BOF FF1 Chapter 14*22 Fire Suppression

Anchor Point

Point from which a fire line is begun; usually a natural or man-made barrier that prevents fire spread and the possibility of the crew being "flanked" while constructing the fire line. Examples include lakes, ponds, streams, roads, earlier burns, rockslides, and cliffs.

Class A Foam

Foam specially designed for use on Class A combustibles; increasingly popular for wildland and structural fire fighting.

Clean Agent

Fire suppression material that leaves little or no residue when used.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

Natural gas stored in a vessel at high pressure, usually between 2,400 to 3,600 psi (16800 kPa to 25200 kPa).

Direct Attack (Ground Cover)

In wildland fire fighting, an operation where action is taken directly on burning fuels by applying an extinguishing agent to the edge of the fire or close to it.

Direct Fire Control

Application of water to the seat of the fire with a solid or straight stream.

Exposure Protection

Covering any object in the immediate vicinity of the fire with water or foam.

Exterior Exposure

Building or other combustible object located close to the fire building that is in danger of becoming involved due to heat transfer from the fire building.

Exterior Fire Control

Fire attack from the exterior through an opening to cool the fire compartment and help transition the fire from ventilation-limited to fuel-limited conditions; also referred to as transitional attack or resetting the fire.

Fire Lines

In wildland fire fighting, part of a control line that is scraped or dug to mineral soil; also, a general term for the area where fire fighting activities are taking place.

Flank Attack

Attacking a fire on the sides of a wildland fire (flank) and working along the fire edge toward the head of the fire.

Incident Safety Officer (ISO)

Member of the command staff responsible for monitoring and assessing safety hazards and unsafe conditions during an incident and developing measures for ensuring personnel safety; enforces all applicable safety laws and regulations.

Indirect Attack (Ground Cover)

In wildland fire fighting, a method of controlling a fire in which a control line is located some distance from the main fire edge, and the fuel between the two is burned.

Indirect Fire Control

Combination of flowing water into a fire area and then limiting airflow into the area to cool it before direct fire control.

Interior Advancement

Directing water into the hot gas layer to reduce the heat release rate in a compartment so firefighters can advance closer to the seat of the fire.

Interior Exposure

Areas of a fire building not yet involved in fire but connected to the fire area in a way that can facilitate fire spread.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

Natural gas cooled to a liquid state and stored under pressure.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

Including both propane/butane (products of petroleum), are stored under pressure as a liquid

Lockout/Tagout Device

Device used to secure a machine’s power switches to prevent accidental restart.

Parallel Attack

Constructing a fire line parallel to a wildland fire’s edge, then burning out the fuel between the line and the fire.

Shielded Fire

Fire located in a remote part of the structure or hidden from view by objects in the compartment.

Stranded Energy

Energy remaining within a lithium-ion battery cell after attempts to safely discharge it.

Thermal Runaway

Process in which increased temperature releases energy that further increases temperature; in lithium-ion batteries, charging or overcharging can cause temperature to rise, increasing current and heat.

Topography

Physical configuration of the land or terrain, often shown using contour lines.

When might removing the fuel source to extinguish a fire be an effective tactic?

When fuel can be safely eliminated, shut off, or isolated from the fire, such as in gas or fuel-fed fires, or by removing nearby combustibles before they ignite

What are the four methods firefighters use to interrupt the fire tetrahedron and extinguish a fire?

Temperature reduction, fuel removal, oxygen exclusion, and chemical flame inhibition

Describe the steps for performing exterior fire control

use of exterior straight or solid streams through doors and windows to help transition from ventilation limited to fuel limited; stream at ceiling results in broken stream reducing chance for flashover and a more survivable environment, also result of stream at the top edge of a windwow or door frame; water flow should be continued and extinguish as much fire as possible of allowing direct contant to burning fire fuels

What are some pre-entry considerations for firefighter safety and effectiveness?

reading fire behavior, understandind crews tactical assignment, identifying potential emergency escapes, evaluating forcable entry requirements, identifying hazards, verifying that radios are receiving and transmitting, ensuring that SBCA is full and operating correctly, ensuring all PASS devices are up and operating, and conducting a buddy check

Compare direct versus indirect fire control tactics.

