Chapter 5 Firefighter PPE

Question 1

Airborne pathogens

Answer 1

Disease causing microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, or fungi) that are suspended in the air

Question 2

Air-purifying respirator (APR)

Answer 2

Respirator that removes contaminants by passing ambient air through a filter, cartridge, or canister; may have a full or partial face piece

Question 3

Atmosphere-supplying respirator (ASR)

Answer 3

Respirator that supplies the user with an air supply from a source independent of the ambient atmosphere

Question 4

Auto-cascade system

Answer 4

Completely automated stationary fill station that fills air cylinders to a programmed pressure

Question 5

Cascade system

Answer 5

Three or more large, interconnected air cylinders, from which smaller SCBA cylinders are recharged; the larger cylinders typically have a capacity of 300 cubic feet (9 cubic meters)

Question 6

Closed-circuit SCBA

Answer 6

SCBA that recycles exhaled air; removed carbon dioxide and restores compressed, chemical, or liquid oxygen. Not approved for fire fighting operations

Question 7

Emergency escape breathing support system (EEBSS)

Answer 7

Feature installed on some SCBA which allows two firefighters to breathe from one cylinder without removing their facepieces

Question 8

End of service time indicator (EOSTI)

Answer 8

Warning device that alerts the user that the respiratory protection equipment is about to reach its limit and that its time to exit the contaminated atmosphere; its alarm may be audible, tactile, visual, or any combination thereof

Question 9

Firefighter breathing air replenishments systems (FBARS)

Answer 9

A standpipe for air permanently installed within a high-rise building or large horizontal structure. Air is pumped into the system by a fire departments mobile air truck on the ground, providing an immediate and continuous supply of breathing air to the responders. Air bottles can then be refilled in a matter of seconds at fill stations locates throughout a high-rise building

Question 10

Fusee

Answer 10

Pyrotechnic flare sometimes used in wildland fire fighting to start controlled burns

Question 11

High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter

Answer 11

Respiratory filter that is certified to remove at least 99.97% of mono-disperse particles of 0.3 micrometers in diameter

Question 12

Hypoxia

Answer 12

Potentially fatal conditions caused by lack of oxygen

Question 13

Oxygen-deficient atmosphere

Answer 13

Atmosphere containing less than the normal 19.5% oxygen. At least 16% oxygen is needed to produce flames or sustain human life

Question 14

Particulate

Answer 14

Very small particle of solid material, such as dust, that us suspended in the atmosphere

Question 15

Permissible exposure limit

Answer 15

How much time 95% of adults can be exposed to a chemical or work area without having long term effects

Question 16

PASS DEVICE

Answer 16

(Personal Alert Safety System)
Electronic lack-of-motion sensor that sounds a loud alarm when a firefighter becomes motionless; can also be manually activated

Question 17

PPE

Answer 17

General term for the equipment worn by fire and emergency service responders

Question 18

Point of no return

Answer 18

Point at which air in the SCBA will last only long enough to exit a hazardous atmosphere

Question 19

Powered air-purifying-respirator (PAPR)

Answer 19

Motorized respirator that uses a filter to clean surrounding air, then delivers it to the wearer to breathe; typically includes a headpiece, breathing tube, and a blower/battery box that is worn on the belt

Question 20

Protective coat

Answer 20

Coat worn during fire fighting, rescue, and extraction operations

Question 21

Protective gloves

Answer 21

Protective clothing designed to protect the hands

Question 22

Protective hood

Answer 22

Hood to protect a firefighters ears,neck, and face from heat and debris

Question 23

Protective trousers

Answer 23

Trousers to protect the lower torso and the legs during emergency operations

Question 24

Proximity fire fighting

Answer 24

Activities required for rescue, fire suppression, and property conservation at fires that produce high radiant, conducive, or convective heat; includes aircraft, hazardous materials transport, and storage tank fires

Question 25

Pulmonary edema

Answer 25

Accumulation of fluids in the lungs -from breathing in hot gasses

Question 26

Qualitative fit test (QLFT)

Answer 26

Respirator fit test to measure the wearer’s response to a test agent, such as smoke or odorous vapor, if the wearer smells or tastes it the respirator doesnt fit

Question 27

Quantitative fit test (QNFT)

Answer 27

Fit test in which it measures the amount of a test agent that has leaked into the respirator from the ambient atmosphere, if it leaks above the pre set amount the mask does not fit

Question 28

Remote pressure gauge

Answer 28

Pressure gauge that is not mounted on the regulator but can be seen by the SCBA wearer; commonly found on SCBA that have facepiece mounted regulators

Question 29

Respiratory hazards

Answer 29

Conditions that create a hazard to the respiratory system, including products id combustion, toxic gasses and superheated or oxygen deficient atmospheres

Question 30

Retroreflective trim

Answer 30

Surfaces such as those used on road signs, and emergency vehicle markings, protective clothing, or safety vests; designed to reflect light along multiple planes at once, giving the surface the appearance of illumination

Question 31

Search line

Answer 31

Non-load-barring rope that is anchored to a safe, exterior location and attached to a firefighter during search operations to act as a safety line

Question 32

Self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)

Answer 32

Respirator worn by the user that supplies a breathable atmosphere that is either carried in or generated by the apparatus and is independent of the ambient atmosphere, all IDLH situations respirator protection is required

Question 33

Structural firefighters protective clothing

Answer 33

General term for the equipment worn by fire and emergency services responders; includes, helmets, coats, pants, boots, eye protection, gloves, protection hoods, SCBA, and a PASS device

Question 34

Thermal saturation

Answer 34

Point at which a liquid or solid can no longer absorb heat without undergoing a physical change, wither vaporization in liquids or pyrolization in solids