Houston Firefighter cheat sheet

Fire tetrahedron: fuel, oxygen, heat, and the uninhibited chemical chain reaction; removing any one leg extinguishes combustion.

Class A: ordinary combustibles (wood, paper, cloth) - water or Class A foam. Class B: flammable/combustible liquids - foam, dry chemical, CO2. Class C: energized electrical - de-energize first, then treat as the underlying class. Class D: combustible metals - dry powder only, never water. Class K: cooking oils and fats - wet chemical that saponifies the fuel.

Water expands roughly 1,700 times its volume when converted to steam at atmospheric pressure; steam production is the primary heat-removal mechanism in compartment fires.

Standard fireground priorities in order: life safety, incident stabilization, property conservation (RECEO-VS: Rescue, Exposures, Confinement, Extinguishment, Overhaul, Ventilation, Salvage).

PASS for portable extinguishers: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the flame, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side.

Incident Command System is built on unity of command, a manageable span of control (commonly 3-7 with 5 optimal), and a single Incident Commander who may delegate but not transfer responsibility.

Blitz attack: a heavy master stream applied from the exterior into a fire that has vented through a window or door, used to knock down fire before interior crews advance.

Ventilation must be coordinated with attack - venting ahead of a charged line can feed a flow path and accelerate fire spread toward occupants and crews.

Fire flow estimate (NFA): needed gpm = length x width of the fire area (sq ft) x number of floors involved, divided by 3.

Mayday criteria: lost or disoriented, trapped or entangled, out of air, caught in a flashover or collapse, or injured and unable to self-evacuate. Declare early - a Mayday is never penalized for being unnecessary.

A Mayday radio report should include LUNAR: Location, Unit, Name, Assignment/air status, Resources needed.

SCBA low-air alarm sounds at roughly 25 percent of cylinder capacity; at that point the firefighter should begin immediate exit, not continue working.

Rule of air management: know your air at all times and be out of the IDLH before the low-air alarm activates, accounting for entry time plus exit time plus a safety margin.

Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) activates automatically after about 20-30 seconds of motionlessness and can be manually activated; it emits a loud audible alarm to aid rescuers.

Firefighter entrapment survival sequence: transmit Mayday, activate PASS, stay low and conserve air, use a flashlight or tool to make noise, follow a hose line or wall to an exit, and breach a wall only as a last resort.

Flashover indicators: high heat with rollover of flame in the overhead gas layer, darkening smoke, and rapid rise in temperature; get low and out before it occurs.

Two-in/two-out: in an IDLH atmosphere, at least two firefighters must remain outside as a rescue team before interior entry, unless a known life hazard justifies immediate action.

Self-survival priorities when disoriented: control breathing, maintain contact with a wall or hose line, orient by following hose couplings (female end leads out toward the apparatus).

Awareness level recognizes and isolates; Operations level contains the release from a defensive position without contact. Neither level performs offensive chemical entry.

ERG guidebook: use the four-digit UN/NA number or the placard/name to find the three-digit guide number; the yellow-bordered pages index by ID number, blue-bordered pages by material name.

ERG guide page layout: potential hazards (health, fire/explosion) on the left, public safety (protective clothing, evacuation/isolation distances) on the right, and first aid below.

Initial isolation distances: small spills go to the Table 1 isolation and protective action distances; the green-bordered pages give initial isolation and protective action distances for TIH materials.

Placard classes: Class 1 explosives, Class 2 gases (2.1 flammable, 2.2 nonflammable, 2.3 toxic), Class 3 flammable liquids, Class 4 flammable solids, Class 5 oxidizers/organic peroxides, Class 6 toxic/infectious, Class 7 radioactive, Class 8 corrosive, Class 9 miscellaneous.

NFPA 704 quadrant system: blue = health, red = flammability, yellow = instability, white = special hazards (OX oxidizer, W reacts with water, SA simple asphyxiant).

Defensive operations require full structural PPE with SCBA as a minimum; chemical-protective suits are needed only when contact with the product is possible.

Establish hot, warm, and cold zones; only trained, equipped personnel in the hot zone, and decontamination occurs at the warm-zone boundary before anyone leaves the hot zone.

Uphill and upwind positioning, plus avoidance of low-lying areas for gases heavier than air, are the default placement rules for apparatus and command posts.

Extrication phases: scene size-up and stabilization, vehicle/patient access, disentanglement, patient removal, and transfer to EMS.

Vehicle stabilization precedes entry: chock or crib the vehicle, shut off the ignition, and disconnect or cut the battery to reduce airbag and fuel hazards; airbags can remain hazardous for several minutes after power loss.

Glass management: remove tempered side windows with a punch or pick at a corner, and use a windshield saw or reciprocating saw on laminated windshields; cover patients before breaking glass.

Door removal with hydraulic spreaders: create a purchase point at the latch or hinge, spread slowly, and crib as the gap opens.

Hydraulic rescue tool pressures run near 10,000 psi; never place hands or body parts between the tool and the vehicle, and crib every gap before reaching in.

Dash displacement (roll-up) lifts the dash off trapped legs using a spreader or ram between the dash and a solid point on the vehicle, with cribbing placed as the dash moves.

For extrication, use a stabilized platform, wear full PPE including eye protection and gloves, and assign a safety officer to watch for traffic and tool hazards.

Structural rescue: size up for collapse potential, establish a collapse zone, and use the five-step building collapse rescue sequence of surface victim rescue, void search, and selected debris removal.

Elevator and confined-space rescues require atmospheric monitoring before entry; never enter a space with an unknown atmosphere without SCBA and a qualified attendant.

CPAT is a pass/fail test of eight events performed continuously in full PPE with a 50-pound vest; typical total time limit is 10 minutes 20 seconds.

CPAT events in order: stair climb, hose drag, equipment carry, ladder raise and extension, forcible entry, search, rescue drag, and ceiling breach and pull.

The stair climb uses a Stairmaster at a set pace with two 12.5-pound weights on the shoulders; a candidate who stops or falls off the step fails.

The hose drag requires advancing a charged line around a drum and then dragging it 75 feet from a kneeling position; the rescue drag requires pulling a 165-pound mannequin.

The candidate physical ability test is scored pass/fail; the fireground is not. Maintaining an aerobic base and grip strength is essential for the stair climb and hose events.

NFPA 1582 defines medical requirements for firefighters, including cardiovascular fitness, pulmonary function, and the ability to wear SCBA; a candidate must pass a medical evaluation.

Candidate suitability includes a background check and, in many jurisdictions, a polygraph or psychological evaluation and a drug screen.

Firefighter PPE adds roughly 45-75 pounds of load; heat stress is the leading physiological risk during training and rehabilitation.

Recovery and hydration during the CPAT and academy: pre-hydrate, avoid alcohol and extreme caffeine, and report chest pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath immediately.