Direct fire control of water is applying water to the seat of the fire with a solid or straight stream most effeciently; A indirect fire control is a combination of flowing water into a fire area and then limiting the flow of air into the fire area as a means to cool the area prior to direct fire control

How does the location of standpipes affect fire control methods in upper level structures?

if standpipe operations are located in unprotected locations then the attack hoseline is connected on the floor below the fire floor and advanced up the nearest stairwell; if the connection is in a protected stairwell, hoselines may be connected on the fire floor

In both residential and commercial basement fires, what should be performed before any fire control operations?

FF needn to verify from the outside that the floor above the basement is visible, if so, they must understand that other than visual inspections of all surfaces and supports, there are no reliable ways to determine if the floor is structurally sound; pre-incident surveys and inspections help determine the type of basement ceiling construction and the amount of fire it can withhold before a collapse, the location of standpipe connections and potential ventilation air flow paths and the amount of breathing air needed to access a basement fire will influence the tactics used

What are some tactics for protecting interior and exterior exposures?

closing doors or other openings between the fire area and the uneffected area and the proper use of tactival ventilation to ensure limited smoke movement; remove the endangered persons/property/items or apply a protective spray of water or foam extinguishing agents between fire and the exposure

Where can the control valve on a sprinkler system be found?

directly under the spinkler alarm valve, the dry pipe or deluge valve, or outside the building near the sprinkler system it controls

What are some reasons to keep electrical power on until ordered to turn it off?

it may be necessary to operate elevators, air handling equipment, and other essential systems in all types of occupancies

Where can the shutoff valves for natural gas and LPG systems be found?

For natural gas, outside the structure near the foundation or on the easement near the property line; for LPG, at the point where the supply line from the LPG tank enters the structure

What is the first action to take upon arriving at a vehicle incident scene?

decide if the incident scene will necessitate traffic being diverted, and request assistance

What are some of the basic procedures for attacking a vehicle fire?

position a handline between the burning vehicle and any exposures, position uphill of fire to avoid standing in the path of leaking fuels funning downhill, stabalize and chock wheels as soon as possible, approach fire with agent 45 degrees from side of vehicle to avoid potential for injuries from hydroulic/pneumatic struts, extingush fire near vehicle occupants first, issue all clear when occupants are out, extinguish ground fire near or around vehicle, and extinguish fire remaining in or around vehicle

What are some methods for attacking engine and trunk compartment fires?

pry the hood or trunk free with Halligan or crow bar, remove metal around key or latch, approach from the side with appropriate tool and pry, direct hose streams under car, and use peircing nozzle to pierce hood/trunk

What are some tactics for attacking fires involving CNG (compressed natural gas) and LNG (liquified) vehicles?

If no fire is visible (use a gas detector to locate leaks, locate shut off valves, and eliminate any ignition sources, stay clear of any detected vapor clouds); if fire is visible (allow fuel to burn itself out, use water or foam to extinguish if necessary, cool the container from a safe distance, use a fog stream to disperse Vapor clouds, and avoid contact with high velocity jet of escaping gas)

What is the recommended extinguishing agent for a vehicle fire involving a lithium-ion battery?

large amounts of water

How should fire streams be utilized on stacked and piled materials?

Fire streams should be directed at the fires extreme Edge, controlling the spread, use a straight stream from the distance and then shift to a fog pattern

What is the primary mission in fires involving small unattached structures?

Prevent fire spread to exposures and then extinguish the fire; Class A foam in fog streams can be very effective for exposure protection, Advancing close to the fire, and extinguishment

Which part of a ground cover fire should typically be controlled in order to control the fire?

The key to controlling the fire is to control the head and prevent the formation of a new head

When might an indirect attack be performed on a ground cover fire?

It is used at varying distances from the advancing fire; this method is generally used against fires that are too hot, too fast, or too big for a direct attack

How can the concept of LCES be applied to ground cover fire safety?

it is a situational awareness technique that stands Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones

What are some examples of nonfire hazards?

unstable trees, animals, insects, extreme temperatures, electrified fence, electrical power lines, explosives, hazardous materials, rolling or falling debris, pits or shafts, and animal traps