Red Card Emergency Preparedness & Response 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which LCES component requires firefighters to maintain a constant escape route to a safety zone?
- Lookouts
- Communications
- Escape Routes (Correct answer)
- Safety Zones
Correct answer: Escape Routes
Escape Routes in LCES must be identified and maintained so firefighters can reach safety zones before the fire overtakes them.
Question 2: When a firefighter hears the signal for an emergency evacuation on a wildland fire, the FIRST action should be:
- Notify crew members around you immediately (Correct answer)
- Gather all tools and equipment
- Wait for verbal confirmation from the supervisor
- Contact dispatch for instructions
Correct answer: Notify crew members around you immediately
Warning others around you immediately maximizes the chance that all crew members receive the evacuation signal in time.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a Situational Awareness (SA) briefing during a wildland fire assignment?
- To assign individual tasks and responsibilities
- To ensure all personnel share a common understanding of current and anticipated conditions (Correct answer)
- To document completed work for after-action reports
- To satisfy ICS paperwork requirements
Correct answer: To ensure all personnel share a common understanding of current and anticipated conditions
Situational awareness briefings ensure the entire crew understands current fire behavior, hazards, and expected conditions so everyone can make informed decisions.
Question 4: The Standard Firefighting Orders state that firefighters should fight fire aggressively but:
- Only when an air tanker is on scene
- Provide for safety first (Correct answer)
- After completing a full size-up
- With a minimum crew of 10 persons
Correct answer: Provide for safety first
The Standard Firefighting Orders begin with 'Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first,' making safety the non-negotiable foundation.
Question 5: During an entrapment situation, a firefighter who deploys a fire shelter should position themselves:
- Uphill from the shelter to allow hot gases to vent downhill
- Face down with feet toward the approaching flame front (Correct answer)
- On their back with the shelter held above them
- Kneeling upright so the shelter acts as a windbreak
Correct answer: Face down with feet toward the approaching flame front
The correct deployment position is face down with feet pointing toward the oncoming fire to protect the head and minimize exposed body surface.
Question 6: Which factor most directly determines the size of the safety zone required for a crew?
- Number of engines and helicopters on scene
- Flame length and rate of spread of the fire (Correct answer)
- Time of day and relative humidity
- Distance from the incident command post
Correct answer: Flame length and rate of spread of the fire
Safety zone sizing is determined by flame length and rate of spread because these dictate the radiant and convective heat a zone must buffer.
Question 7: What should a wildland firefighter do FIRST upon discovering an unplanned ignition (spot fire) outside the established perimeter?
- Attempt to suppress it independently before it grows
- Report it immediately to the supervisor and request resources (Correct answer)
- Mark the location on a map and continue current assignment
- Increase fireline construction speed to compensate
Correct answer: Report it immediately to the supervisor and request resources
Immediate reporting ensures the incident commander can allocate resources and reassess safety zones and escape routes before the spot fire grows.
Red Card Emergency Preparedness & Response 2
Which LCES component requires firefighters to maintain a constant escape route to a safety zone?