
Characteristics of the ICS
- Jurisdictional Authority
- Applicable to all risk and hazard situations
- Applicable to day-to-day operations as well as major incidents
- Unity of command
- Span of Control
- Modular organization
- Common Terminology
- Integrated communications
- Consolidated incident action plans
- Designated incident facilites
- Resource management