FIRE INVESTIGATOR – TCFP EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
3 TYPES OF RADIATION - ANS-alpha, beta, gamma
ALPHA RADIATION - ANS-BOUNCES OFF CLOTHING
BETA RADIATION - ANS-PENETRATES CLOTHING
GAMMA RADIATION - ANS-PENETRATES CLOTHING AND SKIN
PARTS OF HAZMAT PLACARD - ANS-YELLOW - INSTABILITY
RED - FLAMMABILITY
BLUE - HEALTH
OXIDATION - ANS-CHEMICAL REACTION INVOLVING THE COMBINATION OF
OXYGEN WITH OTHER MATERIALS
EXOTHERMIC - ANS-Chemical Reaction in which energy is primarily given off in the
form of heat
ENDOTHERMIC - ANS-(of a chemical reaction or compound) occurring or formed with
absorption of heat
FIRE IS AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION CALLED: - ANS-COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION RELEASES ENERGY IN THE FORM OF: - ANS-HEAT OR LIGHT
PILOTED IGNITION - ANS-MOMENT WHEN A MIXTURE OF FUEL AND OXYGEN
ENCOUNTER AN EXTERNAL HEAT SOURCE WITH SUFFICIENT HEAD ENERGY
TO START THE COMBUSTION REACTION.
AUTOIGNITION - ANS-Occurs without any external flame or spark to ignite the fuel
gases or vapors
POTENTIAL ENERGY - ANS-ENERGY POSSESSED BY AN OBJECT THAT MAY BE
RELEASED
KINETIC ENERGY - ANS-ENERGY POSSESSED BY A MOVING OBJECT
BTU - ANS-British Thermal Unit
,BTU IS USED TO MEASURE: - ANS-HEAT
RESISTANCE HEATING - ANS-WHEN ELECTRICAL CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH
A CONDUCTOR, HEAT IS PRODUCED
OVERCURRENT - ANS-WHEN THE CURRENT FLOWING THROUGH A
CONDUCTOR EXCEEDS ITS DESIGN LIMITS.
ARCING - ANS-High-temperature luminous electric discharge across a gap or through a
medium such as charred insulation.
SPARKING - ANS-WHEN AN ELECTRIC ARC OCCURS LUMINOUS PARTICLES
CAN BE FORMED AND SPATTER AWAY FROM THE POINT OF ARCING.
CONDUCTION - ANS-The direct transfer of heat from one substance to another
substance that it is touching.
CONVECTION - ANS-TRANSFER OF HEAT ENERGY FROM A FLUID TO A SOLID
SURFACE OR BETWEEN TWO FLUIDS.
RADIATION - ANS-TRANSMISSION OF ENERGY AS AN ELECTROMAGNETIC
WAVE
FUEL CONTROLLED FIRE - ANS-FIRE LIMITED BY THE AMOUNT OF
COMBUSTIBLES
VENTILATION CONTROLLED FIRE - ANS-FIRE LIMITED BY THE AMOUNT OF
OXYGEN
STAGES OF FIRE GROWTH - ANS-ignition, growth, flashover, fully developed, decay
FLASHOVER - ANS-A transition phase in the development of a compartment fire in
which surfaces exposed to thermal radiation reach ignition temperature more or less
simultaneously and fire spreads rapidly throughout the space, resulting in full room
involvement or total involvement of the compartment or enclosed space.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE FLASHOVER CONDITIONS: - ANS-SIZE OF
COMPARTMENT, HEIGHT OF CEILING, VENTILATION, AMOUNT OF FUEL,
LAYOUT OF FUEL, LOCATION OF FIRE IN COMPARTMENT
FIRE PATTERNS - ANS-PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF THE AFFECTS OF FIRE
ON MATERIALS
TYPES OF FIRE PATTERS ON THE WALLS & CEILING: - ANS-PLUME
GENERATED, VENTILATION GENERATED AND HOT GAS LAYER PATTERNS
, PLUME GENERATED PATTERS ARE: - ANS-V SHAPE
SPALLING - ANS-SEPARATION OF CHUNKS OF CONCRETE WITHIN EXPLOSIVE
FORCE CAUSE BY EXPANSION OF WATER TRAPPED IN THE CONCRETE AS IT
TURNS TO STEAM.
