Fire Investigator -TCFP test
Is NFPA 921 a guide or a standard? - Answer-It is the Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations
What are the six steps of the scientific method? - Answer-Recognize the need
Define the problem
Collect the data
Analyze the data
Develop a hypothesis
Test the hypothesis
What step of the scientific method is inductive reasoning? - Answer-Analyze the data
What step of the scientific method is deductive reasoning? - Answer-Test the hypothesis
What are the four parts of the fire tetrahedron? - Answer-Fuel (reducing agent)
Heat
Oxidizing agent
Uninhibited chemical chain reaction
What kind of reaction absorbs energy, an endothermic or an exothermic reaction? - Answer-
Endothermic
What is heat transfer by direct contact called? - Answer-Conduction
,What is heat transfer by gas flow / air movement called? - Answer-Convection
What is heat transfer by microwave energy called? - Answer-Radiation
What is a fuel controlled fire? - Answer-A fire that is limited by the amount of combustibles.
What is a ventilation controlled fire? - Answer-A fire that is limited by the amount of oxygen.
What are the stages of fire growth? - Answer-Ignition
Growth
Flashover
Fully Developed
Decay
What is a flashover? - Answer-The transition phase from growth to fully developed, where all surfaces
reach ignition temperature almost simultaneously.
What is ignition of the underside of the hot gas layer called? - Answer-Flameover or rollover
What factors influence flashover conditions? - Answer-Size of the compartment
Height of ceiling
Ventilation
Amount of fuel
Layout of fuel
Location of fire in the compartment
,What are fire patterns? - Answer-The physical manifestation of the affects of fire on materials.
What are the different types of fire patterns on the walls and ceiling? - Answer-Plume Generated
patterns (often V shaped)
Ventilation generated patterns
Hot gas layer patterns (Line of demarcation)
What is spalling? - Answer-The separation of chunks of concrete with explosive force caused by the
expansion of water (moisture) trapped in the concrete as it turns to steam
What is char? - Answer-Pyrolized carbonaceous material
What is oxidation? - Answer-Physical change in appearance of a material resulting from the combination
of oxygen.
What is alloying? - Answer-Mixing two metals heated then cooled to change their properties. Often
melts at a lower temperature.
What is a clean burn? - Answer-When there was enough heat to burn away all carbon deposits (soot) on
a surface leaving a "clean" surface. Occurs on non-combustible surfaces.
What is soot? - Answer-Elemental carbon produced during incomplete combustion.
What is calcination? - Answer-When chemically bound water is driven out of gypsum walls by the heat
of the fire.
, Does a 25 Watt light bulb expand towards the fire or pull inward away from it? - Answer-Bulbs 25 watts
or less pull away. Bulbs greater than 25 watts will expand towards the fire.
What causes heat shadowing? - Answer-An object blocking the travel of radiated heat.
What is a dead load? - Answer-The weight of things attached to the building, like flooring, cloumns, and
roof coverings.
What is a live load? - Answer-A load that can move, like people, furniture, wind, water, and snow.
What is compartmentation? - Answer-Design features of a building that limit fire growth to the room of
origin.
What are the five building construction types? - Answer-Type I - Fire resistant
Type II - Non combustible
Type III - Ordinary
Type IV - Heavy timber
Type V - Wood frame
What is ordinary construction? - Answer-Exterior walls are masonry and frame is wood.
What is wood frame construction? - Answer-Lightweight wood construction, used in apartments,
houses.
What is platform frame construction? - Answer-Each floor is a seperate platform.
What is balloon frame construction? - Answer-The wall studs extend from the foundation to the roof.
Is NFPA 921 a guide or a standard? - Answer-It is the Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations
What are the six steps of the scientific method? - Answer-Recognize the need
Define the problem
Collect the data
Analyze the data
Develop a hypothesis
Test the hypothesis
What step of the scientific method is inductive reasoning? - Answer-Analyze the data
What step of the scientific method is deductive reasoning? - Answer-Test the hypothesis
What are the four parts of the fire tetrahedron? - Answer-Fuel (reducing agent)
Heat
Oxidizing agent
Uninhibited chemical chain reaction
What kind of reaction absorbs energy, an endothermic or an exothermic reaction? - Answer-
Endothermic
What is heat transfer by direct contact called? - Answer-Conduction
,What is heat transfer by gas flow / air movement called? - Answer-Convection
What is heat transfer by microwave energy called? - Answer-Radiation
What is a fuel controlled fire? - Answer-A fire that is limited by the amount of combustibles.
What is a ventilation controlled fire? - Answer-A fire that is limited by the amount of oxygen.
What are the stages of fire growth? - Answer-Ignition
Growth
Flashover
Fully Developed
Decay
What is a flashover? - Answer-The transition phase from growth to fully developed, where all surfaces
reach ignition temperature almost simultaneously.
What is ignition of the underside of the hot gas layer called? - Answer-Flameover or rollover
What factors influence flashover conditions? - Answer-Size of the compartment
Height of ceiling
Ventilation
Amount of fuel
Layout of fuel
Location of fire in the compartment
,What are fire patterns? - Answer-The physical manifestation of the affects of fire on materials.
What are the different types of fire patterns on the walls and ceiling? - Answer-Plume Generated
patterns (often V shaped)
Ventilation generated patterns
Hot gas layer patterns (Line of demarcation)
What is spalling? - Answer-The separation of chunks of concrete with explosive force caused by the
expansion of water (moisture) trapped in the concrete as it turns to steam
What is char? - Answer-Pyrolized carbonaceous material
What is oxidation? - Answer-Physical change in appearance of a material resulting from the combination
of oxygen.
What is alloying? - Answer-Mixing two metals heated then cooled to change their properties. Often
melts at a lower temperature.
What is a clean burn? - Answer-When there was enough heat to burn away all carbon deposits (soot) on
a surface leaving a "clean" surface. Occurs on non-combustible surfaces.
What is soot? - Answer-Elemental carbon produced during incomplete combustion.
What is calcination? - Answer-When chemically bound water is driven out of gypsum walls by the heat
of the fire.
, Does a 25 Watt light bulb expand towards the fire or pull inward away from it? - Answer-Bulbs 25 watts
or less pull away. Bulbs greater than 25 watts will expand towards the fire.
What causes heat shadowing? - Answer-An object blocking the travel of radiated heat.
What is a dead load? - Answer-The weight of things attached to the building, like flooring, cloumns, and
roof coverings.
What is a live load? - Answer-A load that can move, like people, furniture, wind, water, and snow.
What is compartmentation? - Answer-Design features of a building that limit fire growth to the room of
origin.
What are the five building construction types? - Answer-Type I - Fire resistant
Type II - Non combustible
Type III - Ordinary
Type IV - Heavy timber
Type V - Wood frame
What is ordinary construction? - Answer-Exterior walls are masonry and frame is wood.
What is wood frame construction? - Answer-Lightweight wood construction, used in apartments,
houses.
What is platform frame construction? - Answer-Each floor is a seperate platform.
What is balloon frame construction? - Answer-The wall studs extend from the foundation to the roof.
