NFST NFST Situational Judgment and Decision Making 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You arrive at a house fire and a civilian tells you there may be a child trapped inside. Your hose line is not yet charged. What is the best immediate action?
- Wait for the hose line to charge before entering
- Enter immediately without any protective equipment
- Report the information to the incident commander and prepare for rapid entry once conditions permit (Correct answer)
- Instruct the civilian to go inside and look for the child
Correct answer: Report the information to the incident commander and prepare for rapid entry once conditions permit
Life safety information must be communicated to the incident commander immediately so resources and tactics can be adjusted for potential rescue.
Question 2: During overhaul, you discover what appears to be evidence of arson. What should you do?
- Remove the evidence to prevent it from being destroyed by remaining fire
- Continue overhaul normally and mention it in the report
- Stop work in that area, preserve the scene, and notify your supervisor immediately (Correct answer)
- Photograph it yourself and continue overhaul
Correct answer: Stop work in that area, preserve the scene, and notify your supervisor immediately
Potential arson evidence must be preserved by stopping work in that area and immediately notifying a supervisor so investigators can respond.
Question 3: A fellow firefighter on your crew makes a mistake during training that could be dangerous if repeated on scene. What is the most appropriate response?
- Say nothing to avoid embarrassing them
- Correct the error privately and respectfully after the exercise (Correct answer)
- Report them to the fire chief immediately
- Mimic their error to show how dangerous it looks
Correct answer: Correct the error privately and respectfully after the exercise
Addressing safety errors privately and respectfully promotes a learning culture while preserving team morale and safety.
Question 4: You are on the scene of a medical emergency and the patient refuses treatment. What is the correct action?
- Provide treatment anyway to ensure their safety
- Leave the scene immediately without documentation
- Explain the risks of refusal, document the refusal, and ensure the patient is competent to refuse (Correct answer)
- Contact the patient's family to override the decision
Correct answer: Explain the risks of refusal, document the refusal, and ensure the patient is competent to refuse
A competent adult has the right to refuse medical treatment; firefighters must explain the risks, document the refusal, and confirm the patient's mental competency.
Question 5: You notice a crew member operating in an IDLH atmosphere without their SCBA properly donned. What do you do?
- Finish your assigned task first before addressing it
- Immediately alert them and have them correct the equipment before continuing (Correct answer)
- Report it only in the post-incident critique
- Assume they know what they are doing and proceed
Correct answer: Immediately alert them and have them correct the equipment before continuing
SCBA integrity in an IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health) atmosphere is a life-safety issue requiring immediate correction — no delay is acceptable.
Question 6: While driving the apparatus to an emergency, the traffic signal turns red and cross traffic is present. What should you do?
- Accelerate through the intersection using siren and lights, trusting drivers will yield
- Slow down or stop to ensure all lanes of traffic have cleared before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Turn off the siren to avoid confusing drivers, then proceed
- Rely on your spotter to watch one side of the intersection
Correct answer: Slow down or stop to ensure all lanes of traffic have cleared before proceeding
Emergency vehicles must treat red lights as yield signs, slowing or stopping to confirm all traffic has cleared before proceeding through the intersection.
NFST NFST Situational Judgment and Decision Making 1
You arrive at a house fire and a civilian tells you there may be a child trapped inside.
Your hose line is not yet charged.
What is the best immediate action?