Firefighter Strategies and Tactics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of size-up at a fire scene?
- To assign blame for the fire
- To evaluate conditions and risks to form an action plan (Correct answer)
- To begin overhaul immediately
- To wait for the building owner
Correct answer: To evaluate conditions and risks to form an action plan
Size-up is the ongoing mental evaluation of conditions used to develop and adjust the incident action plan.
Question 2: Flashover is best described as:
- A slow smoldering fire
- The near-simultaneous ignition of all combustibles in a compartment (Correct answer)
- A water supply failure
- A type of ventilation
Correct answer: The near-simultaneous ignition of all combustibles in a compartment
Flashover occurs when radiant heat ignites all exposed combustible surfaces in a room almost at once.
Question 3: Which condition is a strong warning sign of an imminent backdraft?
- Clear, calm air inside
- Smoke pushing out of small openings under pressure with pulsating behavior (Correct answer)
- Bright open flames venting freely
- Cold exterior walls
Correct answer: Smoke pushing out of small openings under pressure with pulsating behavior
Backdraft signs include pressurized, pulsating smoke from an oxygen-starved, superheated space.
Question 4: Why is a continuous and reliable water supply critical to fire attack?
- It cools the apparatus engine
- It sustains the flow needed to control and extinguish the fire (Correct answer)
- It is only needed for cleanup
- It is optional in most fires
Correct answer: It sustains the flow needed to control and extinguish the fire
Without adequate sustained water, hose streams cannot maintain the gallons-per-minute needed for extinguishment.
Question 5: When laying a supply line, a 'forward lay' typically goes:
- From the fire to the hydrant
- From the hydrant to the fire (Correct answer)
- Around the entire block twice
- Only inside the structure
Correct answer: From the hydrant to the fire
A forward lay drops a line at the hydrant and lays hose toward the fire as the apparatus advances.
Question 6: What is the purpose of horizontal ventilation?
- To cut holes in the roof
- To release smoke and heat through doors and windows at the same level (Correct answer)
- To shut off all building openings
- To fill the building with smoke
Correct answer: To release smoke and heat through doors and windows at the same level
Horizontal ventilation channels heat and smoke out through wall openings on the same floor level.
Question 7: Span of control in the Incident Command System refers to:
- The total acreage of the fire
- The number of resources one supervisor can effectively manage (Correct answer)
- The length of the supply hose
- The water tank capacity
Correct answer: The number of resources one supervisor can effectively manage
Span of control keeps each supervisor's number of direct reports manageable, typically three to seven.
Firefighter Strategies and Tactics 3
What is the primary goal of size-up at a fire scene?