CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO BECOME A
FIREMAN

 Click Below For...

100% Money-Back Guarantee

Store Shop
Entry Level Firefighter Exam Preparation

Home

Sitemap

Fireprep newsletter sign-up and Free firefighter exam notices

Lt. and Capt.
 In-Basket Exams

Promotional Test-Taking Strategies

Fire Fighter Testimonials

About Us

Links

Mailing List

Contact Us

Fireman Pictures

Click Here for Past Fireprep Newsletters

Click Here!
To enter your
E-mail address
to receive our free entry level fireprep newsletter and for our  drawing to WIN a FREE COPY
of the
"Encyclopedia of
Firefighter
Examinations"
&
"Psychological
Exam
Preparation"

Friends of Fireprep
Yacht Insurance
Square Head Bolts
Firefighter Jobs
Racing Engines

 

Don McNea Fire School
Fire Fighter Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Book

Sample Test - "Reading Comprehension"

1. When conducting a search and rescue operation, it is important that the search be conducted in a systematic and safe manner. Smoke can disorient searchers and make it difficult to find a safe exit. Firefighters should always search in pairs. The search should begin either to the right or to the left and continue in the chosen direction until all rooms on the floor have been searched. After a room has been searched, it should be marked so that other search personnel will not search it again. This can be done by placing a chalk mark on the outside of the door, by placing rubber bands or washers on the doorknobs, or by placing a folded mattress at the outside of the doorway.

Firefighters Thomas and Carlson entered a burning office building to search for possible victims. They ran up to the second floor. There was a lot of thick smoke. Thomas started searching to the right and Carlson went to the left. Each continued in the same direction throughout the search and marked each room with a washer around the doorknob when it had been searched. Was there a potentially serious safety problem here?

A) No, the search was conducted according to proper procedures.
B) Yes, the searchers would not know which rooms had been previously searched.
C) Yes, the search should always be conducted by going to the right.
D) Yes, the searchers should remain together during the search operation.

Use the following information to answer questions 2 and 3:

Convection

Convection, as it applies to the fire service, is the transmission of heat by the movement of heated gases. In the process of convection, the heated gases from a burning substance move forming a current. The most common fires caused by convection currents are those caused by the passage of heated gases to upper floors of buildings from a fire on the lower floor and the passage of heated gases and embers from one burning building to another building.

Firefighters should be acquainted with convection currents as a cause of fire spread. It is the presence of convection currents of heated gases that creates the possibility of "backdraft" and/or "mushrooming" of the fire within a burning building and also the pre-heating of a building within the path of conflagrations.

The hot, expanded gases that have become proportionately lighter will rise within a building giving off their heat to all the objects with which they come into contact. This rise of hot gases will continue vertically through all openings that will permit their passage, such as stairways, elevator shafts, dumbwaiters, non-fire stopped studding spaces, light wells, chutes, pipe holes, etc., until they are arrested. They will then build downward and/or spread horizontally.

All combustible material that has come in contact with the heated gases will be heated. However, there will be no flame or fire due to the fact that one of the factors for combustion, namely, oxygen, will be absent.

The admission of air containing oxygen would cause these heated combustible gases or the heated combustible material to burn rapidly. The rapidity of this burning may cause a "backdraft". Convection currents are a common means of upward spread of fire, involving entire buildings. In many instances, they will miss or bypass a story and cause fire on one that is higher, such as a fire in an attic, extended from a fire in the basement.

In some instances, the upward surge of the heated gases will continue straight up into the air until they have dissipated their heat. However, if a strong wind is blowing, these very hot gases may be deflected back to earth, still retaining their heat. The distance of travel of convected heat from the original fire depends upon the amount of heat generated and the velocity of the wind. In conflagrations such as large lumber yard fires, where considerable material is burning, convected heat may start fires several hundred feet distant from the original fire due to the heat concentration. The burning embers carried in the upward surge of the heated gases may be carried by the wind and fall on other combustible materials.

2. According to the passage:

A) Hot expanded gases that have become heavier will rise to upper floors.
B) Almost all combustible material that comes in contact with heated gases will be heated.
C) Convection currents will increase the chances of fire spreading downward and then upward.
D) The distance of travel for convected heat from the original fire will depend upon the amount of heat generated and the velocity of the wind.

3. According to the passage:

A) The presence of conduction currents of heated gases create the possibility of a backdraft.
B) Convection currents can move up or down during a fire causing the spread of the fire.
C) Convection is the transmission of heat by the movement of heated gases.
D) The spread of fire by convection has caused more damage than any other type of fire spread.

Use the information below to answer questions 4-6:

You are Firefighter Westwood. You are with the second fire truck to arrive at the scene of a fire in a five story apartment house. The Chief at the scene is Battalion Chief Battle. Your superior is Lt. Lotto. Your company also includes Firefighters Larkins, Throttle, and Wings. The other company's members are on the roof or inside already, so you cannot see them. But you know that their Lieutenant is Lt. Wrinkles. Lt. Lotto tells you to go through the hallway of the building to the back, out the back door, and start working your way up the fire escape, making sure that nothing is blocking access from any of the windows to the fire escape. As you are doing so, this is what you hear on your portable radio:

"Johnson, what's happening on the third floor?"
"Lieutenant, we're having trouble getting this door open to the apartment on the north side. There's a lot of smoke."
"Anybody inside?"
"We don't know yet. No one answers. We're working on the door."
"This is Battle. Lt. Lotto, give them some help on three."
"Wings, assist with the forcible entry on the third floor."

