Name 3 national reports on fire protection and prevention in the US in the latter 20th century and early 21st century.
America Burning, America at Risk and Fire in the US.
What is the term used to describe for-profit insurance companies?
Stock fire insurance.
What is the term used to describe insurance companies that are formed by groups as not-for-profit entities?
Mutual fire insurance.
Which group was responsible for the development of the National Building Code in 1905?
National Board of Fire Underwriters.
When engineers from FM Global (Factory Mutual) conduct inspections at industrial facilities, whose interests are they hired to protect?
The companies that insure the properties.
What was the name of the 1973 report of the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control?
America Burning.
What federal agency operated the Building and Fire Research Laboratory?
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Which federal agency has employees that are trained and certified as certified fire inspectors?
ATF.
List 4 functions performed by traditional fire prevention bureaus.
EMILY! Do you know how many recomendations the Nationa Commission on Fire prevention and Control made?
What is the name of the federal agency created as a result of the 1973 America Burning report.
US Fire Administration.
Which federal agency is charged with protecting the public from unsafe consumer items?
US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
List 3 categories of organization involved in fire prevention and protection.
Those undertaken by business as part of a risk management system, Those that provide fire protection and prevention as a profit-making business service, and Those that are not-for-profit, operating in the public interest.
In private industrial facilities, are fire safety and plant security both mandated by law?
No. Fire and building regulations are mandated, and compliance is required by law, whereas most security regulations are not mandated.
List the 3 categories used by the ISO to determine a community's PPC.
Fire alarm and communication system, Fire Department, and Water supply.
What system was developed by the insurance industry in response to the losses resulting from Hurricane Andrew and the Northridge Earthquake?
Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS).
What is the name of the organization that develops Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets?
FM Global.
Permits required to install fire protection systems are intended to ensure what 4 items?
Ensuring that contractors are technically qualified through certification or registration, Ensuring that contractors are financially qualified by requiring licensure and bonding, Ensuring that the work meets code and is appropriate for the hazard by revie
What NFPA standard covers the maintenance of automatic sprinklers?
NFPA 25.
What is the purpose of contractors bonds?
With a bond, the contractor is basically agreeing to finish the ob in a satisfying way. If the contractor does not provide, the local government keeps the bond, using it to hire another contractor.
List 3 organizations that develop standards.
American Society for Testing and Materials, American National Standards Institute, and American Institute of Architects.
List 4 trade organizations involved in fire prevention and protection.
American Concrete Institute, American Forest and Paper Association, Gypsum Association, and American Iron and Steel Institute.
What is the name of the organization that represents the consolidated memberships of BOCA, ICBO, and SBCCI?
International Code Council.
Which industry was responsible for the first model construction code in the US?
National Board of Fire Underwriters.
What was the original mission of the NFPA in 1896?
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Why are mini-maxi codes favored by business groups and developers?
Because they create uniformity within the state, and all lobbying efforts can be directed at the state capital, not within each political subdivision.
Are there any positive aspects for the fire service with the adoption of mini-maxi codes?
They promote training and political action on a statewide level, forcing fire service organizations to work together.
List 3 types of plans the fire departments typically review.
Building plan, Fire protection plan, and Site plan.
List 3 potential site plan items of particular concern to fire departments.
Fire protection systems, Building construction, and Fire department vehicle access.
List 3 objections to fire department involvement in the plan review process voiced by architects, developers, and other public officials, and list 3 benefits that counter those objections.
Fears that the fire department may make unrealistic demands, Longer time for business to wait, therefore more complaints, and Fire Department could be seen as usurping the building officials authority.
In the 1978 study published under the title Fire Code Inspections and Fire Prevention: What Methods Lead to Success?, what percentage of fires was caused by conditions that could be observed during inspection?
4-8%
What is meant by selective code enforcement?
Targeting individuals, groups, or areas for enforcement actions for reasons not related to legitimate safety concerns.
Name 2 methods of determining inspection priorities.
