CPS CPS Firefighter Test Fire Science and Firefighting Principles 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the term for the minimum temperature at which a liquid produces enough vapor to ignite momentarily?
- Boiling point
- Flash point (Correct answer)
- Ignition threshold
- Combustion limit
Correct answer: Flash point
The flash point is the lowest temperature at which a liquid emits sufficient vapor to form an ignitable mixture with air near its surface.
Question 2: A backdraft occurs when:
- Wind blows smoke back into a building through an opening
- Oxygen is suddenly introduced into a hot, oxygen-depleted fire environment (Correct answer)
- Fire spreads vertically from one floor to the next
- A charged hose line is accidentally shut down mid-operation
Correct answer: Oxygen is suddenly introduced into a hot, oxygen-depleted fire environment
A backdraft is a dangerous explosive event caused by the sudden introduction of fresh oxygen into a superheated, oxygen-starved fire compartment.
Question 3: What does SCBA stand for?
- Standard Chemical Breathing Apparatus
- Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (Correct answer)
- Safety Control Breathing Assembly
- Structural Combustion Breathing Aid
Correct answer: Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
SCBA stands for Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, the primary respiratory protection worn by firefighters in hazardous atmospheres.
Question 4: Which fire behavior phenomenon involves superheated unburned gases igniting and rolling across the ceiling?
- Flashover
- Rollover (Correct answer)
- Backdraft
- Blowtorch effect
Correct answer: Rollover
Rollover (also called flameover) occurs when unburned combustible gases accumulating at the ceiling ignite and produce rolling flames overhead.
Question 5: What is the correct order of the three fireground operational priorities?
- Property conservation, rescue, fire control
- Life safety, incident stabilization, property conservation (Correct answer)
- Fire control, evacuation, containment
- Property conservation, incident stabilization, life safety
Correct answer: Life safety, incident stabilization, property conservation
The three priorities of emergency operations are always life safety first, incident stabilization second, and property conservation third.
Question 6: Which type of building construction is considered the most fire-resistive?
- Wood frame (Type V)
- Heavy timber (Type IV)
- Fire-resistive (Type I) (Correct answer)
- Noncombustible (Type II)
Correct answer: Fire-resistive (Type I)
Type I (fire-resistive) construction uses protected noncombustible structural components with the highest fire-resistance ratings of all construction types.
CPS CPS Firefighter Test Fire Science and Firefighting Principles 2
What is the term for the minimum temperature at which a liquid produces enough vapor to ignite momentarily?