Fire Investigator - Master for TCFP
Full Test Bank TCFP
Possible Questions and
Answers
Is NFPA 921 a guide or a standard? ✔✔ It is the Guide for Fire and
Explosion Investigations
What are the six steps of the scientific method? ✔✔ 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? ✔✔ Analyze
the data What step of the scientific method is deductive reasoning? ✔✔
Test the hypothesis What are the four parts of the fire tetrahedron? ✔✔
Fuel (reducing agent)
Heat
Oxidizing agent
Uninhibited chemical chain reaction
What kind of reaction absorbs energy, an endothermic or an exothermic
reaction? ✔✔ Endothermic
What is heat transfer by direct contact called? ✔✔ Conduction
What is heat transfer by gas flow / air movement called? ✔✔
Convection What is heat transfer by microwave energy called?
✔✔ Radiation
What is a fuel controlled fire? ✔✔ A fire that is limited by the amount of
combustibles. What is a ventilation controlled fire? ✔✔ A fire that is limited by
the amount of oxygen.
What are the stages of fire growth? ✔✔
,Ignition Growth
Flashover
Fully
Developed
Decay
What is a flashover? ✔✔ 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? ✔✔ Flameover or
rollover
What factors influence flashover conditions? ✔✔ Size of the
compartment Height of ceiling
Ventilation
Amount of
fuel Layout
of fuel
Location of fire in the compartment
What are fire patterns? ✔✔ The physical manifestation of the affects of fire on
materials.
What are the different types of fire patterns on the walls and ceiling?
✔✔ Plume Generated patterns (often V shaped)
Ventilation generated patterns
Hot gas layer patterns (Line of demarcation)
What is spalling? ✔✔ 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? ✔✔ Pyrolized carbonaceous material
What is oxidation? ✔✔ Physical change in appearance of a material
resulting from the combination of oxygen.
What is alloying? ✔✔ Mixing two metals heated then cooled to change their
properties. Often melts at a lower temperature.
What is a clean burn? ✔✔ 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? ✔✔ Elemental carbon produced during incomplete combustion.
What is calcination? ✔✔ 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? ✔✔ Bulbs 25 watts or less pull away. Bulbs greater than 25 watts will
expand towards the fire.
What causes heat shadowing? ✔✔ An object blocking the travel of radiated
heat.
What is a dead load? ✔✔ The weight of things attached to the building, like
flooring, cloumns, and roof coverings.
, What is a live load? ✔✔ A load that can move, like people, furniture, wind,
water, and snow.
What is compartmentation? ✔✔ Design features of a building that limit fire
growth to the room of origin.
What are the five building construction types? ✔✔ Type I - Fire
resistant Type II - Non combustible
Type III - Ordinary
Type IV - Heavy
timber Type V -
Wood frame
What is ordinary construction? ✔✔ Exterior walls are masonry and frame is
wood.
What is wood frame construction? ✔✔ Lightweight wood
construction, used in apartments, houses.
What is platform frame construction? ✔✔ Each floor is a seperate platform.
What is balloon frame construction? ✔✔ The wall studs extend from the
foundation to the roof.
What is Ohm's Law? ✔✔
V=IR (E = I x R)
What is voltage? ✔✔
Pressure What is current?
✔✔ Flow
What is resistance? ✔✔ Friction, opposition to the flow
What is an overload? ✔✔ Power needs exceed the circuit's capacity.
Alternating Current VS Direct Current ✔✔ 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 ✔✔ Residential. Three conductors: Two insulated
conductors at 120 V each, and a bare ground wire.
Three phase system ✔✔ Commercial. Four conductors: Three insulated
conductors (480, 240, or 208 V), and a bare ground wire.
Full Test Bank TCFP
Possible Questions and
Answers
Is NFPA 921 a guide or a standard? ✔✔ It is the Guide for Fire and
Explosion Investigations
What are the six steps of the scientific method? ✔✔ 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? ✔✔ Analyze
the data What step of the scientific method is deductive reasoning? ✔✔
Test the hypothesis What are the four parts of the fire tetrahedron? ✔✔
Fuel (reducing agent)
Heat
Oxidizing agent
Uninhibited chemical chain reaction
What kind of reaction absorbs energy, an endothermic or an exothermic
reaction? ✔✔ Endothermic
What is heat transfer by direct contact called? ✔✔ Conduction
What is heat transfer by gas flow / air movement called? ✔✔
Convection What is heat transfer by microwave energy called?
✔✔ Radiation
What is a fuel controlled fire? ✔✔ A fire that is limited by the amount of
combustibles. What is a ventilation controlled fire? ✔✔ A fire that is limited by
the amount of oxygen.
What are the stages of fire growth? ✔✔
,Ignition Growth
Flashover
Fully
Developed
Decay
What is a flashover? ✔✔ 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? ✔✔ Flameover or
rollover
What factors influence flashover conditions? ✔✔ Size of the
compartment Height of ceiling
Ventilation
Amount of
fuel Layout
of fuel
Location of fire in the compartment
What are fire patterns? ✔✔ The physical manifestation of the affects of fire on
materials.
What are the different types of fire patterns on the walls and ceiling?
✔✔ Plume Generated patterns (often V shaped)
Ventilation generated patterns
Hot gas layer patterns (Line of demarcation)
What is spalling? ✔✔ 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? ✔✔ Pyrolized carbonaceous material
What is oxidation? ✔✔ Physical change in appearance of a material
resulting from the combination of oxygen.
What is alloying? ✔✔ Mixing two metals heated then cooled to change their
properties. Often melts at a lower temperature.
What is a clean burn? ✔✔ 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? ✔✔ Elemental carbon produced during incomplete combustion.
What is calcination? ✔✔ 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? ✔✔ Bulbs 25 watts or less pull away. Bulbs greater than 25 watts will
expand towards the fire.
What causes heat shadowing? ✔✔ An object blocking the travel of radiated
heat.
What is a dead load? ✔✔ The weight of things attached to the building, like
flooring, cloumns, and roof coverings.
, What is a live load? ✔✔ A load that can move, like people, furniture, wind,
water, and snow.
What is compartmentation? ✔✔ Design features of a building that limit fire
growth to the room of origin.
What are the five building construction types? ✔✔ Type I - Fire
resistant Type II - Non combustible
Type III - Ordinary
Type IV - Heavy
timber Type V -
Wood frame
What is ordinary construction? ✔✔ Exterior walls are masonry and frame is
wood.
What is wood frame construction? ✔✔ Lightweight wood
construction, used in apartments, houses.
What is platform frame construction? ✔✔ Each floor is a seperate platform.
What is balloon frame construction? ✔✔ The wall studs extend from the
foundation to the roof.
What is Ohm's Law? ✔✔
V=IR (E = I x R)
What is voltage? ✔✔
Pressure What is current?
✔✔ Flow
What is resistance? ✔✔ Friction, opposition to the flow
What is an overload? ✔✔ Power needs exceed the circuit's capacity.
Alternating Current VS Direct Current ✔✔ 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 ✔✔ Residential. Three conductors: Two insulated
conductors at 120 V each, and a bare ground wire.
Three phase system ✔✔ Commercial. Four conductors: Three insulated
conductors (480, 240, or 208 V), and a bare ground wire.
