Houston Firefighter flashcards

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

Fire tetrahedron

Four components required for combustion: fuel, oxygen, heat, and the chemical chain reaction. Removing any one component stops the fire.

Class B fire

Fire involving flammable or combustible liquids and gases such as gasoline, oil, and solvents. Extinguish with foam, dry chemical, or carbon dioxide, not water.

Class K fire

Fire in cooking oils and fats in commercial cooking equipment. Requires wet chemical extinguishing agents that saponify the burning fat, not water.

PASS technique

Portable extinguisher method: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the flames, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep side to side until the fire is out.

Span of control

The number of resources one supervisor can effectively manage, commonly three to seven with five optimal. Exceeding it requires adding another supervisory level.

Blitz attack

A heavy master stream directed from the exterior into a fully involved compartment to knock down fire before interior crews advance.

NFA fire flow formula

Needed fire flow in gpm equals length times width of the fire area in square feet times the number of floors involved, divided by three.

Mayday LUNAR report

Radio format for a firefighter emergency: Location, Unit, Name, Assignment or air status, and Resources needed.

Low-air alarm threshold

The SCBA alarm sounds at roughly 25 percent of cylinder capacity. At that point the firefighter must exit the hazardous atmosphere immediately.

Rule of air management

A firefighter must know remaining air at all times and exit the IDLH atmosphere before the low-air alarm, allowing entry, exit, and safety margin.

PASS device

Personal Alert Safety System worn by firefighters. It sounds a loud alarm after about 20 to 30 seconds without motion and can be manually activated.

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 exists.

Flashover indicators

Rollover of flame in the overhead gas layer, darkening smoke, and a rapid temperature rise signal imminent flashover. Get low and exit.

Hose coupling direction

Female couplings lead out toward the apparatus and the exit; following couplings along a hose line helps a disoriented firefighter find the way out.

Awareness level

Hazmat responder level that recognizes a release, isolates the area, and calls for trained resources. No contact with the product or offensive action.

Operations level

Hazmat responder level that contains a release from a defensive position, without contacting the product, using PPE and decontamination.

ERG guide number

Three-digit number found by looking up the UN/NA number in the yellow pages or the material name in the blue pages of the Emergency Response Guidebook.

ERG green pages

Section giving initial isolation and protective action distances for toxic inhalation hazard materials, keyed to small and large spills.

NFPA 704 quadrants

Diamond marking: blue health, red flammability, yellow instability, white special hazards such as OX for oxidizer and W for water-reactive.

Class 3 placard

Hazard class for flammable and combustible liquids, such as gasoline, which produce vapors that ignite readily at ordinary temperatures.

Hot zone

The contaminated area immediately around a hazardous materials release. Only trained personnel in appropriate protective equipment may enter it.

Extrication phases

Sequence of scene size-up and stabilization, access to the patient, disentanglement, removal, and transfer to emergency medical services.

Vehicle stabilization

Chock or crib the vehicle, shut off the ignition, and disconnect or cut the battery before entry to reduce movement, fuel, and airbag hazards.

Glass management

Breaking tempered side windows with a punch at a corner and cutting laminated windshields with a saw. Cover patients before breaking glass.

Dash displacement

Extrication technique using a spreader or ram to lift the dashboard off trapped legs, with cribbing placed as the dash moves.

Hydraulic tool pressure

Rescue spreaders and cutters operate near 10,000 psi. Never place hands or body parts between the tool and the vehicle.

Collapse zone

An area around a building equal to roughly one and a half times its height, kept clear of personnel because of falling debris.

CPAT

Candidate Physical Ability Test: eight events in full PPE with a 50-pound vest, completed within 10 minutes 20 seconds, scored pass or fail.

CPAT stair climb

First event: a Stairmaster at a set pace while wearing two 12.5-pound weights on the shoulders. Stopping or falling off the step fails the candidate.

CPAT hose drag

Event in which the candidate advances a nozzle line around a drum, then drags the hose 75 feet from a kneeling position.

NFPA 1582

Standard for medical requirements for firefighters, covering cardiovascular, pulmonary, and other fitness for duty requirements including SCBA use.

PPE load

Firefighter protective clothing and SCBA add roughly 45 to 75 pounds, increasing heat stress and cardiovascular demand during training and operations.