Chapter 10: Structural Search and Rescue

How can you help rescuers find you if you are forced to shelter in place?

Shine a light through available windows to draw attention to your location

If a fire is encountered in a room during search and rescue operations, rescuers should:

close the door and report the conditions.

When removing a firefighter with functioning SCBA from a hazardous location:

move the firefighter carefully so as not to dislodge the mask.

Panic, claustrophobia, and disorientation are effects of:

obscured vision conditions.

An advantage of marking with latch straps is that they:

prevent the door from closing.

You should leave the hazard zone:

at the same time as your team.

Rooms or close areas where the door can be closed to prevent the spread of heat, smoke, and toxic gases into that space are called:

safe havens.

A minimum of _____ firefighters are needed to perform VEIS if using a ladder.

three

Actions such as opening a bypass valve on a cylinder, sharing air, and breathing directly from the cylinder are:

possible solutions to air emergencies.

Which situation would require a firefighter to call a MAYDAY?

SCBA malfunction

An atmosphere is considered hazardous if it contains a hazardous gas in excess of 10 percent of the hazardous material's:

lower explosive limit.

A MAYDAY is called when:

a firefighter is in immediate danger

What is the purpose of a rapid intervention crew (RIC)?

Rescue injured or trapped firefighters

Which condition specific to search and rescue operations should be communicated to crew members and/or your supervisor?

Known locations of victims or occupants

VEIS is only intended for:

rapid rescue of victims and the isolation of individual rooms

When should you check your SCBA gauge to see how much air you have left?

When the assigned area is reached

If you are near the downed firefighter when a MAYDAY transmission is made:

listen closely for your orders after the transmission and do not freelance

Why should personnel search behind doors and on the floor below windows?

Smoke may overcome occupants while they are trying to escape

Your point of no return is based on:

the lowest cylinder gauge reading of any member of the team

Which basic firefighting skill serves as an essential survival skill during search and rescue operations?

Forcing a window or cutting through debris

The four steps involved in VEIS are:

vent, enter, isolate, search

Which type of carry or drag is commonly used for children, but is not practical for unconscious adults?

Cradle-in-arms lift/carry

During a secondary search, rescuers should not remove SCBA until:

the supervisor or safety officer determines that the atmosphere is safe

Which acronym describes the mandatory tools carried by a rapid intervention crew?

AWARE- Air, Water, A Radio, Extrication

In which search method does the leader remain at a fixed point while searching team members spread out through a room to complete a search?

Oriented-search method

Which is an accurate statement about using an air-monitoring device?

If devices are used incorrectly, the safety of everyone around can be in jeopardy

Under normal conditions, air management increases your work time, but if you are lost or trapped, it:

will not be effective, because adrenaline and stress will drastically increase your consumption rate

In order to safely conduct a primary search, rescuers should:

work in teams of two or more

What is a rescuer's role in occupant self-evacuation?

Establishing a safe haven away from the structure

To be physically and mentally prepared for survival during search and rescue operations, you should:

practice emergency exit techniques

After locating a downed firefighter in an IDLH atmosphere, what is the RIC's priority?

Exiting the IDLH atmosphere

Which coupling on a hoseline will indicate you are headed toward an egress point?

Male

When any evacuation signal is given, all exiting crews must:

confirm the evacuation order with the IC before exiting the structure

What should you do if you become entangled while trying to evacuate a building?

Broadcast a MAYDAY, then attempt to free yourself

The AHJ should establish action levels that describe how firefighters should respond to high- or low-level alarms while performing:

air monitoring

Why must locating and isolating the fire be a priority before any search?

Entering to search provides a ventilation opening to the structure, which could cause fire to spread

Why should firefighters exit the IDLH before their low-pressure alarm activates?

The remaining air is insufficient to exit from deep inside a large structure and does not take into account emergencies that may be encountered

If you think your life is in immediate danger, transmit the MAYDAY signal and then:

communicate your situation to the IC before activating your PASS device

A bump test is performed to:

verify that a gas detector is functioning properly

Firefighters use air-monitoring devices to:

detect oxygen levels and hazardous substances

During a wide-area search, every team member is equipped with a:

tether line

In which location would sheltering-in-place likely be used instead of evacuation?

Hospital

Search and rescue marks should be placed:

on the lower third of the door, the lower third of the adjacent wall, or in the landing of the adjacent stairs

In order to conduct an effective search operation, firefighters must know the:

layout or floor plan of the building

A primary search is:

a fast, thorough search performed either before or during fire suppression operations

If air monitoring indicates that the oxygen level in the atmosphere is below 19.5 percent,:

the IC or Incident Safety Officer should be notified

Escaping to a safe haven is the best options when:

there is imminent threat of structural collapse

Which action can protect the egress pathways during a search so that the search team can escape if conditions change rapidly?

Close doors along the egress path after rooms are searched

Secondary searches:

use the same steps as primary searches

One limitation of thermal imagers is that:

If a structure is carpeted, they may not be able to detect fire on the floors below

For firefighters, the environment may remain tenable as long as:

heat levels and duration of the interior operations stay within acceptable limits for the PPE and SCBA provided

Why is breaching interior walls not a preferred method of escape?

It requires strength, depletes air supply, and creates an additional flow path

Which search method employs the use of markers such as knots at regular intervals along the search line to indicate distance from the beginning of the search line?

Wide-area search method

An advantage of using thermal imagers during search and rescue operations is:

improved visibility in an obscured environment

If an exterior wall must be breached during search and rescue operations, rescue personnel:

must coordinate with the IC and ventilation teams before making the opening

During search and rescue operations, rescuers should NOT:

enter a structure where survivors are not likely to be found

Which of the following actions should be taken immediately when MAYDAY is broadcast?

All radio traffic ceases and only traffic relating to the MAYDAY is allowed

Before entering an IDLH environment, you must:

ensure that your SCBA is turned on, working properly, and contains a full cylinder of air

When you are seeking to escape and you locate a window, you should:

ask Command if opening the window will make interior conditions worse

How does staying low to the floor improve survivability?

Temperatures are cooler and air may be less contaminated

While in a structure searching for a downed firefighter, the RIC should:

stop frequently and briefly remain silent

A tracking device set to search mode:

displays the distance and direction toward another receiver

What is the best option when rapid fire development is about to occur?

Escape to a safe haven

In which situation would firefighters likely use an air monitoring device?

A medical call where multiple victims have collapsed for an unknown reason

What types of tools and equipment do search and rescue personnel carry?

Thermal imagers and forcible entry tools

If there is heavy smoke or extreme heat in a compartment that is being searched, rescuers should:

move below the smoke level

When does the secondary search take place?

After the fire is under control

Where should you start the search on the fire floor?

Where victims will be easiest to rescue

Which of the following is one of the three principles of air management?

Know your point of no return