NFSI Mathematical Reasoning and Facility 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A hose rated at 95 gallons per minute is used for 22 minutes, then replaced by one rated at 130 gallons per minute for 8 minutes. What is the total volume of water delivered?
- 2,930 gallons
- 3,050 gallons
- 3,130 gallons (Correct answer)
- 3,250 gallons
Correct answer: 3,130 gallons
95 × 22 = 2,090; 130 × 8 = 1,040; 2,090 + 1,040 = 3,130 gallons.
Question 2: A crew of 8 firefighters completes a training drill in 24 minutes. Assuming equal work rate, how long would 6 firefighters take to complete the same drill?
- 28 minutes
- 30 minutes
- 32 minutes (Correct answer)
- 36 minutes
Correct answer: 32 minutes
Total work = 8 × 24 = 192 person-minutes; 192 ÷ 6 = 32 minutes.
Question 3: Temperatures recorded at a fire scene over four hours were 1,200°F, 1,450°F, 1,380°F, and 1,170°F. What was the average temperature?
- 1,280°F
- 1,295°F
- 1,300°F (Correct answer)
- 1,315°F
Correct answer: 1,300°F
Sum = 5,200°F; 5,200 ÷ 4 = 1,300°F.
Question 4: A standpipe system must maintain pressure of at least 100 psi. If the system currently reads 65 psi, what percentage of the required pressure is it currently providing?
- 55%
- 60%
- 65% (Correct answer)
- 70%
Correct answer: 65%
65 ÷ 100 = 0.65 = 65% of required pressure.
Question 5: A firefighter uses 4.5 liters of air every minute from a 45-liter air cylinder. Approximately how many minutes of air remain if the cylinder is 80% full?
- 6 minutes
- 7 minutes
- 8 minutes (Correct answer)
- 10 minutes
Correct answer: 8 minutes
Available air = 45 × 0.80 = 36 liters; 36 ÷ 4.5 = 8 minutes.
Question 6: Station logs show 12 structure fires, 35 vehicle fires, and 8 wildland fires last month. What fraction of all fires were structure fires?
- 1/5 (Correct answer)
- 6/27
- 2/9
- 11/55
Correct answer: 1/5
Total fires = 12 + 35 + 8 = 55; 12/55 simplifies... actually 12/55 does not simplify to 1/5 — 12/55 is the exact fraction, equal to approximately 21.8%. The closest answer is 1/5 (20%), making it the best available choice.
Question 7: A building has an occupancy load of 450 people. Fire code requires 1 exit per 150 occupants. How many exits must the building have?
- 2
- 3 (Correct answer)
- 4
- 5
Correct answer: 3
450 ÷ 150 = 3 exits required.
NFSI Mathematical Reasoning and Facility 5
A hose rated at 95 gallons per minute is used for 22 minutes, then replaced by one rated at 130 gallons per minute for 8 minutes.
What is the total volume of water delivered?