Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting
Scope
Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting tests the fire triangle, fire classes, extinguisher selection, fixed systems, breathing apparatus, boundary cooling and hot-work controls. The exam wants safe action, not heroics.
Core rules
- Remove one side of the fire triangle: fuel, oxygen or heat.
- Class A: solids such as wood and paper; water or foam. Class B: flammable liquids; foam, CO2 or dry powder. Class C: flammable gases; isolate and use dry powder. Class F: cooking oils; wet chemical. Electrical fires need CO2 or dry powder.
- Sound the alarm, raise the muster, close doors and ventilate only when ordered.
- Cool boundaries before opening a compartment; reflash is a real risk with hot oils.
- BA wearers work in pairs with a control man and entry permit.
Worked example
A galley deep-fat fryer ignites. The correct first action is to isolate the heat, cover with a fire blanket or wet chemical extinguisher, and close the galley boundary. Water is wrong because it violently disperses burning oil and can cause a steam explosion. CO2 is also poor for a deep fryer because it may not cool the oil enough to prevent reflash.
Traps
Using water on electrical or oil fires, entering a compartment without BA, opening a hot door fully, and failing to account for all persons are mark-losing errors.