TCFP FIRE INVESTIGATOR EXAM TEST 2025 UPDATED
Is NFPA 921 a guide or a standard? - ANS-It is the Guide for Fire and Explosion
Investigations
What are the six steps of the scientific method? - ANS-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? - ANS-Analyze the data
What step of the scientific method is deductive reasoning? - ANS-Test the hypothesis
What are the four parts of the fire tetrahedron? - ANS-Fuel (reducing agent)
Heat
Oxidizing agent
Uninhibited chemical chain reaction
What kind of reaction absorbs energy, an endothermic or an exothermic reaction? -
ANS-Endothermic
What is heat transfer by direct contact called? - ANS-Conduction
What is heat transfer by gas flow / air movement called? - ANS-Convection
What is heat transfer by microwave energy called? - ANS-Radiation
What is a fuel controlled fire? - ANS-A fire that is limited by the amount of combustibles.
What is a ventilation controlled fire? - ANS-A fire that is limited by the amount of
oxygen.
What are the stages of fire growth? - ANS-Ignition
Growth
Flashover
Fully Developed
Decay
What is a flashover? - ANS-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? - ANS-Flameover or
rollover
,What factors influence flashover conditions? - ANS-Size of the compartment
Height of ceiling
Ventilation
Amount of fuel
Layout of fuel
Location of fire in the compartment
What are fire patterns? - ANS-The physical manifestation of the affects of fire on
materials.
What are the different types of fire patterns on the walls and ceiling? - ANS-Plume
Generated patterns (often V shaped)
Ventilation generated patterns
Hot gas layer patterns (Line of demarcation)
What is spalling? - ANS-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? - ANS-Pyrolized carbonaceous material
What is oxidation? - ANS-Physical change in appearance of a material resulting from
the combination of oxygen.
What is alloying? - ANS-Mixing two metals heated then cooled to change their
properties. Often melts at a lower temperature.
What is a clean burn? - ANS-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? - ANS-Elemental carbon produced during incomplete combustion.
What is calcination? - ANS-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? - ANS-
Bulbs 25 watts or less pull away. Bulbs greater than 25 watts will expand towards the
fire.
What causes heat shadowing? - ANS-An object blocking the travel of radiated heat.
What is a dead load? - ANS-The weight of things attached to the building, like flooring,
cloumns, and roof coverings.
,What is a live load? - ANS-A load that can move, like people, furniture, wind, water, and
snow.
What is compartmentation? - ANS-Design features of a building that limit fire growth to
the room of origin.
What are the five building construction types? - ANS-Type I - Fire resistant
Type II - Non combustible
Type III - Ordinary
Type IV - Heavy timber
Type V - Wood frame
What is ordinary construction? - ANS-Exterior walls are masonry and frame is wood.
What is wood frame construction? - ANS-Lightweight wood construction, used in
apartments, houses.
What is platform frame construction? - ANS-Each floor is a seperate platform.
What is balloon frame construction? - ANS-The wall studs extend from the foundation to
the roof.
What is Ohm's Law? - ANS-V=IR
(E = I x R)
What is voltage? - ANS-Pressure
What is current? - ANS-Flow
What is resistance? - ANS-Friction, opposition to the flow
What is an overload? - ANS-Power needs exceed the circuit's capacity.
Alternating Current VS Direct Current - ANS-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 - ANS-Residential. Three conductors: Two insulated conductors at
120 V each, and a bare ground wire.
Three phase system - ANS-Commercial. Four conductors: Three insulated conductors
(480, 240, or 208 V), and a bare ground wire.
What is the difference between grounding and bonding? - ANS-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? - ANS-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? - ANS-Hot - black or red
Neutral - gray or white
Ground - bare or green
What are some methods of electrical heat production? - ANS-Resistance heating
Short circuit
Ground fault
Parting Arc
Excessive current
What is the difference between and arc and a spark? - ANS-Sparks are thrown metal
particles
Arcs are brief discharges of electricity
What is arc tracking? - ANS-Arc following salts, dusts, or liquids along a path.
What is arc mapping? - ANS-Mapping out of electrical damage in a circuit.
What is static electricity? - ANS-A stationary charge caused by movement of one object
against another. Lighting is a static disharge.
What are the five conditions nessecery for Static Arc Ignition? - ANS-A Means of static
generation
A means of accumulating and maintaining the charge
A static discharge with sufficient energy
A fuel source
Coexistence of the arc and fuel source
Name two fuel gasses: - ANS-LP (liquid petroleum)
Natural gas
What is the difference between tanks and cylinders for LP gas? - ANS-Tanks: storage
with greater than 1000 LBs water capacity.
Cylinder: Portable, usually consumer.
