UPDATED 08.23.

2018

FIRE OFFICER 1 STUDY NOTES

THIS IS A REVIEW FOR THE STATE FIRE OFFICER TEST
THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY A FEW CITY FIREMEN (AND
WOMEN) TO AID IN SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF YOUR
STATE CERTIFICATE. SOME TOPICS MAY BE REPETITIVE.
AFTER YOUR EXAM WE ASK THAT YOU ADD ANY MORE
TOPICS YOU MIGHT HAVE ENCOUNTERED ON YOUR
SPECIFIC STATE TEST AND FORWARD THIS TO YOUR
FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS SITTING FOR THE
TEST. DON’T BE A DICK!
GOOD LUCK FUCKERS!

STUDY POINTS:
● Incident action plan (p303, FO book)
o Outlines the strategic objectives and states how emergency ops will be conducted
● If during a walk through you find a fire code violation, when should it be resolved??
o Immediately
● Front of building
o Division A
● Construction (p252, FO book)
o Type I: Fire Resistive
▪ Noncombustible elements encased in concrete, gypsum, and spray on coatings
o Type II: Noncombustible
▪ Structural elements have limited or no fire resistance
o Type III: Limited combustible (Ordinary)
▪ Exterior consists of noncombustible masonry; interior elements may be either
combustible on non-combustible
o Type IV: Heavy Timber

▪ Exterior walls are noncombustible masonry, interior elements are unprotected

wood beams and columns
o Type V: Wood frame

▪ Entire structure may be constructed of wood, may have masonry veneer but is
mostly made of wood
● What budget percentage is spent on personnel?
o 90%
● Post incident analysis (p99, FO book)
o Included pertinent information relating to safety and health issues involved with the
incident.
● If a company officer ignores laws and regulations, they can be held personally responsible
● C’s of communicating
o Conciseness, clarity, confidence, control, capability
● Key dimensions of an effective leader?
o Simulates and promotes goal-oriented thinking and behavior
● Who has the primary responsibility of accounting for personnel?
o Company officer
● Initial recognition and preservation of evidence is the responsibility of:
o The company officer
● Do not leave the fire scene until evidence is collected
● Near-miss definition (p87, FO book)
o Incidents that avoided serious injury or death, to identify trends
● Everyone goes home safe program (p86, FO book)
o Developed by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to prevent line-of-duty deaths
and injuries.
● With respect to the success of a safety program, a consistent challenge for a company officer is?
o Setting a good example
● Every document can be public record
● NIMS definitions of (p307-308, FO book):
o Division – composed of the resources responsible for operations within a defined
geographical area (Division A in the front of a building)
o Unit – smallest organizational element within NIMS, responsible for a specific incident
activity such as planning or logistics. (ex. Air supply unit)
o Group – organized by function rather than location (ex. Ventilation, search and rescue,
water supply)
o Strike team – 5 units of the same type with an assigned leader. 5 engines (engine strike
team) 5 ambulances (EMS strike team [yucky! ☹])
o Task force – 2 to 5 single resources that are assembled to accomplish a specific task. (ex.
2 engines, one rescue, one truck company)
● When should the infection control officer be notified of an exposure (p97, FO book):
o Immediately
● Layman’s five-step size up (p345 FO book):
o Facts, Probabilities, Situation, Decision, Plan of operation
● Layman’s strategies are (p349 FO book):
o RECEO VS
▪ Rescue, Exposures, Confinement, Extinguishment, Overhaul, Ventilation, Salvage
● Layman’s first 5 factors are listed in priority order
● Who is allowed to see an employee’s exposure report?
o The employee
● NFPA 1500
o Standard of Fire Department Occupational safety specifies the minimum requirements
for an occupational safety and health program for fire departments or organizations that
provide rescue, fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials
mitigation, special operations, and other emergency services.
● If an IC allows a structure to continue to burn while additional units respond, what mode is he in
(p347, FO book)?
o Defensive

● Combination department (p7 FO book):

 o Incudes varying proportions of career and volunteer members and can be mostly career
or mostly volunteer
● Unity of command (p11, FO book)
o Management concept that each firefighter answers to only one supervisor, and each
supervisor answers to one boss. Maintains chain of commands directly from FF to fire
chief
● Unified Command
o A command structure where multiple agencies and department are structure to
accomplish a common goal and a large incident.
● Span of control (p12, FO book)
o Maximum number of personnel or activities that can be effectively controlled by one
individual (usually minimum of 3 to a maximum of 7). Experts believe span of control
should not extend past 5.
● Command staff (p302, FO book)
o Public Information officer
▪ Responsible for gathering and releasing incident information to the news media
and other agencies
o Liaison officer

▪ ICs point of contact for representatives from outside agencies and is responsible
for exchanging information with representatives from those agencies.
▪ Liaison area is adjacent but outside of command post.
o Safety officer

▪ Responsible for ensuring that safety issues are manages effectively.

