Basic Ventilation Flashcards by Phillip Celaya

What is the definition of “ventilation”?

The planned, methodical, and systematic removal of pressure, heat, smoke, toxic gasses, and flame from an area and the replacement of these products with cooler, fresh air

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Ventilation improves visibility which can help us locate _____ quicker.

Victims

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Can ventilation alone put out a fire?

NO, but it is a critical component

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Heat and smoke will take the path of _____ resistance

Least

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An opening will release pressure and pull ____, ____, and ____ to the opening

Heat, smoke, and fire

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Why is ventilation a “double edged sword”?

It will eventually make the fire worse

Poorly placed ventilation openings will pull the fire toward you

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What is a “ventilation limited” fire?

A fire that is limited by the amount of air (O2) that is available to the fire

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What is a “fuel limited” fire?

A fire that is limited by the amount of fuel that is available to the fire

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What are the limiting factors for an outside fire and a compartment fire?

Outside- Fuel

Compartment- O2`

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What are the 3 types of ventilation?

Vertical
Horizontal
Built-in

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What are the 2 types of vertical ventilation?

Self

Fire department initiated

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What are the 2 types of horizontal ventilation?

Natural

Forced

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What are the 3 types of forced horizontal ventilation?

Positive pressure
Negative pressure
Hydraulic

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What is “self-ventilation”?

When the fire has burned through the roof decking

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If the fire has self-ventilated, can we still be on the roof or under it?

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Self-ventilation is cause to think about transitioning to a _____ attack

Defensive

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What is the general rule about a roof that is unsafe to be on top of?

That it is also unsafe to operate underneath it

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What is the most effective way to exhaust smoke and fire gasses from a building?

FD initiated vertical ventilation

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Where should vertical ventilation openings be located?

The highest point above the fire, or directly over it(or as close to directly over it as possible)

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What dangerous fire “explosion” can vertical ventilation help prevent?

Backdraft

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How does vertical ventilation help prevent a backdraft?

It allows the smoke and hot gases to exit the vent hole prior to introduction of oxygen

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What are the 6 factors to consider for ventilation?

Life safety hazards
Visible smoke conditions
The building involved
If there is a need
Where to ventilate
The type of ventilation

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What are the 4 things included in ventilation equipment?

PPE with SCBA
Tools
Ladders
Hose line

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What are the 5 things you need to consider before taking that first step?

Is there fire showing from the roof?
Is there any roof sag?
What is the type of roof?
Is there smoke or fire?
Is there slate or tile on the roof that will make traversing difficult?

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How many escape routes must you have when ventilating?

2 at the strong points of the roof | Ladder and approach from the unburned side and have a 2nd ladder opposite of the first one

Do you need to always have your air on while ventilating?

YES

Where should you initially start your saw?

On the ground

If the roof has a steep pitch you should...

Utilize a roof ladder or cut off aerial ladder

When sounding off on a roof with tile or slate....

Break the tile/slate and sound off on the roof underlayment

When walking on a roof you should be walking on at least a ____ or ____

Joist or rafter

What are the 3 kinds of existing roof openings that you can utilize?

Skylights Stairwells Scuttle doors

Which is better, 1 large hole or multiple small holes?

1 large hole

What is the minimum opening for a residential structure?

4x4

What is the minimum opening for a commercial structure?

8x8

What is the rule of thumb for a commercial opening?

10 percent of the roof surface

You should cut with the wind to your ____

Back

You should work ____ your ladder when cutting a vent hole

Toward

Can you direct a hose stream through the vent hole?

NEVER!!!

When vertical ventilation is used in conjunction with forced ventilation, what 2 things must you know?

Know the fire location an status | Make sure that it's not an attic fire

What are the 4 types of vent holes that we will cut?

Vertical ventilation hole Inspection hole Trench cut One rafter louver cut

What are the 2 types of inspection holes?

Kerf cut | Triangle cut

Is a trench cut an offensive or defensive operation?

