Fire Behavior and Service Terminology Flashcards
7 cards from real FCTC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Fire Behavior and Service Terminology flashcards as text
'Overhaul' in fire service operations refers to:
Answer: Searching debris after fire control to find and extinguish hidden hot spots preventing rekindling
Overhaul is the systematic process of carefully examining and disturbing burned debris to expose and extinguish any remaining embers or smoldering material.
In the Incident Command System, who holds overall authority and responsibility for managing an incident?
Answer: Incident Commander
The Incident Commander (IC) sits at the top of the ICS structure and has ultimate authority and accountability for all tactical, strategic, and resource decisions at an incident.
'Salvage' operations during a fire incident primarily involve:
Answer: Protecting building contents from water, smoke, and fire damage using covers and catch-alls
Salvage operations use protective covers, water vacuums, and catch-alls to minimize damage to a building's contents from water runoff, smoke, and debris during firefighting.
In fire investigation, the 'point of origin' is:
Answer: The specific location where the fire first started
The point of origin is the exact location where a fire began, and identifying it is critical to determining fire cause and ruling out or confirming arson.
'Positive pressure ventilation' (PPV) works by:
Answer: Using a powered fan to force fresh air into a structure so smoke and heat are pushed out through exit openings
PPV places a powered fan at an entry point to push fresh air into the structure, displacing smoke and heat out through a designated exhaust opening.
'Size-up' in firefighting refers to:
Answer: The ongoing process of evaluating an incident to develop and update an effective action plan
Size-up is the continuous mental and visual evaluation of all incident factors—life safety, building construction, fire conditions, resources—used to guide decision-making throughout the incident.
What does the term 'exposure' refer to in fire service operations?
Answer: A structure, vehicle, or area adjacent to the fire that is threatened by heat, flames, or embers
An exposure is any property, object, or person outside the structure of origin that is at risk of catching fire or being damaged due to its proximity to the fire.