CHAR - ANS-PYROLIZED CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL
ALLOYING - ANS-MIXING TWO METALS HEATED THEN COOLED TO CHANGE
THEIR PROPERTIES.
CLEAN BURN - ANS-WHEN THERE IS ENOUGH HEAT TO BURN AWAY ALL
CARBON DEPOSITS ON A SURFACE LEAVING A "CLEAN" SURFACE. OCCURS ON
NONCOMBUSTIBLE SURFACES
SOOT - ANS-ELEMENTAL CARBON PRODUCED DURING INCOMPLETE
COMBUSTION
CALCINATION - ANS-CHEMICALLY BOUND WATER IS DRIVEN OUT OF GYPSUM
WALLS BY THE HEAT OF 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 THAT 25 WATTS WILL EXPAND TOWARDS THE FIRE.
WHAT CAUSES HEAT SHADOWING? - ANS-AN OBJECT BLOCKING THE TRAVEL
OF RADIATED HEAT
DEAD LOAD - ANS-THE WEIGHT OF THINGS ATTACHED TO THE BUILDINGS LIKE
FLOORING, COLUMNS, AND ROOF COVERINGS
LIVE LOAD - ANS-LOAD THAT CAN MOVE LIKE PEOPLE, FURNITURE, WIND,
WATER AND SNOW
COMPARTMENTATION - ANS-DESIGN FEATURES OF A BUILDING THAT LIMIT
FIRE GROWTH TO THE ROOM OF ORIGIN
5 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION TYPES - ANS-TYPE I - FIRE RESISTANT
TYPE II - NONCOMBUSTIBLE
TYPE III - ORDINARY
TYPE IV - HEAVY TIMBER
TYPE V - WOOD FRAME
ORDINARY CONSTRUCTION - ANS-EXTERIOR WALLS ARE MASONRY AND
FRAME IS WOOD
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
3 TYPES OF RADIATION - ANS-alpha, beta, gamma
ALPHA RADIATION - ANS-BOUNCES OFF CLOTHING
BETA RADIATION - ANS-PENETRATES CLOTHING
GAMMA RADIATION - ANS-PENETRATES CLOTHING AND SKIN
PARTS OF HAZMAT PLACARD - ANS-YELLOW - INSTABILITY
RED - FLAMMABILITY
BLUE - HEALTH
OXIDATION - ANS-CHEMICAL REACTION INVOLVING THE COMBINATION OF
OXYGEN WITH OTHER MATERIALS
EXOTHERMIC - ANS-Chemical Reaction in which energy is primarily given off in the
form of heat
ENDOTHERMIC - ANS-(of a chemical reaction or compound) occurring or formed with
absorption of heat
FIRE IS AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION CALLED: - ANS-COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION RELEASES ENERGY IN THE FORM OF: - ANS-HEAT OR LIGHT
PILOTED IGNITION - ANS-MOMENT WHEN A MIXTURE OF FUEL AND OXYGEN
ENCOUNTER AN EXTERNAL HEAT SOURCE WITH SUFFICIENT HEAD ENERGY
TO START THE COMBUSTION REACTION.
AUTOIGNITION - ANS-Occurs without any external flame or spark to ignite the fuel
gases or vapors
POTENTIAL ENERGY - ANS-ENERGY POSSESSED BY AN OBJECT THAT MAY BE
RELEASED
KINETIC ENERGY - ANS-ENERGY POSSESSED BY A MOVING OBJECT
BTU - ANS-British Thermal Unit
,BTU IS USED TO MEASURE: - ANS-HEAT
RESISTANCE HEATING - ANS-WHEN ELECTRICAL CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH
A CONDUCTOR, HEAT IS PRODUCED
OVERCURRENT - ANS-WHEN THE CURRENT FLOWING THROUGH A
CONDUCTOR EXCEEDS ITS DESIGN LIMITS.
