IFSTA DRIVER OPERATOR EXAM 2025/2026 QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Vehicles weighing more that what must have an auxiliary brake - ✔✔36000lbs
✔✔Considerations for apparatus placement - ✔✔rescue, exposure, water supply,
method of attack, hoseline deployment, wind, terrain, additional response, structural
collapse, misc. hazards
✔✔What must engines always be mindful of when positioning their apparatus at an
incident - ✔✔leaving room for the truck company
✔✔What is the inside out method of positioning at an incident - ✔✔if the building is less
than 5 stories the engines are placed closet to the building. If it is taller then the truck
company is placed closer to the building.
✔✔When would you need to draft - ✔✔from a static water source
✔✔Difference between tandem and relay pumping - ✔✔tandem is used to increase
pressure and relay is used to get more water
✔✔Things to consider when positioning a Type 3 - ✔✔back into last known turnaround
spot, park offroad way to not block traffic, clear away nearby brush from rig, position on
leeward side of building, door/windows shut, place a/c on recirculate mode, avoid
placing next to hazards
✔✔What is fording a stream - ✔✔ability of apparatus to cross a body of water
✔✔What is level 1 staging - ✔✔units coming in stage one block out from the incident in
their direction of travel while incident is being investigated.
✔✔What is level 2 staging - ✔✔responding directly to a designated staging area
✔✔Things to consider when responding to a hazmat incident - ✔✔wind speed/direction,
do not drive directly to scene until materials are identified, position apparatus short of
scene until nature of hazard is identified.
✔✔Considerations for spotting near railroads - ✔✔do not park close enough to be hit,
cross tracks only at designated spot, park on the same side of the track as incident, not
rail company
✔✔How is the speed of water flowing through discharges determined - ✔✔it is
determined by the pressure on the water and size of discharge that it is flowing through
, ✔✔What is standard atmospheric pressure - ✔✔14.7 at sea level
✔✔Types of pressures associated with water supply systems - ✔✔Atmospheric, Head,
Static, Normal Op., Residual, and Flow Pressure
✔✔What is head pressure - ✔✔height of the water supply above the discharge
✔✔What is static pressure - ✔✔stored potential energy that is available to push water
through an opening
✔✔What is normal operating pressure - ✔✔pressure found in system during periods of
normal consumption demands
✔✔What is residual pressure - ✔✔it is the portion of total available water that is not
used to overcome friction loss or gravity while forcing water through a pipe
✔✔What is flow pressure - ✔✔the forward velocity of water that is flowing from an
opening
✔✔What is elevation pressure - ✔✔losses or gains of pressure due to gravity. this is in
relation to the pump and where the nozzle sits.
✔✔Causes of friction loss - ✔✔lining of fire hose, couplings, kinks, change in hose size
or adapters, improper gasket size, movement of water molecules against each other
✔✔How much greater can friction loss be in older hose compared to modern hose -
✔✔50 percent
✔✔How to reduce friction loss - ✔✔reduce length, diameter and get rid of kinks
✔✔What is water hammer - ✔✔damaging force created by the rapid deceleration of
water.
✔✔Means of moving water in a municiple system - ✔✔pump, gravity, combination
✔✔Three types of basic streams - ✔✔Solid, fog, broken stream
✔✔According to IFSTA what is the maximum gpm for a handline - ✔✔350 GPM
✔✔According to IFSTA how many gpm make master stream nozzles - ✔✔anything that
is greater than 350 GPM
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Vehicles weighing more that what must have an auxiliary brake - ✔✔36000lbs
✔✔Considerations for apparatus placement - ✔✔rescue, exposure, water supply,
method of attack, hoseline deployment, wind, terrain, additional response, structural
collapse, misc. hazards
✔✔What must engines always be mindful of when positioning their apparatus at an
incident - ✔✔leaving room for the truck company
✔✔What is the inside out method of positioning at an incident - ✔✔if the building is less
than 5 stories the engines are placed closet to the building. If it is taller then the truck
company is placed closer to the building.
✔✔When would you need to draft - ✔✔from a static water source
✔✔Difference between tandem and relay pumping - ✔✔tandem is used to increase
pressure and relay is used to get more water
✔✔Things to consider when positioning a Type 3 - ✔✔back into last known turnaround
spot, park offroad way to not block traffic, clear away nearby brush from rig, position on
leeward side of building, door/windows shut, place a/c on recirculate mode, avoid
placing next to hazards
✔✔What is fording a stream - ✔✔ability of apparatus to cross a body of water
✔✔What is level 1 staging - ✔✔units coming in stage one block out from the incident in
their direction of travel while incident is being investigated.
✔✔What is level 2 staging - ✔✔responding directly to a designated staging area
✔✔Things to consider when responding to a hazmat incident - ✔✔wind speed/direction,
do not drive directly to scene until materials are identified, position apparatus short of
scene until nature of hazard is identified.
✔✔Considerations for spotting near railroads - ✔✔do not park close enough to be hit,
cross tracks only at designated spot, park on the same side of the track as incident, not
rail company
✔✔How is the speed of water flowing through discharges determined - ✔✔it is
determined by the pressure on the water and size of discharge that it is flowing through
, ✔✔What is standard atmospheric pressure - ✔✔14.7 at sea level
✔✔Types of pressures associated with water supply systems - ✔✔Atmospheric, Head,
Static, Normal Op., Residual, and Flow Pressure
✔✔What is head pressure - ✔✔height of the water supply above the discharge
✔✔What is static pressure - ✔✔stored potential energy that is available to push water
through an opening
✔✔What is normal operating pressure - ✔✔pressure found in system during periods of
normal consumption demands
✔✔What is residual pressure - ✔✔it is the portion of total available water that is not
used to overcome friction loss or gravity while forcing water through a pipe
✔✔What is flow pressure - ✔✔the forward velocity of water that is flowing from an
opening
✔✔What is elevation pressure - ✔✔losses or gains of pressure due to gravity. this is in
relation to the pump and where the nozzle sits.
✔✔Causes of friction loss - ✔✔lining of fire hose, couplings, kinks, change in hose size
or adapters, improper gasket size, movement of water molecules against each other
✔✔How much greater can friction loss be in older hose compared to modern hose -
✔✔50 percent
✔✔How to reduce friction loss - ✔✔reduce length, diameter and get rid of kinks
✔✔What is water hammer - ✔✔damaging force created by the rapid deceleration of
water.
✔✔Means of moving water in a municiple system - ✔✔pump, gravity, combination
✔✔Three types of basic streams - ✔✔Solid, fog, broken stream
✔✔According to IFSTA what is the maximum gpm for a handline - ✔✔350 GPM
✔✔According to IFSTA how many gpm make master stream nozzles - ✔✔anything that
is greater than 350 GPM