Permit model/Inspection model.
List 3 hazards associated with holiday gatherings in large public assembly occupancies.
Fireworks at 4th of July, Halloween decorations and Increased stocks of goods at Christmas.
What is the primary hazard associated with institutional occupancies?
The majority of people in them will need assistance in an evacuation.
Do the model fire codes apply to residential properties?
Yes, the code applies. Residences are normally exempt from routine inspection, not exempt from the code.
What action is generally required by the fire official before attempting to secure an inspection warrant?
Why the occupancy was selected for inspection to start with.
List 2 active fire protection systems for buildings.
Automatic sprinklers and smoke detectors.
List 2 passive fire protection systems for buildings.
Structurally applied coatings of concrete and rated walls that separate occupancies.
What 4 system elements determine reliability?
Design, Equipment, Installation and Maintenance.
What NFPA standard was developed for the testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems?
NFPA 25.
Who is responsible for physically performing acceptance tests of fire protection systems?
The installing contractor.
When applied to design professionals, what is meant by professional registration?
State required licensure system for professionals, like engineers and architects.
List 3 areas typically regulated by property maintenance codes.
Weather protection, Ventilation, and Light.
What is meant by the property maintenance code term space?
Specific living space per occupant.
Before establishing a property maintenance inspection program, what can code officials do to allay public concerns?
Frequent contact among code officials and church, civic and social groups.
What program is often adopted in concert with a property maintenance code?
Ordinances that require the registration and inspection of residential and rental properties.
Hazardous waste crime scenes have similar safety and security concerns as what other type of scene?
Fire scenes.
List 2 issues of concern to departments regarding plans to harden buildings against terrorist attack.
Poorly planned and implemented security measures can do significantly more harm than good, and Strategically placing apparatus could be impacted if barriers are installed without proper planning.
Which federal agency complies the Unified Crime Reports submitted by jurisdictions within the US?
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
What legal authorization is used by fire departments to form fire investigation units?
It starts within a state statute. The chief looks into the cause and origin of every fire.
In addition to criminal prosecution, what are other uses for information from fire scene investigation?
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List 1 federal law enforcement agency involved in the investigation of fires.
US Postal Inspectors.
List 1 professional association that provides fire investigators.
IAAI.
List 1 federal training academy that provide fire investigator training for local officials.
National Fire Academy.
List 1 NFPA standard that specifically address the fire scene investigation?
NFPA 921 - Guide for Fire and Explosive Investigations.
What statistic is use to measure overall effectiveness of a fire investigation unit?
Code closure rate.
Why is conviction rate not a good indicator of a unit's effectiveness?
How many convictions a unit has means nothing, its their case closure rate that indicated their effectiveness. By showing that their cases are closed, it shows that the unit has classified the case as accidental or incenciary, and hopefully the incendiary
What was the title of the 1973 report of the National Commission of Fire Prevention and Control?
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List the steps identified in the 5-step process for public fire safety education.
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What federal agency was created in response to the 1973 report of the National Commission of Fire Prevention and Control?
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List 2 functions performed by the agency.
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What is the term generally used for state regulations that specify time periods for the storage and disposal of public records?
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Do Freedom of Information and Public Access Laws apply to noncompensated citizen boards such as fire code appeals board?
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List 4 items that are generally exempt from disclosure under the FOIA.
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List 2 instances in which access to fire inspection information could benefit other units within a fire department.
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List 4 issues to be considered in evaluating a new IMS.
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List 2 organizations that provide accreditation for the certification of fire prevention bureau personnel.
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The NFPA maintain standards for the professional qualifications for which 4 traditional fire prevention bureau positions?
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What is the term used by NFPA in its standards for professional qualifications for job-specific skills used in the standards?
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List 2 advantages of staffing fire prevention bureaus with uniformed firefighters.
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List 2 advantages of staffing fire prevention bureaus with civilian personnel.
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List 2 advantages of staffing fire prevention bureaus with a combination of both uniformed and civilian personnel.
