FCTC Situational Judgment Scenarios Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You arrive at a reported structure fire to find light smoke showing from a single-family home. A neighbor reports a child may still be inside. You are the first engine company. What is your FIRST priority?
- Wait for the truck company to arrive before taking any action
- Begin fire suppression operations immediately before starting any search
- Conduct a rapid initial size-up and begin search operations with a charged hose line in place (Correct answer)
- Contact dispatch to confirm the report before entering the structure
Correct answer: Conduct a rapid initial size-up and begin search operations with a charged hose line in place
Life safety is the highest priority. A credible report of a trapped victim justifies immediate search operations with a charged hose line positioned for crew protection.
NFPA 1500 and ICS prioritize Life Safety, then Incident Stabilization, then Property Conservation. A credible report of a trapped child requires immediate search. Bringing a charged hose line into the structure protects both the potential victim and the search crew. Never enter a working fire without a hose line.
Question 2: During overhaul after a structure fire, a firefighter discovers what appears to be accelerant pour patterns and a suspicious ignition point. What should the crew do?
- Completely overhaul the area and document findings in the daily log
- Preserve the scene and immediately notify the incident commander so a fire investigator can be called (Correct answer)
- Continue overhaul to prevent any rekindle and document nothing
- Leave the building without reporting the finding to anyone
Correct answer: Preserve the scene and immediately notify the incident commander so a fire investigator can be called
Suspected arson evidence must be preserved and reported immediately to the IC so fire investigators can document and collect evidence through proper legal channels.
Disturbing suspected arson evidence during overhaul can destroy the chain of custody needed for criminal prosecution. The correct action is to stop overhaul in that specific area, preserve the scene, notify the IC, and allow a certified fire investigator to document findings consistent with NFPA 921 standards.
Question 3: Your SCBA low-air alarm activates while you are deep inside a structure during primary search. You have not yet found the victim. What should you do?
- Continue searching until your air is completely exhausted
- Immediately radio your location and begin emergency egress (Correct answer)
- Ignore the alarm and assume it is malfunctioning
- Remove your facepiece to conserve the remaining air while searching
Correct answer: Immediately radio your location and begin emergency egress
SCBA alarms indicate critically low air supply — immediately radio your location and begin exiting the structure. Personal safety takes precedence when emergency conditions are reached.
NFPA 1500 and department SOPs require immediate egress when the SCBA low-air alarm activates. Firefighters who ignore SCBA alarms account for a significant percentage of line-of-duty deaths. Radio your location for RIT activation and begin exiting immediately. Do not remove the facepiece in an IDLH environment.
Question 4: While operating at a high-rise fire on the 12th floor, you receive an order from the IC to evacuate the floor immediately. You have not yet found the civilian victim you were searching for. What do you do?
- Continue searching until you find the victim and then evacuate
- Comply with the evacuation order and notify the IC of your last known search area (Correct answer)
- Ask your company officer to negotiate more search time while you continue
- Ignore the order since locating the victim is your assigned mission
Correct answer: Comply with the evacuation order and notify the IC of your last known search area
Evacuation orders from the IC must be complied with immediately; notify the IC of your search status so that information can be used to redirect resources.
IC evacuation orders reflect a command-level safety assessment of structural, atmospheric, or tactical conditions that individuals on the floor cannot fully see. Reporting your last search area to the IC allows command to redirect Rapid Intervention Teams or resume the search when conditions permit.
Question 5: You notice that a fellow firefighter is working alone in a smoke-filled room during primary search, violating the buddy system policy. What is your BEST immediate action?
- Continue your own search and mention the violation in the debrief
- Join the firefighter to restore the buddy system and report the deviation to your officer (Correct answer)
- Report the firefighter to HR after the incident concludes
- Leave the scene to find a supervisor to handle the situation
Correct answer: Join the firefighter to restore the buddy system and report the deviation to your officer
Immediately restoring the buddy system addresses the immediate life-safety risk while reporting to your officer ensures the deviation is documented and corrected.
The buddy system exists to ensure rapid rescue if a firefighter becomes lost or incapacitated. Restoring the pair immediately removes the danger. Reporting to an officer allows the deviation to be addressed constructively in a debrief without creating unnecessary conflict during active operations.
Question 6: Upon arrival at a motor vehicle accident, you find one patient who is unresponsive and not breathing. Your partner has gone to retrieve equipment. What is your FIRST action?
- Wait for your partner to return with the equipment before doing anything
- Check the scene for hazards and then initiate CPR if the scene is safe (Correct answer)
- Call for additional units before making any contact with the patient
- Document the patient's condition before providing any care
Correct answer: Check the scene for hazards and then initiate CPR if the scene is safe
Scene safety assessment always comes first; once confirmed safe, begin CPR immediately for a non-breathing, unresponsive patient.
EMS protocols require a scene size-up before patient contact to protect both the responder and the patient. Once safety is confirmed, begin CPR immediately for a cardiac arrest patient. Early CPR is the single most important determinant of survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
FCTC Situational Judgment Scenarios Questions and Answers 2
You arrive at a reported structure fire to find light smoke showing from a single-family home.
A neighbor reports a child may still be inside.
You are the first engine company.
What is your FIRST priority?