Firefighter Equipment
A white helmet is typically worn by which rank?
Fire Chief
America's first official fire department was founded January 27, 1678, in what city?
Boston
Back in the day, this firefighting tool was known as a plug. What term is used for this today?
Hydrant
What kind of brakes do most fire trucks have?
Air-operated
The majority of brakes in fire apparatus are air brakes. Larger vehicles often are equipped with air brakes that operate by compressed air forcing a piston to apply pressure to the brake pad and stop the vehicle.
If a bucket brigade required dozens or hundreds of buckets to fight a fire, where did all the buckets come from?
Every citizen had one on their porch.
What do you call the large water cannon affixed on top of some pumper trucks?
The deluge gun is known as a deck gun, a fire monitor and even a master stream.
What was the term used to describe the old-school firefighting technique of passing water along a human chain?
Bucket Brigade
Percent of F-500 Used in firefighting with Foam Operations?
3%
What term describes the practice of pulling water from a pond or well when a hydrant isn't available?
Drafting is the practice of pulling water from alternate sources likes cisterns or ponds when a standard hydrant isn't available.
What percentage of firefighters in America are women? Get within 5 % of the answer.
7.3%
Only 7.3% of firefighters working in America as of 2017 were women. That works out to about 84,700 women across the country working as firefighters
What incredible innovation followed the steam engine by making fire engines even more helpful in the year 1868? This device helped with high altitude operations.
The aerial ladder
Wildland fire suppression crews specializing in helicopter operations
Helitack Crew
What do you call it when a fire has burned out most of the oxygen in a space and then oxygen is explosively reintroduced?
Backdraft
How many classifications of buildings are there based on the fire-resistance of their construction materials?
Five
What was the main point of a firehouse having dalmatians?
They ran ahead of the horses to clear a path.
Dalmatians got along well with horses so they could handle the task of running ahead of the animals without being scared in the days before trucks existed
The Hurst tool saves a lot of lives, what is another name for the Hurst tool?
This unusual firefighter day is typically four times a year. Some departments revoke it and add additional pay.
Kelly Day
What kind of fire is classified as a Class K fire?
Class K fires are fires caused by cooking oils and fats
What does NFPA stand for?
The National Fire Protection Association is the body that sets national standards for what firefighters are supposed to be doing and how they are doing it.
Which of these male monikers (starts with J) is a common nickname used to refer to any firefighter? It can be an insult or a compliment depending on context.
Calling a fireman a Jake is a long tradition -- one that is rumored to date back to 19th century Boston, when firemen used a device called a J-key to activate fire alarms. Since then, J-key has become Jake, and the name can be either a compliment or an insult depending on where you live.
There's a kind of fire truck with a ladder that can reach over 30 stories high. It is named after an animal. What is this truck name?
The Bronto Skylift is a pretty rare fire apparatus and would only see use in larger cities. The massive hydraulic ladder rig can reach the top of a skyscraper to evacuate people in an emergency.
Elite operators that mainly respond to large, high-priority fires across the country and abroad. They are assigned to work the most challenging parts of the fire and are considered strategic and tactical experts.
Shot Crew, officially known as an Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC)
What is the classification for a fire that's fueled by flammable metals?
Class D fires are flammable metal fires and require special methods for fighting. Water should not be used to handle a Class D fire, as it's possible the addition of water could react with metals and make the situation even worse.
Ladder trucks have to deal with some harsh situations. How much wind can a ladder truck handle and be used safely? (Within 10 MPH)
A ladder truck can do its job in some very high winds, up to 50 miles per hour. Beyond that, it is unsafe and would put the truck, the firefighters and whoever they are attempting to rescue at too great a risk.
According to NFPA standards, how many categories of fire apparatus are there?
NFPA standards describe seven types of fire apparatus which include Pumper Fire Apparatus, Initial Attack Apparatus, Mobile Water Supply Apparatus, Aerial Apparatus, Quint Fire Apparatus, Special Service fire apparatus and Mobile Foam fire apparatus.