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List the 2 broad types of budget.
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List 5 budget formats.
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Define the term line item.
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Define the terms performance indicator and management indicator.
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Describe a method of determining reasonable inspection fees.
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Define the term fiscal yard and explain its significance in the budget process.
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Why was America Burning commissioned?
To address the fire issue in the US. $11 billion was being waster and 12,000 (6,200) people were dying each year. The report was designed to present ways to lower those #s.
When was America Burning first published?
1973.
Why did America Burning first publish 12,000 annual fire deaths and later change the number to 6,200?
Before NFIRS reports were strongly regulated (before federal grants were dependent on properly submitting NFIRS reports), what data could be collected from them was unreliable at best.
What is the fire death rate among children under 5 and elderly over 65 as compared to the rest of the population?
3x as high.
Name 4 recommendations that were established as a result of America Burning.
The establishment of a US Fire Administration in the Dept of Housing and Urban Development, There needs to more emphasis on fire prevention, The fire services need better training and education, and Americans need better education in fire safety.
What are we doing differently today that is a direct result of America Burning? Name 3 items.
Many more homes have working smoke detectors, Many more multiple-family dwellings/commercial buildings have automatic equipment for extinguishing fires, and Americans are better informed about what to do once a fire starts (like teaching little kids to St
Where do most fire deaths occur?
The home.
Assemblies of materials designed and tested to retard the passage of heat, smoke and fire for a given period of time are know as:
Fire-resistance-rated assemblies.
Inspection or testing by an approved nongovernmental agency and forwarded to a code official for action is known as:
Third-Party Inspection.
What is the difference between a code and a standard?
A code is a systemically arranged body of rules. A standard is a rule for measuring or a model to be followed.
The acceptance and formal approval of a model code by the governing body of a jurisdiction is known as:
Adoption.
The exposed interior surface of a building or structure, whether for acoustical, decorative, insulative, or fire protection purposes is known as:
Interior finish.
List 3 benefits that counter the objection to fire department involvement in the plan process, voiced by architects, developers, and other public officials.
Training courses are available for firefighters from many agencies, Another set of eyes on the same issues and more consistency relating to fire department approvals, and Having a fire department plan review office at the building department allows for le
Before attempting to secure an inspection warrant the fire official should:
Attempt to obtain permission to enter and inspect from the tenant of owner.
True or False: In the 1978 study under the title Fire Code Inspections and Fire Prevention: What Methods Lead to Success?, fire rates were not significantly lower in cities that annually inspected all, or neatly all, public buildings?
False.
True or False: In the 1978 study published under the title Fire Code Inspections and Fire Prevention: What Methods Lead to Success?, the rates of fires due to carelessness of foolish actions was significantly lower in cities with regular inspection progra
True.
In the 1978 study published under the title Fire Code Inspections and Fire Prevention: What Methods Lead to Success?, what percentage was caused by carelessness, foolish actions or electrical or mechanical failures?
40-60%.
What is the name for code provisions that permit the reduction of fire protection ratings and increases in building height, area, number of stories and reduction in means of egress provisions in return for the installation of sprinkler systems?
Trade-off incentive.
What is meant by the term "third-party code agency"?
A nongovernmental agency that has been approved by the code official to conduct tests and inspections.
What is the fire inspector responsible for when it comes to the testing and inspection of fire protection systems?
Ensure that the contractor preforms the job in accordance with the code.
What logic might the fire inspector use when trying to convince a building owner to maintain their fire protection equipment?
It is more cost effective to maintain fire protection equipment rather than repair damages after a fire.
What is the leading cause of unsatisfactory sprinkler performance?
Water shut off.
True or False: The chances of dying in a fire, as well as the average property loss per fire, are cut by 1/2 -2/3 if sprinklers are provided.
True.
True or False: Fire protection system effectiveness depends on reliability. Reliability depends on proper installation and maintenance.
True.
List 3 components of a means of egress:
Exit, Exit access, Exit discharge.