FSCD Station Officer Exam flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Fire Tetrahedron

The four elements needed for combustion are fuel, oxygen, heat, and an uninhibited chemical chain reaction. Removing or interrupting any one element stops flaming combustion.

Flashover

The near-simultaneous ignition of all combustible contents and gases in a compartment, typically when upper-layer temperatures reach about 1,100 to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Transitional Attack

An exterior stream directed at ceiling-level gases to cool the upper layer before interior crews advance. It reduces flashover potential but does not replace an interior attack.

National Fire Academy Fire Flow

A quick estimate of needed flow for a fully involved compartment: multiply length by width by height in feet, then divide by 100 to get gallons per minute.

Span of Control

The number of subordinates one supervisor can effectively direct. Incident command targets three to seven, with five as the working optimum.

Command Transfer

A face-to-face briefing between the outgoing and incoming incident commander covering conditions, actions taken, resources assigned, and the current plan.

Passport Accountability System

A tag or passport collected at the entry control point that records each member's name, assignment, and entry time so personnel can be tracked inside the hazard zone.

Mayday Transmission

A radio report from a firefighter who is lost, trapped, or out of air. It states location, unit, name, assignment, and resources needed.

Means of Egress

A continuous and unobstructed path from any point in a building to a public way, made up of exit access, the exit, and exit discharge.

Occupant Load

The calculated number of people a space may hold, derived from floor area divided by the adopted code's square-feet-per-person factor for the occupancy.

Fire Watch

A temporary patrol or posting required when a fire protection system is impaired or during hot work, to detect and report fire immediately.

Lightweight Truss Collapse

Engineered wood trusses and I-joists fail quickly under direct flame, often within five to ten minutes, so crews should avoid operating beneath them.

Balloon Frame Construction

A wood-frame method with continuous studs running from foundation to roof, creating an open channel that allows fire to spread vertically inside walls.

Neutral Plane

The horizontal boundary in a compartment between hot smoke overhead and cooler air below. Its height indicates fire conditions and ventilation effectiveness.

Type IV Heavy Timber

Construction with noncombustible exterior walls and large exposed wood structural members. Heavy timber chars slowly and resists collapse longer than light wood.

ERG Orange Guide

The Emergency Response Guidebook section that gives protective actions, health hazards, and firefighting guidance for a material identified by UN number or name.

Flash Point

The lowest temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapor to ignite briefly when exposed to an ignition source. Gasoline is about minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Defensive Hazmat Operation

Actions taken outside the hot zone, such as isolation, diking, and evacuation, without contact with the material. Requires training and PPE appropriate to the task.

Decontamination Corridor

A sequenced station arrangement for reducing contamination: tool drop, gross decon, secondary decon, and medical monitoring before release from the scene.

START Triage

Simple triage and rapid treatment sorts patients by respirations, perfusion, and mental status into green, yellow, red, and black categories.

Adult CPR Compressions

Chest compressions at 100 to 120 per minute, 2 to 2.4 inches deep, with full recoil and a 30-to-2 compression-to-ventilation ratio.

Vehicle Stabilization

Cribbing, chocks, and struts placed before patient contact to prevent movement during extrication. Battery and restraint systems are managed as part of the plan.

Friction Loss Formula

Friction loss equals the hose coefficient times flow in hundreds of gallons per minute squared, times length in hundreds of feet.

Pump Discharge Pressure

The sum of nozzle pressure, total friction loss, elevation loss or gain, and appliance loss. Elevation changes add or subtract 0.5 psi per foot.

Drafting Limit

The practical lift for a fire pump is about 25 feet at sea level. Altitude, worn pumps, and intake leaks reduce that height.

Relay Pumping

A series of pumpers moving water over distance. Each pumper maintains a positive intake pressure, and manifolds or dump valves balance flow.

Progressive Discipline

A documented sequence of corrective actions, from coaching through warnings and suspension, applied consistently with policy and any labor agreement.

After-Action Review

A structured debrief covering what was planned, what occurred, why it happened, and what changes are needed for future operations.

NFIRS Basic Module

The required National Fire Incident Reporting System record completed for every incident, capturing location, incident type, actions taken, and casualties.

Respiratory Protection Program

The written OSHA-required program including medical evaluation, fit testing, training, maintenance, and recordkeeping for respirator users.

Risk Management Principle

Risks are accepted only when the potential benefit outweighs the danger. No risk is taken to save a life already lost or property that cannot be saved.

Rapid Intervention Team

A dedicated crew staged at a working fire with tools and hose, ready to locate and rescue trapped or disoriented firefighters.