According to the Recommended Practice, principles of firefighting with foam, firefighting foam improves the extinguishing performance of water on many fires. Depending on the foam, list how this may be achieved.
- Reducing surface tension
- Reducing density so that the extinguishing agent floats on liquid fuel.
- Excluding oxygen.
- Suppressing vapours.
- Insulating the fuel from heat to reduce fuel vaporisation.
- Reflecting heat.
- Cooling.
According to the Recommended Practice, Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) operation is based on three functions which conform to the internationally accepted algorithm of basic life support using AEDs. List these functions.
- monitoring the patient’s ECG
- prompting operators to deliver a shock
- prompting operators to carry out basic life support, including CPR.
According to Operations Bulletin 2012/03, list the properties of Natural gas
Natural gas is:
* a fossil fuel which contains 95% methane (CH4)
* naturally odourless but has an organic sulphur compound added to make it more readily detectable
* non-toxic but it is an asphyxiant (excludes air)
* highly flammable
* lighter than air and disperses rapidly
According to STP - Acetylene is a very volatile gas, exploding cylinders can
penetrate double brick walls or metal freight containers & land 200m away. How
many hours after the cylinder is removed from the fire or heat source, if it is not cooled, can this explosion occur?
- Explosion can occur up to 24 hours after the cylinder is removed from the fire or heat source, if it is not cooled.
According to the SOGs - When providing fire protection for helicopter hot refuelling there are many factors for the FRNSW Commander to consider. List these factors.
- Moving helicopter/aircraft
- Aviation fuel
- Hot exhaust gases
- Rotor blades
- Tail rotors
- Pitot tubes
- Antennae and mounted equipment
- Noise
- People
- Ignition sources
- Hot parts of helicopter engines
- Overflow during refuelling
- Debris near helicopter
- Hazardous materials
According to the SOG - When providing fire protection for helicopter hot refuelling, list the information the airbase manager must provide in regard to safety.
- The Airbase Manager must provide:
- a briefing on the operational and safety arrangements at the site
- a copy of the airfield emergency plan
- Safety Data Sheets for fuels and hazardous materials on site
- an effective means of radio communication between the FRNSW Commander and the Airbase Manager
According to the Recommended Practice - List the 5 typical scenarios for Attack and Lay Pack use
Structure fires that cannot be directly accessed from the footpath
* Fires in high rise buildings
* Investigating automatic fire alarms
* Protecting property from bushfires
* Bush and grass fires in difficult to access locations
Complete the following in relation to the Fire and Rescue NSW Act 1989 Part 3,
Division 1, Section 11 Brigades to proceed with speed to suspected fires or
hazardous material incident
(1) When there is an alarm of fire, a fire brigade must, despite anything to the contrary in any Act, proceed with all speed to the fire and try by all possible means to extinguish it and save any lives and property that are in danger.
(2) When there is a report of a hazardous material incident, a fire brigade must, despite anything to the contrary in any Act—
(a) proceed with all speed to the site of the incident, and
(b) try by all possible means to render the site of the incident safe and save any lives and property that are in danger.
Complete the following in relation to the Fire and Rescue NSW Act 1989 Part 3, Division 1, Section 12 of the FRNSW Act, Investigation of reported fires and
Hazardous material incident
(1) The officer in charge may, with or without members of a fire brigade, enter any place—
(a) in respect of which an alarm of fire is raised to ascertain whether there is a fire at the place, or
(b) in respect of which a report of a hazardous material incident has been made to ascertain whether there is any hazardous material at the place that is, or is about to be, the subject of a hazardous material incident.
(2) Reasonable force, whether by breaking down gates or fences or breaking open doors or otherwise, may be used to gain entry
Section 13, of the FRNSW Act states the “General Powers of Officers at fires and hazardous material incidents”. State this provision
(1) At a fire, the officer in charge—
(a) may take such measures as the officer thinks proper for the protection and saving of life and property and for the control and extinguishing of the fire, and
(b) is to control and direct the operations of any fire brigade.
(1A) At the site of a hazardous material incident, the officer in charge—
(a) may take such measures as the officer thinks proper for the protection and saving of life and property, for confining and ending the incident and for rendering the site safe, and
(b) is to control and direct the operations of any fire brigade
Section 19 of the FRNSW Act lists the powers at fires and hazardous material incidents. State the provisions of this Section: “General to remove persons or
obstacles.”
- The officer in charge at a fire or hazardous material incident may cause to be removed any person, vehicle, vessel or thing the presence of whom or which at or near a fire or hazardous material incident might, in the officer’s opinion, interfere with the work of any fire brigade or the exercise of any of the officer’s functions.
At an incident that has been declared a crime scene, a member of the public seeks details from you, the senior firefighter/officer on duty, about the incident. State your
response according to the Fire Brigades Regulation (2023) Clause 22, Disclosure of information.
