FIREFIGHTER II - MOD B -
STUDY GUIDE(74 questions
and answers)
Contains:
Building Construction
Forcible Entry/Ventilation
Water Supply/Nozzles & Fire Streams
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
...
1.Types of building construction -
NFPA 1001: 3-3.11
2.All firefighters should have a basic knowledge of the principles of building
construction.
Knowledge of the various types of building construction and how fires react
in each type give the firefighter and the fire officer an edge in planning for a
safe and effective fire attack.
3. TYPE I (FIRE-RESISTIVE) CONSTRUCTION -
structural members (walls, columns, beams, floors, roofs) made of
noncombustible or limited combustible materials, fire-resistive
compartmentalization, primary fire hazards are the contents of the structure,
ability to confine fire may be compromised by openings (in walls, ceilings or
floors), overhaul is difficult, sprinklers and fire resistive coating on all
structural members.
4.TYPE II (NONCOMBUSTIBLE OR LIMITED COMBUSTIBLE) CONSTRUCTION -
similar to fire-resistive construction except that the degree of fire resistance
is lower, has a fire resistance rating on all parts of the structure (exterior,
load bearing walls and building materials), materials with no fire-resistance
(untreated wood) may be used in limited quantities, one of the primary
protection concerns is the contents of the building, heat buildup from a fire
can cause structural supports to fail, type of roof may be a problem (often
have flat, built-up roofs containing combustible felt, insulation and roofing
,tar) and fire extension to the roof can eventually cause the entire roof to
become involved and fail.
5.TYPE III (ORDINARY) CONSTRUCTION -
(very common construction type from 1900-1950's) Exterior walls and
structural members constructed of noncombustible or limited combustible
materials, interior structural members (walls, columns, beams, floors and
roofs) are completely or partially constructed of wood (in smaller dimension
that that required for Type IV heavy timber construction), primary concern is
the problem of smoke and fire spreading through concealed spaces (between
walls, floors and ceiling), heat from the fire may be conducted through finish
materials (drywall, gypsum board or plaster), building collapse is a major
concern with this type of construction
6.TYPE IV (HEAVY TIMBER) CONSTRUCTION -
features exterior/interior walls and their associated members made of
noncombustible or limited combustible materials, other interior structures
(beams, columns, arches, floors and roofs) are made of solid or laminated
wood with no concealed spaces, dimensions must be large enough to be
considered heavy timber (this type of construction was used extensively in
old factories, mills and warehouses, occasionally today in churches), primary
fire hazard is the massive amount of combustible contents in the building,
heavy timbers remain stable for a long period of time under fire conditions,
but give off tremendous amounts of heat posing a serious exposure problem
for firefighters.
7.TYPE V (WOOD FRAME) CONSTRUCTION -
typical single family residence, wood-frame construction (exterior/interior
walls, floors, roofs and supports completely or partially constructed of wood),
unlimited potential for fire extension within the building of origin and nearby
structures, firefighters must be alert for fire coming from doors or windows.
8. WOOD -
used in various structural support systems, reaction of wood to fire depends
upon the size of the wood and the moisture content of the wood (the smaller
the size the faster it loses structural integrity, the higher the moisture
content the slower the rate of burn), water used during extinguishing
operations does NOT have a substantial negative effect of the structural
support strength of wood construction materials, applying water to burning
wood minimizes damage by stopping the charring process.
9. MASONRY -
, includes bricks, stones and concrete masonry products, commonly used for
fire wall assemblies (fire wall), block walls may be load bearing, most brick
and stone walls are veneer (decorative), bricks rarely show signs of serious
deterioration, stones may lose portions of their surface (spelling), blocks may
crack but usually retain most of their basic strength and stability, the mortar
between bricks should be checked for weakness, rapid cooling from
extinguishing operations (water) may cause masonry to crack (common
problem in chimney fires).
10.CAST IRON -
rarely used in modern construction, typically found in older buildings and
commonly used as an exterior surface (veneer walls or ceilings), stands up
well to fire but may crack or shatter when rapidly cooled with water, primary
concern is that the nuts or bolts that hold the cast iron to a building can fail,
causing large sections to fall.
11.STEEL -
primary material used for structural support in modern buildings, steel
structural members elongate (lengthen) when heated (Example: a 50 foot
beam may lengthen by as much as four inches when heated to 1000
degrees), if the steel is restricted from movement at the ends it buckles and
fails in the middle, failure of steel can be anticipated at approximately 1000
degrees (lighter members such as an open truss will fail quicker than a
heavier I-beam), primary concern is collapse (pushing out of load bearing
walls), water can reduce risk of failure by cooling steel structures.
12.REINFORCED CONCRETE -
concrete that is internally fortified with steel reinforcement bars or mesh,
does NOT perform well under fire conditions, heat may cause a failure
between the concrete and steel reinforcement, loses strength and spells.
13.GYPSUM -
inorganic product from which plaster and plasterboards (drywall) are made,
high water content so therefore fire resistant, provides insulation to steel and
wood structural members, breaks down gradually under fire conditions.
14.GLASS/FIBERGLASS
- glass is not typically used for structural support but rather in sheet form for
doors and windows, wire reinforced glass may provide some thermal
protection but for the most part is NOT an effective barrier to fire extension,
heated glass may shatter when struck by a cold fire stream, fiberglass is
STUDY GUIDE(74 questions
and answers)
Contains:
Building Construction
Forcible Entry/Ventilation
Water Supply/Nozzles & Fire Streams
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
...