Defensive

What needs to be in place to defend the trench?

Hose lines

Is anybody inside on the fire side of the trench?

What is horizontal ventilation?

Venting of heat, smoke, and gases through wall openings such as windows and doors

What are the 3 instances that horizontal ventilation is used?

Smaller fires that don't require vertical ventilation Buildings that cannot be vertically ventilated easily Buildings with a compromised roof structure

What are 3 examples of buildings that cannot be vertically ventilated easily?

High-rise 2 story building with fire on 1st floor only Basements

What is natural horizontal ventilation?

Using the wind to ventilate a structure

What is forced horizontal ventilation?

Using fans, smoke ejectors, or other means to push or pull smoke out of a structure

With natural horizontal ventilation, which side should you open first? Which side should you open next?

Open leeward side first at the highest point | Open the windward side next at the lowest point

Why should you remove window screens?

They reduce airflow by 50 percent

What are the 5 advantages of forced horizontal ventilation?

More positive control over the fire Supplements natural ventilation Speeds removal of contaminants No additional damage to roof of the structure Reduces smoke damage which increases good PR

What are the 3 disadvantages of forced horizontal ventilation?

Introduces air in large volumes Dependent on power source Requires special equipment

What is hydraulic ventilation?

Using air movement of a fog stream to draw out products of combustion

What are the 4 disadvantages of hydraulic ventilation?

Increased water damage Drain on available water supply firefighters must be exposed to environment Operation interrupted when air supply for firefighters runs out

With hydraulic ventilation, how far does the nozzle tip need to be from the window opening?

2 feet

With hydraulic ventilation, how much of the fog stream should cover the window opening?

85-90 percent

How much air will a nozzle flowing 95 gpm move?

5000 cfm

What is used for negative pressure ventilation?

Smoke ejectors

When placing smoke ejectors, should they exhaust with or against the wind?

With the wind

What are the 3 disadvantages of negative pressure ventilation?

Personnel are subjected to the atmosphere while setting up Contaminates are drawn through the ejector Doorways/windows are obstructed

What are the 4 advantages of positive pressure ventilation over negative pressure ventilation?

Firefighters are not exposed to environments Fans not directly blocking ingress or egress Twice as effective as NPV Contaminants are not drawn through ejector

PPV efficiency can be improved by pressurizing ____ areas one at a time

Small

With PPV, how much of the air cone should cover the opening?

The entire opening

With PPV, maintain ___ exit point at a time

With PPV, the exit size should be ______________________ than the entry point to maintain positive pressure effect

Same size or smaller

Built in ventilation systems may automatically shut down if...

Smoke or heat is detected in the air ducts | OR... firefighters may have shut down the system

HVAC systems may draw in smoke and heat and ________________

Spread the fire

During fire conditions can firefighters attempt to operate smoke control systems?

NO | Building engineers should be called to operate them at the direction of fire personnel

A high rise building may need __-__ times as much staffing as residential fires

4-6

In a high rise building, the stack effect may spread smoke to....

Multiple floors

How do we typically ventilate a high rise building?

Utilizing a stairwell with roof access hatch

What are the 3 problems with ventilating a basement?

Must descend through the heat and gases Limited openings with which to ventilate Hard to access and possibly deep seated fires due to use as storage

With basement ventilation, should we utilize exterior basement windows opposite of the attack?

YES, when possible

If there are no exterior windows in a basement fire, where should you consider a vent hole?

In 1st floor near window

What are the 3 reasons that ventilation is more important now than ever before?

Construction Equipment Flow path

What is significant about modern construction and ventilation?

Increased synthetics Increased air tightness Increased fire load

When done properly, what ultimately should ventilation accomplish?

Decreases fire spread and increases visibility for fire attack

Inadequate or improper ventilation can cause...

Death or injury and cause destruction of the building

Basic Ventilation Flashcards

(79 cards)