Red Card Tools, Equipment & Resource Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What fuel mixture is typically used in a drip torch for wildland fire ignition?
- Pure gasoline
- Pure diesel fuel
- Approximately 1 part gasoline to 3 parts diesel (Correct answer)
- Kerosene only
Correct answer: Approximately 1 part gasoline to 3 parts diesel
Drip torches use approximately 1 part gasoline to 3 parts diesel, which ignites reliably but burns in a controlled, less explosive manner than pure gasoline.
Question 2: In wildland fire suppression, a 'hand line' is best defined as:
- A communication cable strung between crew members
- A cleared strip of mineral soil constructed by hand tools to act as a firebreak (Correct answer)
- A pressurized hose line operated by a hand crew
- A rope rescue system used on steep terrain
Correct answer: A cleared strip of mineral soil constructed by hand tools to act as a firebreak
A hand line is a fireline constructed using hand tools — a cleared strip down to mineral soil that acts as a firebreak to stop fire spread.
Question 3: When using a chainsaw on a slope, where is cut debris and material most likely to travel?
- Uphill only
- Downhill (Correct answer)
- Directly away from the operator
- Toward the operator
Correct answer: Downhill
On slopes, cut debris, wood chips, and rolling material travel downhill due to gravity, so crew members must never position themselves downhill from saw operations.
Question 4: In chainsaw operations on the fireline, what is the role of a 'swamper'?
- The lead sawyer who makes the first cut into a tree
- The person who assists the sawyer by limbing, bucking, and clearing cut material (Correct answer)
- The safety officer monitoring chainsaw operations
- The crew member operating a nearby water pump
Correct answer: The person who assists the sawyer by limbing, bucking, and clearing cut material
A swamper works alongside the sawyer to limb, buck, and clear cut material, improving the efficiency and safety of chainsaw operations.
Question 5: Which category of wildland fire resources includes helicopters, air tankers, and smokejumper aircraft?
- Ground resources
- Overhead resources
- Aviation resources (Correct answer)
- Initial attack resources
Correct answer: Aviation resources
Aviation resources encompass all aircraft used in wildland fire operations, including helicopters, fixed-wing air tankers, and transport aircraft for smokejumpers.
Question 6: A 'spike camp' in wildland fire operations is best described as:
- A mobile command post established at the fire perimeter
- A remote temporary camp established near the fireline to reduce travel time (Correct answer)
- An emergency rescue staging area for injured personnel
- A pre-positioned fuel and equipment supply depot
Correct answer: A remote temporary camp established near the fireline to reduce travel time
Spike camps are temporary remote camps established close to the fireline to reduce crew travel time and extend effective operational work periods.
Question 7: In ICS terminology, a 'single resource' is defined as:
- One individual firefighter assigned to a task
- A single piece of equipment with its associated personnel (Correct answer)
- A resource with only one specialized function
- An engine staffed with a single hose line
Correct answer: A single piece of equipment with its associated personnel
A single resource in ICS is one piece of equipment with its operating personnel, such as one engine with its crew, representing the most basic assignable resource unit.
Red Card Tools, Equipment & Resource Management 2
What fuel mixture is typically used in a drip torch for wildland fire ignition?