Fire Officer Cadet Exam flashcards

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

Span of control

The number of subordinates or elements one supervisor can effectively direct. In incident command the working target is five reporting elements, with a practical range of three to seven.

Personnel accountability report (PAR)

A roll-call confirmation that every crew and individual is accounted for. It is triggered by a Mayday, a strategy change, a collapse, or any sudden hazardous event.

Flash point

The lowest temperature at which a liquid releases enough vapour to form an ignitable mixture near its surface. It is the basis for classifying flammable and combustible liquids.

Flammable range

The concentration band between the lower and upper explosive limits within which a vapour-air mixture will ignite. Outside the band the mixture is too lean or too rich to burn.

Flashover

The transition to simultaneous burning of all exposed combustible surfaces in a compartment. Indicators include extreme heat, rollover of flames in the smoke layer, and autoignition of contents.

Backdraught

A deflagration caused when an oxygen-starved fire suddenly admits air. Warning signs include smoke-stained windows, pulsing smoke, and inward air movement at openings.

RECEO-VS

The tactical priority sequence: rescue, exposures, confinement, extinguishment, overhaul, ventilation, and salvage. It orders actions from life safety to property conservation.

Gas cooling

A technique using short pulses of water fog into the hot gas layer to reduce compartment temperature and slow fire growth without pushing fire into uninvolved spaces.

Type III construction

Ordinary construction: exterior walls are noncombustible masonry or similar, while interior structural members, including floors and roofs, are combustible wood.

Type IV construction

Heavy timber construction: massive wood structural members, typically at least 200 mm nominal, that char slowly and retain load capacity during a fire.

Lightweight construction

Engineered wood I-joists, trusses, and thin steel members that fail rapidly under fire. Floors and roofs of this type are treated as suspect during interior operations.

Dry pipe sprinkler system

A system with air or nitrogen under pressure in the piping and water held back by a valve. Activation releases air, opens the valve, and fills the pipes with water.

Fire department connection

A connection on the building exterior where a pumper supplies water to a standpipe or sprinkler system. It supplements, and does not replace, the system's own supply.

Class III standpipe

A combined standpipe providing both 65 mm connections for fire department use and 38 mm connections for occupant use within the same building system.

Vehicle stabilization

Chocking and cribbing a vehicle before extrication so it cannot move. Stabilization precedes cutting, and the battery is disconnected to reduce ignition and airbag risk.

Confined space

A space with limited entry and exit, not designed for continuous occupancy, which may contain a hazardous atmosphere. Permit entry requires testing, ventilation, an attendant, and a rescue plan.

Reach, throw, row, go

The water rescue priority order. Rescuers first reach from shore, then throw flotation, then use a boat, and only trained rescuers enter the water.

Emergency Response Guidebook

A reference that maps hazardous materials by UN number or name to a three-digit guide number, giving isolation distances, protective clothing, and first aid actions.

Hot zone

The contaminated area of a hazardous materials incident where only trained personnel in appropriate chemical protective clothing and respiratory protection may operate.

Level A protective clothing

Fully encapsulating chemical protective suit with self-contained breathing apparatus worn inside. It provides the highest level of skin and respiratory protection for unknown or highly toxic hazards.

Situational leadership

A model in which the leader adjusts the amount of direction and support to the follower's competence and commitment for the specific task.

Crew resource management

A training and operating approach that uses briefings, monitoring, assertiveness, and debriefings to make full use of all crew knowledge and catch errors before harm.

Mayday

A distress call from a firefighter in imminent danger. It takes priority over all other radio traffic and triggers a dedicated rescue group and separate command channel.

Rehabilitation sector

A staged rest and recovery area providing hydration, cooling or warming, and medical monitoring for crews after strenuous work or extended SCBA use.

Rapid intervention team

A dedicated crew of at least two members, staged and equipped to rescue trapped or lost firefighters. The team is briefed before interior operations begin.

SCBA one-third rule

A crew uses one-third of its air to enter, one-third to exit, and keeps one-third in reserve. The low-air alarm is a last warning, not an exit trigger.

Standard of care

The degree of care a reasonably prudent fire service would provide in similar circumstances. Falling below it can establish breach in a negligence claim.

Conflict of interest

A situation where a fire officer's personal, financial, or family interest could influence an official decision. It must be disclosed and avoided.

Public Information Officer

The single designated spokesperson for an incident or organisation who releases confirmed information to media and the public. Other personnel refer enquiries to this officer.

CAN report

A standard radio report giving conditions, actions, and needs. It lets command understand the situation, what is being done, and what resources are required.

Training needs analysis

A structured comparison of required competence against current competence at organisational, task, and individual levels, used to decide what training is needed.

Skill decay

The loss of practised psychomotor or decision skills over time without use. It justifies scheduled refresher training and documented competency checks.