Your FREE Firefighter I & II Flashcards 2026 – 150+ Cards

The Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications — the job performance requirements (JPRs) defining Firefighter I and II.

International Fire Service Accreditation Congress — one of two bodies that accredit fire certifications, alongside the Pro Board.

National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications — accredits fire certifications and issues nationally recognized certificates.

A statement in NFPA 1001 of a task a firefighter must perform, the tools used, and the expected outcome.

A standardized, modular management structure for organizing personnel, equipment, and communications at an incident.

The principle that each member reports to and takes orders from only one supervisor.

The number of subordinates one supervisor can effectively manage — about 3 to 7, with 5 ideal.

The person with overall responsibility for managing an incident until command is transferred or terminated.

A geographic assignment supervising all work in a defined area, such as a floor or the rear of a building.

A functional assignment supervising a specific task wherever it occurs — ventilation, search, or salvage.

An ICS structure letting multiple agencies share management of a single incident under common objectives.

A pre-arranged agreement under which neighboring departments assist one another with personnel and equipment.

A system (tags or PAR checks) that lets command always know who is operating where on the fireground.

A written department guideline describing how a routine task or operation is performed, reducing injuries.

OSHA rule: at least two firefighters work together inside an IDLH atmosphere while at least two stand ready outside to rescue them.

Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health — poses an immediate threat of death or injury; a structure-fire interior is always IDLH.

Fire-resistive — protected noncombustible materials designed to resist fire for a rated period.

Noncombustible — unprotected steel and masonry; the steel can fail and elongate under heat.

Ordinary — masonry exterior walls with a combustible interior; concealed spaces let fire spread.

Heavy timber / mass timber — large-dimension wood members that char slowly and resist early collapse.

Wood-frame — combustible throughout; spreads fire fast and, with lightweight trusses, can collapse early.

Engineered floor/roof assembly that loses strength fast under fire and can fail and collapse early with little warning.

The paramilitary ranking through which orders and accountability flow in a fire department.

National Incident Management System — the framework, including ICS, that lets agencies work together at incidents.

The first-arriving officer's standardized action of assuming and announcing incident command.

Using clear everyday words instead of agency-specific ten-codes so all units, including mutual aid, understand alike.

The first-arriving officer's brief on-scene size-up of what they have at the incident.

An update to command on the status of operations, using standard benchmarks like 'water on the fire.'

The radio signal a firefighter transmits when trapped, lost, disoriented, out of air, or injured — the top priority.

The Mayday format: Location, Unit, Name, Assignment, Resources needed (a LIP variant: Location, Identity, Problem).

A radio transmission reporting a serious change in conditions — not a firefighter in distress (that is a Mayday).

An order, often after a Mayday, that all units cease non-essential transmissions to keep the channel clear.

The communications-center member who answers calls, gathers location first, alerts units, and time-stamps the incident.

The ongoing mental evaluation of an incident's conditions, hazards, and resource needs that drives strategy.

A standard reported milestone — 'water on the fire,' 'primary search complete,' 'fire under control.'

A roll-call check of crews to confirm everyone is accounted for at a set interval or after an event.

A standby team dedicated to rescuing downed or trapped firefighters; activated on a Mayday.

The four elements of combustion: fuel, oxygen, heat, and a self-sustained chemical chain reaction; remove any one to extinguish.

The older three-element model — fuel, oxygen, heat — that the tetrahedron expands by adding the chemical chain reaction.

The ongoing reaction keeping a flame going — the tetrahedron's fourth side, interrupted by dry-chemical agents.

The stage when fuel, heat, and oxygen combine and combustion begins; the fire is small and localized.

The fire spreads and the compartment heats, with hot gases banking down — conditions move toward flashover.

All available fuel is burning and heat release peaks; the fire is ventilation- or fuel-limited.

Fuel or oxygen is consumed and heat release falls; an oxygen-starved, heat-charged decay fire enables backdraft.

Near-simultaneous ignition of all compartment contents from intense radiant heat — the deadly transition during growth.

A smoke (gas) explosion when oxygen is suddenly introduced to a confined, oxygen-starved, heat-charged space.

Flames rolling across the unburned gases banked at the ceiling, ahead of the main fire — a warning of flashover.

The tendency of hot smoke and gases to rise and stratify above cooler air; firefighters stay low and avoid disrupting it.