What are some human factors related to fire initiation in a structure? - ANS-Improper
maintenance and operation
Is NFPA 921 a guide or a standard? - ANS-It is the Guide for Fire and Explosion
Investigations
What are the six steps of the scientific method? - ANS-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? - ANS-Analyze the data
What step of the scientific method is deductive reasoning? - ANS-Test the hypothesis
What are the four parts of the fire tetrahedron? - ANS-Fuel (reducing agent)
Heat
Oxidizing agent
Uninhibited chemical chain reaction
What kind of reaction absorbs energy, an endothermic or an exothermic reaction? -
ANS-Endothermic
What is heat transfer by direct contact called? - ANS-Conduction
What is heat transfer by gas flow / air movement called? - ANS-Convection
What is heat transfer by microwave energy called? - ANS-Radiation
What is a fuel controlled fire? - ANS-A fire that is limited by the amount of combustibles.
What is a ventilation controlled fire? - ANS-A fire that is limited by the amount of
oxygen.
What are the stages of fire growth? - ANS-Ignition
Growth
Flashover
Fully Developed
Decay
What is a flashover? - ANS-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? - ANS-Flameover or
rollover
,What factors influence flashover conditions? - ANS-Size of the compartment
Height of ceiling
Ventilation
Amount of fuel
Layout of fuel
Location of fire in the compartment
What are fire patterns? - ANS-The physical manifestation of the affects of fire on
materials.
What are the different types of fire patterns on the walls and ceiling? - ANS-Plume
Generated patterns (often V shaped)
Ventilation generated patterns
Hot gas layer patterns (Line of demarcation)
What is spalling? - ANS-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? - ANS-Pyrolized carbonaceous material
What is oxidation? - ANS-Physical change in appearance of a material resulting from
the combination of oxygen.
What is alloying? - ANS-Mixing two metals heated then cooled to change their
properties. Often melts at a lower temperature.
What is a clean burn? - ANS-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? - ANS-Elemental carbon produced during incomplete combustion.
What is calcination? - ANS-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? - ANS-
Bulbs 25 watts or less pull away. Bulbs greater than 25 watts will expand towards the
fire.
What causes heat shadowing? - ANS-An object blocking the travel of radiated heat.
What is a dead load? - ANS-The weight of things attached to the building, like flooring,
cloumns, and roof coverings.
,What is a live load? - ANS-A load that can move, like people, furniture, wind, water, and
snow.
What is compartmentation? - ANS-Design features of a building that limit fire growth to
the room of origin.
What are the five building construction types? - ANS-Type I - Fire resistant
Type II - Non combustible
Type III - Ordinary
Type IV - Heavy timber
Type V - Wood frame
What is ordinary construction? - ANS-Exterior walls are masonry and frame is wood.
What is wood frame construction? - ANS-Lightweight wood construction, used in
apartments, houses.
What is platform frame construction? - ANS-Each floor is a seperate platform.
What is balloon frame construction? - ANS-The wall studs extend from the foundation to
the roof.
What is Ohm's Law? - ANS-V=IR
(E = I x R)
What is voltage? - ANS-Pressure
What is current? - ANS-Flow
What is resistance? - ANS-Friction, opposition to the flow
What is an overload? - ANS-Power needs exceed the circuit's capacity.
Alternating Current VS Direct Current - ANS-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 - ANS-Residential. Three conductors: Two insulated conductors at
120 V each, and a bare ground wire.
Three phase system - ANS-Commercial. Four conductors: Three insulated conductors
(480, 240, or 208 V), and a bare ground wire.
What is the difference between grounding and bonding? - ANS-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? - ANS-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? - ANS-Hot - black or red
Neutral - gray or white
Ground - bare or green
What are some methods of electrical heat production? - ANS-Resistance heating
Short circuit
Ground fault
Parting Arc
Excessive current
What is the difference between and arc and a spark? - ANS-Sparks are thrown metal
particles
Arcs are brief discharges of electricity
What is arc tracking? - ANS-Arc following salts, dusts, or liquids along a path.
What is arc mapping? - ANS-Mapping out of electrical damage in a circuit.
What is static electricity? - ANS-A stationary charge caused by movement of one object
against another. Lighting is a static disharge.
What are the five conditions nessecery for Static Arc Ignition? - ANS-A Means of static
generation
A means of accumulating and maintaining the charge
A static discharge with sufficient energy
A fuel source
Coexistence of the arc and fuel source
Name two fuel gasses: - ANS-LP (liquid petroleum)
Natural gas
What is the difference between tanks and cylinders for LP gas? - ANS-Tanks: storage
with greater than 1000 LBs water capacity.
Cylinder: Portable, usually consumer.
What are some human factors related to fire initiation in a structure? - ANS-Improper
maintenance and operation
