Fire Department Incident Safety Officer Exam
Questions With 100% Correct Answers
What is the difference between an ISO and an HSO
ISO: Incident Safety Officer is the person assigned to fill the command staff position responsible for
monitoring and assessing safety hazards or unsafe situations and for developing measures for
ensuring personnel safety at the scene of an incident. HSO: Health and Safety Officer- the person
assigned and authorized by the fire chief as the manager of the fire department's safety and health
program
In general terms, explain the history of today's safety officer in the industrial world as well as in the
fire service
In th industrial world, safety officers evolved out of the injury history of world war i and ii. as people
were hurt in support operations. Orgnaized labor and insurance industry representatives pushed for
more safety training during and after world war i and ii. In the fire service, early wall watchers were
used around the turn of the century. In the 70s, the FIRESCOPE effort in California added the Safety
Officer position. In the 80s, NFPA 1500 and 1501 were created that outlined the use of safety officers.
List and discuss the NFPA standards related to the incident safety officer
NFPA 1500 outlines a Fire Department Safety and Health Program that includes safety officers. NFPA
1521 is the Safety Officer Standard that outlines duties, authorities, and qualifications
What was the significance of the William Stieger ACt
It created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA. The law gives equal rights and
responsibility to employers and employees with respect to safe working conditions.
How are the monetary costs associated with firefighter injuries and deaths paid for
The costs can be tied to the fire departments workers compensation rates which reflect loss history.
Worker compensation programs are not free: they are costly and the cost is based on history: the
number of claims and the cost of the claims. If a firefighter is injured on the job, the ramifications may
be felt for many years. Obviously, the more serious the injury is, the longer the impact is felt.
Discuss current ff injury and death trends and the need for ISO response.
Combine ff death and injury numbers with a national trend of fewer fires, and one can hypothesize
that the effort to reduce ff injuries may not be as effective as it could be. It is easy to see that the
appointment of an ISO, more often than not, seems prudent. Other programs, such as ff wellness and
incident management systems, do reduce injury and death potential over time, but the use of an ISO
can start to reduce these threat potentials today
List the 3 elements tha affect workplace safety.
Procedures, equipment and personnel
Explain the difference between the formal and informal processes
Formal: In writing
Informal: Part of a departments routine, but not in writing
Describe four qualities of a well written procedure
Several qualitities of a well written procedure: simple language, clear direction, tested technique, easy
interpretation, applicability to many scenarios, and specific only on critical or life endangering points.
, List and describe the external influences that can affect safety equipment design and purchase
OSHA regulations (CFRs)
NFPA standards
NIOSH, ANSI, and UL listings
List and briefly describe the three factors that influence a persons ability to act safely
Training: Good program, priority on safety subjects
Health: addressing physical and mental health
Attitude: Departments safety culture, injury and death history, and the example set by officers
Define risk management
Risk management is the process of minimizing the chance, degree, or probability of damage, loss, or
injury
List and explain the five steps of classic risk management
1: Hazard ID. Actively find hazards.
2: Hazard Eval. Assigning a relative importance using the anticipated frequency and severity of the
hazard
3: Hazard prioritization. Assigning low, moderate and high ratings for frequency and severity. High
frequency/ high severity hazards get first priority
4: Hazard Control. Using control countermeasure to address the hazard
5: Monitoring hazards. Constant monitoring to evaluate control measures and see if change is
impacting safety.
What has typically motivated the establishment of guiding publications?
The majority of the publications were written as a result of a tragic event: therefore, the ISO can use
them as a basis to prevent similar tragedies from occurring
How are OSHA and NIOSH different
OSHA is a part of the US Department of Labor and is tasked with the creation and enforcement of
workplace law.
NIOSH is the safety/health research and eduactional arm of the federal goverrnment.