Heat transfer directly through a solid object, such as along a metal beam to an adjoining space.

Heat transfer by movement of hot smoke and gases — the main way fire spreads vertically in a building.

Heat transfer by electromagnetic waves through space; the primary cause of flashover and of exposure fires across a gap.

Ordinary combustibles — wood, paper, cloth, plastics; extinguished by cooling with water.

Flammable and combustible liquids and gases; extinguished by smothering with foam, CO₂, or dry chemical.

Energized electrical equipment; use a non-conductive agent — it becomes Class A once de-energized.

Combustible metals such as magnesium, titanium, or sodium; use a special dry-powder agent — never water.

Cooking oils and fats in commercial kitchens; extinguished with a wet-chemical agent that saponifies the oil.

Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side.

Personal Alert Safety System — a motion-sensing alarm that sounds when a firefighter is motionless, to locate a downed firefighter.

Structural PPE built in layers — outer shell, moisture barrier, thermal liner — for thermal and abrasion protection.

The turnout-gear layer that keeps water and other liquids out while allowing some vapor transmission.

Self-contained breathing apparatus — an open-circuit, positive-pressure unit supplying clean air for interior firefighting.

Higher-than-atmospheric pressure in the facepiece so contaminated air cannot leak in past the seal.

The SCBA warning to begin exiting toward a safe area — it signals 'leave now,' not 'air is gone.'

Rapid intervention crew universal air connection — lets a downed firefighter receive emergency air from a rescuer.

An SCBA emergency technique of slow, deliberate breaths to extend the remaining air supply.

A compact water column giving maximum reach and penetration with minimal disruption of thermal layering.

Water broken into fine droplets to increase surface area for heat absorption; adjustable from a combination nozzle.

A nozzle producing a solid stream, valued for reach, penetration, and lower nozzle reaction.

A nozzle adjustable between a straight stream and a fog pattern.

The pressure lost as water moves through hose and fittings; rises with flow and length, falls with larger diameter.

A damaging pressure surge from stopping or changing water flow too quickly; prevented by operating valves slowly.

A hose lay dropping a supply line at the water source, then driving to the fire.

A hose lay running a supply line from the fire back to the water source.

Hose loaded and connected so it can be quickly pulled and advanced to a fire.

A flat-head axe and a Halligan bar carried together — the core forcible-entry combination.

A multipurpose forcible-entry prying tool with an adze, a pick, and a fork end.

A forcible-entry method that removes or manipulates the lock cylinder, preserving the door and lock.

Making a roof opening so heat and smoke rise straight up and out, away from interior crews.

Releasing heat and smoke through windows, doors, or wall openings at the same level as the fire.

Using a blower to pressurize a structure and push smoke out through an established exhaust opening.

Timing venting with a charged attack line so the added oxygen does not cause flashover or backdraft.

An interior attack advancing hoselines to the seat of the fire when the structure is tenable and savable.

An exterior attack protecting exposures with master streams when a building is too involved or unstable to enter.

Applying water directly onto the burning fuel.

Applying water onto hot surfaces of an unoccupied space to generate steam that smothers the fire.

A quick exterior knockdown of the fire before transitioning to an interior attack.

Foam designed for flammable/combustible liquids; forms a blanket separating fuel from air and suppressing vapor.

Foam that improves water's penetration and effectiveness on ordinary combustibles like wood and paper.

Finding and extinguishing hidden or smoldering fire after the main fire is out — full PPE and SCBA stay on.

Operations protecting property and belongings from fire, smoke, and water damage during and after suppression.

A device that detects heat to locate victims, fire spread, and hidden smoldering fire during search and overhaul.

A nearby structure or object threatened by radiant heat from a fire that must be protected.

The proper angle for placing a ground ladder against a building for safe climbing.

A ground ladder with folding hooks at the top to secure it over a roof ridge or peak.

The pressure the pump must produce to overcome friction loss and elevation and deliver an effective nozzle pressure.

A rapid initial search for victims while fire conditions are active, to find anyone in immediate danger.

A slower, thorough search of the whole structure after the fire is controlled, ideally by a fresh crew.

Vent, Enter, Isolate, Search — a tactic to search an isolated room, isolating it (closing the door) before searching.

Keeping one hand in contact with a wall to maintain orientation while searching in heavy smoke.

A guideline used during searches of large or complex areas so a crew can find its way back out.