1.Types of building construction -
NFPA 1001: 3-3.11
2.All firefighters should have a basic knowledge of the principles of building
construction.
Knowledge of the various types of building construction and how fires react
in each type give the firefighter and the fire officer an edge in planning for a
safe and effective fire attack.
3. TYPE I (FIRE-RESISTIVE) CONSTRUCTION -
structural members (walls, columns, beams, floors, roofs) made of
noncombustible or limited combustible materials, fire-resistive
compartmentalization, primary fire hazards are the contents of the structure,
ability to confine fire may be compromised by openings (in walls, ceilings or
floors), overhaul is difficult, sprinklers and fire resistive coating on all
structural members.
4.TYPE II (NONCOMBUSTIBLE OR LIMITED COMBUSTIBLE) CONSTRUCTION -
similar to fire-resistive construction except that the degree of fire resistance
is lower, has a fire resistance rating on all parts of the structure (exterior,
load bearing walls and building materials), materials with no fire-resistance
(untreated wood) may be used in limited quantities, one of the primary
protection concerns is the contents of the building, heat buildup from a fire
can cause structural supports to fail, type of roof may be a problem (often
have flat, built-up roofs containing combustible felt, insulation and roofing
,tar) and fire extension to the roof can eventually cause the entire roof to
become involved and fail.
5.TYPE III (ORDINARY) CONSTRUCTION -
(very common construction type from 1900-1950's) Exterior walls and
structural members constructed of noncombustible or limited combustible
materials, interior structural members (walls, columns, beams, floors and
roofs) are completely or partially constructed of wood (in smaller dimension
that that required for Type IV heavy timber construction), primary concern is
the problem of smoke and fire spreading through concealed spaces (between
walls, floors and ceiling), heat from the fire may be conducted through finish
materials (drywall, gypsum board or plaster), building collapse is a major
concern with this type of construction
6.TYPE IV (HEAVY TIMBER) CONSTRUCTION -
features exterior/interior walls and their associated members made of
noncombustible or limited combustible materials, other interior structures
(beams, columns, arches, floors and roofs) are made of solid or laminated
wood with no concealed spaces, dimensions must be large enough to be
considered heavy timber (this type of construction was used extensively in
old factories, mills and warehouses, occasionally today in churches), primary
fire hazard is the massive amount of combustible contents in the building,
heavy timbers remain stable for a long period of time under fire conditions,
but give off tremendous amounts of heat posing a serious exposure problem
for firefighters.
7.TYPE V (WOOD FRAME) CONSTRUCTION -
typical single family residence, wood-frame construction (exterior/interior
walls, floors, roofs and supports completely or partially constructed of wood),
unlimited potential for fire extension within the building of origin and nearby
structures, firefighters must be alert for fire coming from doors or windows.
8. WOOD -
used in various structural support systems, reaction of wood to fire depends
upon the size of the wood and the moisture content of the wood (the smaller
the size the faster it loses structural integrity, the higher the moisture
content the slower the rate of burn), water used during extinguishing
operations does NOT have a substantial negative effect of the structural
support strength of wood construction materials, applying water to burning
wood minimizes damage by stopping the charring process.
9. MASONRY -
, includes bricks, stones and concrete masonry products, commonly used for
fire wall assemblies (fire wall), block walls may be load bearing, most brick
and stone walls are veneer (decorative), bricks rarely show signs of serious
deterioration, stones may lose portions of their surface (spelling), blocks may
crack but usually retain most of their basic strength and stability, the mortar
between bricks should be checked for weakness, rapid cooling from
extinguishing operations (water) may cause masonry to crack (common
problem in chimney fires).
10.CAST IRON -
rarely used in modern construction, typically found in older buildings and
commonly used as an exterior surface (veneer walls or ceilings), stands up
well to fire but may crack or shatter when rapidly cooled with water, primary
concern is that the nuts or bolts that hold the cast iron to a building can fail,
causing large sections to fall.
11.STEEL -
primary material used for structural support in modern buildings, steel
structural members elongate (lengthen) when heated (Example: a 50 foot
beam may lengthen by as much as four inches when heated to 1000
degrees), if the steel is restricted from movement at the ends it buckles and
fails in the middle, failure of steel can be anticipated at approximately 1000
degrees (lighter members such as an open truss will fail quicker than a
heavier I-beam), primary concern is collapse (pushing out of load bearing
walls), water can reduce risk of failure by cooling steel structures.
12.REINFORCED CONCRETE -
concrete that is internally fortified with steel reinforcement bars or mesh,
does NOT perform well under fire conditions, heat may cause a failure
between the concrete and steel reinforcement, loses strength and spells.
13.GYPSUM -
inorganic product from which plaster and plasterboards (drywall) are made,
high water content so therefore fire resistant, provides insulation to steel and
wood structural members, breaks down gradually under fire conditions.
14.GLASS/FIBERGLASS
- glass is not typically used for structural support but rather in sheet form for
doors and windows, wire reinforced glass may provide some thermal
protection but for the most part is NOT an effective barrier to fire extension,
heated glass may shatter when struck by a cold fire stream, fiberglass is