NIOSH is actually part of the Centers for Disease Control CDC under the Department of Health and
Human Services
What is the significanace of the US Department of Homeland Security to the fire service
The DHS was created to prepare, defend, and respond to terrorist acts within the US and is tasked
with the development of a National Response Plan NRP and to administer the National Incident
Management System NIMS. Federal grant money to fire departments is tied to their compliance with
NIMS. Currently, the Federal Emergency Management Administration FEMA and the US Fire
Administration USFA fall under the DHS
Define regulations, codes, laws, and guides
Regulations typically outline details and procedures that have the force of law issued by an executive
government authority. Codes are a work of law established or adopted by a rule making authority and
serve as an approach, system, or topic for which it is written. Standarsds are any set of rules,
procedures, or professional measurements that are established by an authority. Laws are enforceable
rules of conduct that help protect a society. From a legal prospective, laws are divided in to statutory
Questions With 100% Correct Answers
What is the difference between an ISO and an HSO
ISO: Incident Safety Officer is the person assigned to fill the command staff position responsible for
monitoring and assessing safety hazards or unsafe situations and for developing measures for
ensuring personnel safety at the scene of an incident. HSO: Health and Safety Officer- the person
assigned and authorized by the fire chief as the manager of the fire department's safety and health
program
In general terms, explain the history of today's safety officer in the industrial world as well as in the
fire service
In th industrial world, safety officers evolved out of the injury history of world war i and ii. as people
were hurt in support operations. Orgnaized labor and insurance industry representatives pushed for
more safety training during and after world war i and ii. In the fire service, early wall watchers were
used around the turn of the century. In the 70s, the FIRESCOPE effort in California added the Safety
Officer position. In the 80s, NFPA 1500 and 1501 were created that outlined the use of safety officers.
List and discuss the NFPA standards related to the incident safety officer
NFPA 1500 outlines a Fire Department Safety and Health Program that includes safety officers. NFPA
1521 is the Safety Officer Standard that outlines duties, authorities, and qualifications
What was the significance of the William Stieger ACt
It created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA. The law gives equal rights and
responsibility to employers and employees with respect to safe working conditions.
How are the monetary costs associated with firefighter injuries and deaths paid for
The costs can be tied to the fire departments workers compensation rates which reflect loss history.
Worker compensation programs are not free: they are costly and the cost is based on history: the
number of claims and the cost of the claims. If a firefighter is injured on the job, the ramifications may
be felt for many years. Obviously, the more serious the injury is, the longer the impact is felt.
Discuss current ff injury and death trends and the need for ISO response.
Combine ff death and injury numbers with a national trend of fewer fires, and one can hypothesize
that the effort to reduce ff injuries may not be as effective as it could be. It is easy to see that the
appointment of an ISO, more often than not, seems prudent. Other programs, such as ff wellness and
incident management systems, do reduce injury and death potential over time, but the use of an ISO
can start to reduce these threat potentials today
List the 3 elements tha affect workplace safety.
Procedures, equipment and personnel
Explain the difference between the formal and informal processes
Formal: In writing
Informal: Part of a departments routine, but not in writing
Describe four qualities of a well written procedure
Several qualitities of a well written procedure: simple language, clear direction, tested technique, easy
interpretation, applicability to many scenarios, and specific only on critical or life endangering points.
, List and describe the external influences that can affect safety equipment design and purchase
OSHA regulations (CFRs)
NFPA standards
NIOSH, ANSI, and UL listings
List and briefly describe the three factors that influence a persons ability to act safely
Training: Good program, priority on safety subjects
Health: addressing physical and mental health
Attitude: Departments safety culture, injury and death history, and the example set by officers
Define risk management
Risk management is the process of minimizing the chance, degree, or probability of damage, loss, or
injury
List and explain the five steps of classic risk management
1: Hazard ID. Actively find hazards.
2: Hazard Eval. Assigning a relative importance using the anticipated frequency and severity of the
hazard
3: Hazard prioritization. Assigning low, moderate and high ratings for frequency and severity. High
frequency/ high severity hazards get first priority
4: Hazard Control. Using control countermeasure to address the hazard
5: Monitoring hazards. Constant monitoring to evaluate control measures and see if change is
impacting safety.
What has typically motivated the establishment of guiding publications?
The majority of the publications were written as a result of a tragic event: therefore, the ISO can use
them as a basis to prevent similar tragedies from occurring
How are OSHA and NIOSH different
OSHA is a part of the US Department of Labor and is tasked with the creation and enforcement of
workplace law.
NIOSH is the safety/health research and eduactional arm of the federal goverrnment.
NIOSH is actually part of the Centers for Disease Control CDC under the Department of Health and
Human Services
What is the significanace of the US Department of Homeland Security to the fire service
The DHS was created to prepare, defend, and respond to terrorist acts within the US and is tasked
with the development of a National Response Plan NRP and to administer the National Incident
Management System NIMS. Federal grant money to fire departments is tied to their compliance with
NIMS. Currently, the Federal Emergency Management Administration FEMA and the US Fire
Administration USFA fall under the DHS
Define regulations, codes, laws, and guides
Regulations typically outline details and procedures that have the force of law issued by an executive
government authority. Codes are a work of law established or adopted by a rule making authority and
serve as an approach, system, or topic for which it is written. Standarsds are any set of rules,
procedures, or professional measurements that are established by an authority. Laws are enforceable
rules of conduct that help protect a society. From a legal prospective, laws are divided in to statutory