"Chief, we have extensive fire in both rear apartments on the fourth floor."
"Do you have hoses on it?"
"We have one hose into each apartment. We are getting it under control."
"Anybody trapped in there?"
"The one on the north side is vacant. We don't know yet about the one on the south. The fire is still blocking access to the rear bedroom."
"Throttle, get up to the top floor to help search."

"Wrinkles, what's the story on the second floor?"
"No fire on two, Chief, but we have it evacuated. The last guy out is an old man. Butterworth is bringing him down through the main hallway now."

"This is Williams on the roof. I have broken through the skylights. I haven't got the door to the roof open yet, and we need to get someone started working down the fire escape from the roof."
"Larkins, go to assist Williams on the roof and start down the fire escape."

4. As you start up the fire escape, you should be most concerned about:

A) the first floor B) the second floor
C) the third floor D) the fourth floor

5. The situation on the top floor is:

A) active fire B) smoke
C) vacant D) undetermined

6. Who will be coming down the fire escape as you are going up?

A) Wings
B) Williams
C) Larkins
D) Throttle

Use the information below to answer questions 7 and 8:

Hoselines

At the scene of a fire, crews attempting to perform a rescue should have every kind of protection available. The primary type of protective equipment is a hoseline with an adequate supply of water. The advantages of a fire stream are its effect in the control of fire in the rescue area and its cooling effect. The force of a water spray will also help ventilate the structure. This will help to provide cool fresh air, which will assist the victims as well as the rescue crew.

Another advantage of taking in a hoseline is that the hose automatically marks an escape route. If the conditions in the structure worsen, smoke may decrease most visibility. When this occurs, the hoseline will lead the rescue team out of the structure. Since searches for victims in the fire structure must be done quickly, the rescue crew may not be able to use hoselines in all cases. However, as the rescue continues, hoselines should be advanced to protect rescue workers and trapped victims. Fire streams may have to be used to knock down the fire and to protect victims.

At times it may be necessary to delay rescue in an area until a charged hoseline is ready to advance. The rescue crew must then enter the structure behind the protection of the fire stream. As the fire is controlled, the rescue crew can search each room.

To speed up the search of the more distant rooms, the rescue crew can leave the protection of the charged hoseline. Before this occurs, the rescue crew must tell the firefighter on the charged line of their actions.

Firefighters on the fire floor must keep in mind the presence of other rescue crews on the floors above the fire. If it appears that the fire streams will be unable to hold the fire, instant warning must be given to the crews above the fire. Steps should be taken to provide escape by ladder. An effort should also be made to place fire streams between the fire and the exposed rescue crews.

Caution must be exercised when stretching hoselines to keep them from blocking any rescue attempts. The one exception to this would be where the fire stream is required to protect the occupants' escape. When many persons have to get out of a building, rescue plans must be considered in the placement of equipment. This includes the stretching of hoselines.

While hoselines are designed as an extinguishment device, it is clear they are very effective in the rescue process. Firefighters must use the hoselines to assist them in all rescue operations for their safety and the safety of the trapped victims.

7. You are on Engine 17 and have taken a hoseline into the second story of a three-story building. Engine 22 has proceeded to the third floor and is attacking the fire that is spreading upward. While fighting the fire on the second floor, you realize that extinguishment operations are going to be difficult if not impossible and it appears that the fire is stretching above to the third floor. Which of the following would be the correct procedure?

A) order additional help into the second floor area to alleviate the situation
B) give a warning to the members of Engine 22 above you that the fire has spread into the third floor area
C) withdraw your crew members immediately and escape by ladder
D) limit the amount of rescue and ventilation operations

8. According to the passage:

A) Crews attempting to perform rescue should have every type of protection available. The primary type of protective equipment is an operating air mask.
B) During rescue operations, firefighters for their own safety and that of trapped victims can call on the assistance of hoselines to provide them with direction.
C) An uncharged hoseline with a water spray will help ventilate a structure allowing for additional assistance in rescuing the victims.
D) decrease the amount of hoseline stretched into the area while increasing horizontal ventilation

Click Here For The Answer Key

Click Here
To Explore Our
Money Saving Bonus Packages

Ordering Information: $17.95 + S&H ($4.95 priority mail)
All Don McNea Fire School products contain a no-risk guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied, we will refund 100% of product cost - no questions asked!

You can now order your Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Book by:

 

E-Mail: Ask Don McNea Fire School any Question.

Click here to purchase over $210 of preparatory products for only $119.95 (includes shipping/handling) and dramatically increase your chance of getting that coveted badge!

 

 

Home / Store-Shop / In-Basket Exams / Testimonials / About Us
Links / Mailing List / Contact Us / Fireman Pictures / Sitemap / Privacy Policy

E-Mail: Ask Don McNea Fire School with any Questions.

Want to add this site to your favorites? Hit CTRL-D to bookmark this page.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2001 - 2010
The Number One Firefighter and EMS exam preparation Web site in the country. Since 1950 our seminars & entry level products have provided over 40,000 fire applicants with that competitive edge necessary to be successful.

Click Here! To enter your E-mail address to receive our free Newsletter
Click Here for Past Fireprep Newsletters

Test-Drive our Free 14-day E-mail Series

 

Click here to enter your e-mail address to receive FREE firefighter exam
notices
.

Prefer to Mail your orders to us.