Fire Investigator - Master for TCFP
Full Test Bank/2023 TCFP Possible
Questions and Answers
Is NFPA 921 a guide or a standard? - Correct Answer It is the Guide for Fire and
Explosion Investigations
What are the six steps of the scientific method? - Correct 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? - Correct Answer Analyze
the data
What step of the scientific method is deductive reasoning? - Correct Answer Test the
hypothesis
What are the four parts of the fire tetrahedron? - Correct Answer Fuel (reducing agent)
Heat
Oxidizing agent
Uninhibited chemical chain reaction
What kind of reaction absorbs energy, an endothermic or an exothermic reaction? -
Correct Answer Endothermic
What is heat transfer by direct contact called? - Correct Answer Conduction
What is heat transfer by gas flow / air movement called? - Correct Answer Convection
What is heat transfer by microwave energy called? - Correct Answer Radiation
What is a fuel controlled fire? - Correct Answer A fire that is limited by the amount of
combustibles.
What is a ventilation controlled fire? - Correct Answer A fire that is limited by the
amount of oxygen.
What are the stages of fire growth? - Correct Answer Ignition
Growth
Flashover
,Fully Developed
Decay
What is a flashover? - Correct 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? - Correct Answer
Flameover or rollover
What factors influence flashover conditions? - Correct 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? - Correct Answer The physical manifestation of the affects of
fire on materials.
What are the different types of fire patterns on the walls and ceiling? - Correct Answer
Plume Generated patterns (often V shaped)
Ventilation generated patterns
Hot gas layer patterns (Line of demarcation)
What is spalling? - Correct 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? - Correct Answer Pyrolized carbonaceous material
What is oxidation? - Correct Answer Physical change in appearance of a material
resulting from the combination of oxygen.
What is alloying? - Correct Answer Mixing two metals heated then cooled to change
their properties. Often melts at a lower temperature.
What is a clean burn? - Correct 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? - Correct Answer Elemental carbon produced during incomplete
combustion.
What is calcination? - Correct 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? - Correct
Answer Bulbs 25 watts or less pull away. Bulbs greater than 25 watts will expand
towards the fire.
What causes heat shadowing? - Correct Answer An object blocking the travel of
radiated heat.
What is a dead load? - Correct Answer The weight of things attached to the building,
like flooring, cloumns, and roof coverings.
What is a live load? - Correct Answer A load that can move, like people, furniture, wind,
water, and snow.
What is compartmentation? - Correct Answer Design features of a building that limit fire
growth to the room of origin.
What are the five building construction types? - Correct Answer Type I - Fire resistant
Type II - Non combustible
Type III - Ordinary
Type IV - Heavy timber
Type V - Wood frame
What is ordinary construction? - Correct Answer Exterior walls are masonry and frame
is wood.
What is wood frame construction? - Correct Answer Lightweight wood construction,
used in apartments, houses.
What is platform frame construction? - Correct Answer Each floor is a seperate
platform.
What is balloon frame construction? - Correct Answer The wall studs extend from the
foundation to the roof.
What is Ohm's Law? - Correct Answer V=IR
(E = I x R)
What is voltage? - Correct Answer Pressure
What is current? - Correct Answer Flow
What is resistance? - Correct Answer Friction, opposition to the flow
What is an overload? - Correct Answer Power needs exceed the circuit's capacity.
, Alternating Current VS Direct Current - Correct Answer Alternating current - the
electrons flow out from the source and then back to it, alternating directions.
Direct current - electrons flow one way.
Single Phase service - Correct Answer Residential. Three conductors: Two insulated
conductors at 120 V each, and a bare ground wire.
Three phase system - Correct Answer Commercial. Four conductors: Three insulated
conductors (480, 240, or 208 V), and a bare ground wire.
What is the difference between grounding and bonding? - Correct Answer Grounding
connects the system to the earth (ground). Bonding connects to systems together so
the charge stays the same between them.
What is overcurrent protection? - Correct Answer A device that protects the system
from excess current. Includes:
Circuit breakers
Plug fuses
Type S fuses
Time delay fuses
Cartridge fuses
What are the colors of residential wires? - Correct Answer Hot - black or red
Neutral - gray or white
Ground - bare or green
What are some methods of electrical heat production? - Correct Answer Resistance
heating
Short circuit
Ground fault
Parting Arc
Excessive current
What is the difference between and arc and a spark? - Correct Answer Sparks are
thrown metal particles
Arcs are brief discharges of electricity
What is arc tracking? - Correct Answer Arc following salts, dusts, or liquids along a
path.
What is arc mapping? - Correct Answer Mapping out of electrical damage in a circuit.
What is static electricity? - Correct Answer A stationary charge caused by movement of
one object against another. Lighting is a static disharge.
