Fire Investigator - master for TCFP test ?
Questions and Verified 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.
Questions and Verified 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.