- A firefighter must not disclose information obtained in the firefighter’s capacity as a firefighter unless the disclosure is made—
- (a) in the exercise of the firefighter’s functions, or
- (b) about factual matters that are generally available to the public, or
- (c) by an approved firefighter to media representatives about operations at a fire or other incident, or
- (d) at the direction or with the permission of the Commissioner, or
- (e) with another lawful excuse
Section 17 of the Fire Brigades Regulation (2014) refers to unacceptable behaviour.
List five circumstances when a firefighter’s behaviour would be deemed
unacceptable
(1) A firefighter must not do any of the following—
(a) come on or attend duty while under the influence of alcohol or a drug,
(b) while on duty—
(i) consume, use or possess any alcohol or drug, or
(ii) gamble in circumstances that adversely affect the discipline or efficiency of Fire and Rescue NSW,
(c) while on or off duty—
(i) smoke at a fire or drill, on departmental premises or in a departmental vehicle, or
(ii) smoke or consume alcohol in a public place while in uniform, or
As stated in the Standing Orders, to avoid serious accidents at intersections when responding to an emergency. What actions should drivers of responding vehicles
approaching a stop sign or red signal take
- when approaching a stop sign or red signal light must slow down and enter the intersection at a speed of not more than 8 kph. Having assessed the traffic conditions, and determined that it is safe to proceed, the driver may then continue across the intersection.
- Whenever passing through the stop sign or red light would involve the vehicle in an accident, the driver must come to a halt and not move off again until it is safe to proceed
According to Standing Orders, when are seatbelts required to be worn when travelling in FRNSW vehicles (including tankers)
All Fire and Rescue NSW employees are required to wear a seat belt at all times
Section 27 of the Crown Employees (Fire and Rescue NSW Permanent Firefighting Staff) Award 2023 states the Notice of Transfer that is required to be given by the Commissioner when an employee is to be transferred to a new location and/or a different platoon. List and detail the three provisions for these as stated in this section
27.1.1 Seven days notice when the transfer is within the same fire district or within the GSA and on the same platoon,
27.1.2 Fourteen days notice when the transfer is within the same fire district or within the GSA but to a different platoon,
27.1.3 Twenty eight days notice when the transfer is outside the GSA or the employee’s current fire district, and such notice shall be confirmed in writing
Fire Brigades Regulation, Part 3, Section 14: Firefighters to acquire and maintain knowledge of legislation, orders, and functions. List the provisions
(1) A firefighter must acquire and maintain a thorough knowledge of, and comply with the requirements of, the Act, this regulation and the Commissioner’s directions.
(2) A firefighter must acquire and maintain the knowledge and skills relevant to the performance of the firefighter’s functions
According to Recommended Practice- List the general safety points that must be observed at all times when using the Attack and Lay Pack.
- Keep all persons not directly involved away from the hose lines. This includes other emergency personnel, bystanders and residents.
- Objects which could cause injury (e.g. forcible entry tools) should be removed from the working area.
- When laying hose, ensure it does not create a trip hazard and that the exit path remains clear
According to the Fire Investigation toolkit on the Intranet, when should you request FIRU for assistance
Contact the Fire Investigation and Research Unit (FIRU) for assistance if:
* There has been a loss of life at a fire, or a person is not expected to live from their injuries
- The fire is considered major
- The Origin and Cause of the fire is not apparent
Found in the toolkit on the Intranet, provide the full name of the form populated by firefighters that gives the Fire Investigator a summary of your observations on arrival and your actions during the fire.
Summary of Fire Fighter Actions. SOFA.
According to Definitions on the Intranet - Describe Backdraught
During the smoldering phase of a fire, in a confined space, fire gases may be at or above their ignition temperature, but will not have burned because of oxygen deficiency. Suddenly admitting air, by opening doors or breaking windows, may cause these gases to burn rapidly. The sudden release of energy as the gases are ignited causes an immediate and violent pressure rise. If there are insufficient openings to vent the pressure, an explosion will occur. This type of explosion is called a backdraught.
According to SOGs, - list your role and tasks if you are the first arriving Station Officer into Staging
If you are the first arriving officer into Staging:
* Assume the role of Staging Officer, with your crew assisting.
* Keep track of resources in Staging.
* As requested by the IC, release resources to be deployed into the incident.
* Advise the IC when spare resources in Staging are low, or fall below the
number specified by the IC
According to SOGs, - describe the order model of communication and when it must be used.
The receiver of a message repeats a sender’s message and the sender confirms that the receiver has understood the message. Order model must be used for all incident communications
According to the GSD for Incident Management, – an Incident Management System is a standardised method used to manage all types of incidents. The method is adaptable and scalable to the incident type and size. List what it enables the Incident Controller to do and when an Incident Management System is required to be used at incidents FRNSW attends
- Maintain the necessary situational awareness.
- Achieve the incident objectives.
- Ensures the safety of all personnel.
- Used at all incidents