Full Test Bank/2023 TCFP Possible
Questions and Answers
Is NFPA 921 a guide or a standard? - Correct Answer It is the Guide for Fire and
Explosion Investigations
What are the six steps of the scientific method? - Correct 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? - Correct Answer Analyze
the data
What step of the scientific method is deductive reasoning? - Correct Answer Test the
hypothesis
What are the four parts of the fire tetrahedron? - Correct Answer Fuel (reducing agent)
Heat
Oxidizing agent
Uninhibited chemical chain reaction
What kind of reaction absorbs energy, an endothermic or an exothermic reaction? -
Correct Answer Endothermic
What is heat transfer by direct contact called? - Correct Answer Conduction
What is heat transfer by gas flow / air movement called? - Correct Answer Convection
What is heat transfer by microwave energy called? - Correct Answer Radiation
What is a fuel controlled fire? - Correct Answer A fire that is limited by the amount of
combustibles.
What is a ventilation controlled fire? - Correct Answer A fire that is limited by the
amount of oxygen.
What are the stages of fire growth? - Correct Answer Ignition
Growth
Flashover
,Fully Developed
Decay
What is a flashover? - Correct 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? - Correct Answer
Flameover or rollover
What factors influence flashover conditions? - Correct 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? - Correct Answer The physical manifestation of the affects of
fire on materials.
What are the different types of fire patterns on the walls and ceiling? - Correct Answer
Plume Generated patterns (often V shaped)
Ventilation generated patterns
Hot gas layer patterns (Line of demarcation)
What is spalling? - Correct 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? - Correct Answer Pyrolized carbonaceous material
What is oxidation? - Correct Answer Physical change in appearance of a material
resulting from the combination of oxygen.
What is alloying? - Correct Answer Mixing two metals heated then cooled to change
their properties. Often melts at a lower temperature.
What is a clean burn? - Correct 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? - Correct Answer Elemental carbon produced during incomplete
combustion.
What is calcination? - Correct 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? - Correct
Answer Bulbs 25 watts or less pull away. Bulbs greater than 25 watts will expand
towards the fire.
What causes heat shadowing? - Correct Answer An object blocking the travel of
radiated heat.
What is a dead load? - Correct Answer The weight of things attached to the building,
like flooring, cloumns, and roof coverings.
What is a live load? - Correct Answer A load that can move, like people, furniture, wind,
water, and snow.
What is compartmentation? - Correct Answer Design features of a building that limit fire
growth to the room of origin.
What are the five building construction types? - Correct Answer Type I - Fire resistant
Type II - Non combustible
Type III - Ordinary
Type IV - Heavy timber
Type V - Wood frame
What is ordinary construction? - Correct Answer Exterior walls are masonry and frame
is wood.
What is wood frame construction? - Correct Answer Lightweight wood construction,
used in apartments, houses.
What is platform frame construction? - Correct Answer Each floor is a seperate
platform.
What is balloon frame construction? - Correct Answer The wall studs extend from the
foundation to the roof.
What is Ohm's Law? - Correct Answer V=IR
(E = I x R)
What is voltage? - Correct Answer Pressure
What is current? - Correct Answer Flow
What is resistance? - Correct Answer Friction, opposition to the flow
What is an overload? - Correct Answer Power needs exceed the circuit's capacity.
, Alternating Current VS Direct Current - Correct Answer Alternating current - the
electrons flow out from the source and then back to it, alternating directions.
Direct current - electrons flow one way.
Single Phase service - Correct Answer Residential. Three conductors: Two insulated
conductors at 120 V each, and a bare ground wire.
Three phase system - Correct Answer Commercial. Four conductors: Three insulated
conductors (480, 240, or 208 V), and a bare ground wire.
What is the difference between grounding and bonding? - Correct Answer Grounding
connects the system to the earth (ground). Bonding connects to systems together so
the charge stays the same between them.
What is overcurrent protection? - Correct Answer A device that protects the system
from excess current. Includes:
Circuit breakers
Plug fuses
Type S fuses
Time delay fuses
Cartridge fuses
What are the colors of residential wires? - Correct Answer Hot - black or red
Neutral - gray or white
Ground - bare or green
What are some methods of electrical heat production? - Correct Answer Resistance
heating
Short circuit
Ground fault
Parting Arc
Excessive current
What is the difference between and arc and a spark? - Correct Answer Sparks are
thrown metal particles
Arcs are brief discharges of electricity
What is arc tracking? - Correct Answer Arc following salts, dusts, or liquids along a
path.
What is arc mapping? - Correct Answer Mapping out of electrical damage in a circuit.
What is static electricity? - Correct Answer A stationary charge caused by movement of
one object against another. Lighting is a static disharge.
