Chief Montagna's Firefighting Quiz June 2001

June 2001 Questions:

After taking the quiz, you can post your answers or comments on Fire Talk.

1. Will removing the fluorescent lamp from its fixture remove the electricity from the fixture, stop the ballast from heating and leave the lamp in a safe condition?

A. Yes, in all cases
B. No
C. Yes, but this only works with the eight foot fluorescent lamp.
D. Answer C is correct, but you still should disconnect the wires. If the eight foot bulb is replaced, the ballast will heat again.

Answer: D

2. At an oil burner fire, is a change in the color of the smoke from black to white a good sign?

A. Yes
B. No
C. Possibly. It may be steam, indicating that the fire is extinguished or it may indicate the onset of the white ghost.

Answer: C - If it is pearly white and has an oily smell and taste, look out, you have just met the white ghost.

3. You are called to an apartment for a smoke condition. It turns out that someone has left a pot burning on the stove and his apartment has filled with smoke. Should your firefighters start breaking windows to ventilate the apartment?

A. Yes, vent the windows quickly so that you can perform a more efficient primary search.
B. No, this is only a food-on-the-stove incident. Ventilation is not needed.
C. Don't break the windows, open them to ventilate the apartment.
D. Use your PPV fan to vent the apartment.

Answer: C Breaking glass usually isn't warranted for food-on-the-stove incidents that don't escalate into structural fires. PPV can be used in conjunction with the opening of windows.

4. A sudden strong odor of gas could indicate a serious leak. A slight odor that comes and goes is from an extinguished pilot light and is less serious. True or False?

Answer: False. It may be an extinguished pilot light and may be less serious. A slight odor might be seeping into the apartment or home through a common wall. The leak might be in another occupancy. If you do not find the source, expand your search to include adjoining apartments or buildings. Consider that each occupancy has six possible exposures to check.

5. Vehicles powered by compressed natural gas(CNG), when involved in fire, present the hazard of a BLEVE of the gas tank. True or False?

Answer: False. A CNG tank contains a gas and not a liquid. While a tank of CNG can fail when exposed by fire, it will not BLEVE.

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