ARCING - ANS-High-temperature luminous electric discharge across a gap or through a
medium such as charred insulation.
SPARKING - ANS-WHEN AN ELECTRIC ARC OCCURS LUMINOUS PARTICLES
CAN BE FORMED AND SPATTER AWAY FROM THE POINT OF ARCING.
CONDUCTION - ANS-The direct transfer of heat from one substance to another
substance that it is touching.
CONVECTION - ANS-TRANSFER OF HEAT ENERGY FROM A FLUID TO A SOLID
SURFACE OR BETWEEN TWO FLUIDS.
RADIATION - ANS-TRANSMISSION OF ENERGY AS AN ELECTROMAGNETIC
WAVE
FUEL CONTROLLED FIRE - ANS-FIRE LIMITED BY THE AMOUNT OF
COMBUSTIBLES
VENTILATION CONTROLLED FIRE - ANS-FIRE LIMITED BY THE AMOUNT OF
OXYGEN
STAGES OF FIRE GROWTH - ANS-ignition, growth, flashover, fully developed, decay
FLASHOVER - ANS-A transition phase in the development of a compartment fire in
which surfaces exposed to thermal radiation reach ignition temperature more or less
simultaneously and fire spreads rapidly throughout the space, resulting in full room
involvement or total involvement of the compartment or enclosed space.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE FLASHOVER CONDITIONS: - ANS-SIZE OF
COMPARTMENT, HEIGHT OF CEILING, VENTILATION, AMOUNT OF FUEL,
LAYOUT OF FUEL, LOCATION OF FIRE IN COMPARTMENT
FIRE PATTERNS - ANS-PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF THE AFFECTS OF FIRE
ON MATERIALS
TYPES OF FIRE PATTERS ON THE WALLS & CEILING: - ANS-PLUME
GENERATED, VENTILATION GENERATED AND HOT GAS LAYER PATTERNS
, PLUME GENERATED PATTERS ARE: - ANS-V SHAPE
SPALLING - ANS-SEPARATION OF CHUNKS OF CONCRETE WITHIN EXPLOSIVE
FORCE CAUSE BY EXPANSION OF WATER TRAPPED IN THE CONCRETE AS IT
TURNS TO STEAM.
CHAR - ANS-PYROLIZED CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL
ALLOYING - ANS-MIXING TWO METALS HEATED THEN COOLED TO CHANGE
THEIR PROPERTIES.
CLEAN BURN - ANS-WHEN THERE IS ENOUGH HEAT TO BURN AWAY ALL
CARBON DEPOSITS ON A SURFACE LEAVING A "CLEAN" SURFACE. OCCURS ON
NONCOMBUSTIBLE SURFACES
SOOT - ANS-ELEMENTAL CARBON PRODUCED DURING INCOMPLETE
COMBUSTION
CALCINATION - ANS-CHEMICALLY BOUND WATER IS DRIVEN OUT OF GYPSUM
WALLS BY THE HEAT OF 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 THAT 25 WATTS WILL EXPAND TOWARDS THE FIRE.
WHAT CAUSES HEAT SHADOWING? - ANS-AN OBJECT BLOCKING THE TRAVEL
OF RADIATED HEAT
DEAD LOAD - ANS-THE WEIGHT OF THINGS ATTACHED TO THE BUILDINGS LIKE
FLOORING, COLUMNS, AND ROOF COVERINGS
LIVE LOAD - ANS-LOAD THAT CAN MOVE LIKE PEOPLE, FURNITURE, WIND,
WATER AND SNOW
COMPARTMENTATION - ANS-DESIGN FEATURES OF A BUILDING THAT LIMIT
FIRE GROWTH TO THE ROOM OF ORIGIN
5 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION TYPES - ANS-TYPE I - FIRE RESISTANT
TYPE II - NONCOMBUSTIBLE
TYPE III - ORDINARY
TYPE IV - HEAVY TIMBER
TYPE V - WOOD FRAME
ORDINARY CONSTRUCTION - ANS-EXTERIOR WALLS ARE MASONRY AND
FRAME IS WOOD