A victim-removal technique pulling the victim by the clothing while the rescuer stays low.

A removal technique using a blanket to slide a victim along the floor, distributing support.

Using a loop of webbing around a victim to assist in dragging them to safety.

The process of freeing trapped patients from a wrecked vehicle.

Securing a vehicle with cribbing or step chocks so it cannot move before crews work near or in it.

Wood or composite blocks stacked (e.g., a box crib) to stabilize a vehicle or load before extrication.

Blocks arranged in an interlocking, alternating square pattern to build a stable support under a load.

Stepped cribbing placed under the rocker panels to stabilize an upright wrecked vehicle.

Rescue tool that pushes apart or pulls vehicle components — part of the 'jaws of life.'

Rescue tool that shears through metal posts, door hinges, and pillars during disentanglement.

A rescue tool that pushes the dashboard or a component to free a trapped patient.

The extrication phase of creating space and pathways — often removing a door or the roof — to free the patient.

Positioning apparatus to create a protected work area shielding crews from traffic at a roadway incident.

An airbag that has not gone off and could deploy during extrication — crews avoid its path and inflators.

Rope used to support firefighters or victims; removed from life-safety service if shock-loaded or damaged.

Rope for non-life-bearing tasks such as hoisting tools; never used to bear a person's weight.

A strong, easily inspected stopper or loop knot favored for life safety and relatively easy to untie after loading.

A figure-eight tied around an anchor and traced back through, forming a secure fixed loop.

A knot used to secure a rope to an object such as a tool or post for hoisting.

A knot forming a fixed loop that will not slip under load.

Removing twists and aligning a knot's parts so it holds properly and can be inspected.

Charging hose to a designated test pressure for a set time to confirm it is safe for service; failed sections are removed.

Thoroughly drying fire hose before storage to prevent mildew and rot that weaken the jacket and lining.

A pressure test confirming an SCBA cylinder holds its rated pressure — every 5 years (steel/aluminum) or 3 years (composite).

A fiberglass or carbon-fiber wrapped cylinder hydrostatically tested every 3 years with a limited service life.

A before-shift check of the facepiece, head straps, regulator, air gauge, and air level before placing it in service.

Scheduled inspection and service to catch a failing tool, ladder, or pump before it fails on the fireground.

Accurate logs proving equipment is ready and tracking when service or testing is due.

Checking ladders after each use and on schedule for cracks, heat damage, and worn parts — heat can weaken them invisibly.

Keeping hand and forcible-entry tools clean and sharp and replacing cracked or loose handles before use.

Periodically operating and testing a fire pump, even between calls, and keeping intakes and strainers clear.

The Firefighter II duty that begins at locating the area of origin and recognizing the cause may be suspicious.

Avoiding moving or discarding burned materials and limiting access so investigators can determine cause and origin.

The location where a fire began — the Firefighter II locates and documents it and watches for suspicious indicators.

A walkthrough gathering building information (layout, hazards, water supply, systems) to plan a future response.

Piping and outlets letting firefighters connect hoselines for water on upper floors, vital in high-rises.

A standpipe with 2½-inch outlets for fire department hose connections.

An exterior inlet through which the fire department pumps extra water into a sprinkler or standpipe system.

A built-in system in which only heads exposed to enough heat activate, applying water directly over the fire.

The common system holding water in the pipes at all times so a single activated head flows immediately.

Inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level; interconnected and replaced about every 10 years.

A false smoke-alarm activation (often from cooking or steam) — keep alarms away from kitchens and bathrooms.

A Firefighter II task teaching residents prevention, smoke alarms, and escape planning to reduce fire deaths.

The action-based lesson taught to smother flames on a person's clothing, especially for children.

Hazard placard: blue health, red flammability, yellow instability/reactivity (each 0–4), white special hazards.

The left, blue quadrant rating how harmful a material is to the body, from 0 (none) to 4 (deadly).

The top, red quadrant rating how easily a material ignites, from 0 (won't burn) to 4 (extremely flammable).

The right, yellow quadrant rating instability/reactivity, from 0 (stable) to 4 (may detonate).

A DOT first-response guide for identifying hazards and initial protective actions at a transportation hazmat incident.

The four-digit number used to look up a hazardous material's guide page and protective distances in the ERG.

A diamond label on transport vehicles/containers indicating the hazard class of the material being carried.