▪ Assistant safety officers may be assigned at complex incidents
▪ Has the authority to stop or suspend operations when an unsafe situation occurs
(NFPA 1500)
● Revenue (p281-282, FO book)
o Personnel expenditures account for 90% of FDs revenue and are allocated into salaries
and benefits
o Operating expenditures accounts for day-to-day delivery of municipal services such as
uniforms, apparatus maintenance, toilet paper, etc.
o Capital expenditures are purchases of durable items that cost more than a predetermined
amount and will last for more than one budget year (ex. SCBA, computers, etc.)
● Line-item budget (p281, FO book)
o A format in which expenditures are identified in a categorized line-by-line format.
● Letters to the media (p215, FO book)
o Made by department PIO
o PIO contact information on top of letter
● Logistics chief (p303, FO book)
o Supervisor of the logistics section that is responsible for providing supplies, services,
facilities, and materials during an incident
o Reports directly to the IC

● Firefighting strategies (p347, FO book)

o Offensive (fire attack)
o Defensive (surround and drown)
o Transitional (from offensive to defensive or vice versa if conditions improve)
● Routine reports for the company officer
 o Personnel, programs, equipment, and facilities

● Size-up process
o Phase one – Pre-incident information
▪ What you know before the incident (occupancy, water supply, layout, construction
type, etc.)
▪ Environmental information such as heat or cold extremes, wind, etc.,
o Phase two – Initial size-up

▪ What do I have? Where is it going? How do I control it?

▪ 360 walk around
▪ Smoke behavior
▪ Exposures
▪ Available resources and possible addition resources
o Phase three – Ongoing size-up

▪ Continuous analysis of the situation and effectiveness of the plan being executed
▪ Prepare to switch plans if the situation changes (ex. offensive to defensive)
▪ The IC needs to know: assignment completed/not completed, additional resources,
change in conditions, additional problems, emergency conditions.
● Policies (p14, FO book)
o Provide definitive guidelines for present and future actions
o They give officers latitude in determining how to achieve a directive
● Standard operating procedures (SOPs) (p14, FO book)
o Provide uniform actions at an emergency scene
● Rules and Regulations (p14, FO book)
o Developed by various government or government-authorized organizations to implement
a law
● Discipline (p166, FO book)
o A moral, mental, and physical state in which all ranks respond to the will of the leader
● Diversity (p51, FO book)
o As applied to the FD, means the workforce should reflect the community it serves
● Injury reports (p70, FO book)
o A supervisor’s first report of an injury must be submitted within 24-72 hours of the
incident
● Report writing
o Consider the audience it is intended for
● Responsibilities of the health and safety officer (p99, FO book)
o He is charged with ensuing that all injuries, illnesses, exposures, fatalities, or other
potentially hazardous conditions and all accidents involving fire department vehicles, fire
apparatus, equipment or fire department facilities are thoroughly investigated
● Teaching and training (p145, FO book)
o If FF performs the task or skill incorrectly, the FO should stop them immediately and
correct
● FF skills
o Bloodborne pathogen, HAZMAT, SCBA fit testing, and NIMS are all skills that a FF
should learn immediately
● Dealing with citizen complaints
 o Remain professional, take notes and function as an active listener

● Recommending policy change (p234, FO book)

o Carefully identify the problem and develop documentation to support the need for a
change
● Post incident review
o Not to discipline or blame but to assist in education and training
● Establishing command (p298, FO book)
o Initial report should include: Unit ID, brief description of the incident, obvious
conditions (working fire, MCI, etc.), brief description of the action being taken (Engine 9
advancing an attack line), declaration of strategy (offensive vs defensive), safety
concerns, location of command, and any additional resources
● Operation sections chief
o Deals with the strategy and tactics at complex incidents
● Planning section chief
o Prepares (plans) recommendations for strategies and tactics using available information
to predict the probable course of events
● Grapevine
o Informal communication system; flourishes when the official organization does not
provide the workforce with timely and accurate information. Based on incomplete date
and partial truths. Never assume it is accurate.
● National Incident Management System (NIMS) incident command structure
o According to NIMS the IC is staffed with a PIO, safety officer, and a liaison officer
● OSHA
o Establishes federal workplace safety regulations in the US
● NFPA 1670
o Standard on operations and training for technical search and rescue incidents
● OSHA and NFPA 1500
o Establishes specific requirements for firefighters operating in IDLH environments

QUESTIONS SEEN ON THE EXAM:

● According to NFPA 1021, how many levels of fire officer?
o 4
● Most discussions divide FF into what two categories?
o Career and volunteer
● What % of FF in the US are volunteer? (p7 FO book)
o 69%
● What organizational document is used to provide definite guidelines for present and future
actions?
o Policy

● Who is responsible for completing a task and preventing the duplication of a job assignment?
o Division of labor
● Most experts believe that span of control should extend to no more than a specific number of
people. What is that number?
o 5
● Which chief is responsible for several fire companies, usually more than on fire station?
o Battalion chief
● What organizational document establishes or prescribes specific operational or administrative
methods to be followed routinely for the performance of designated operation or actions?
o SOPs

● What is one of the four major changes to FORMAL fire department organization?
o First promotion to chief officer
● First role when dealing with complaint?
o Respond in a professional manner
● Limited combustible (ordinary) construction?
o Type 3 (type III)
● Example of capital item? (p282, FO book)
o SCBA
● Percent of budget to personnel expenses?
o 90%
● A pre-incident plan should be developed to be useful for FD and who else?
o Owner
● How long is an occupant given to correct a life-threatening hazard?
o Immediately
● What concept evolved from OSHAs two in two out rule?
o RIT
● What command level consist of the action objectives deemed necessary to achieve strategic goals?
o Tactical
● Who is responsible for assigning the needed resources at an incident?
o IC
● What tactical level can an IC implement to maintain span of control?
o Division
● What to do when you request a fire investigator to respond to a suspected crime scene?
o Secure the scene
● If no formal investigation is done, who determines the fire cause?
o IC
● Which hazard zone has the highest potential hazard to FFs?
o Hot
● End result of a good size-up?
o An IAC (incident action plan)
● Who is responsible for preventing a contamination of evidence?
o The fire officer
● What agency mandates early bloodborne pathogen training?
o OSHA
● Fire step in four-step method of instruction?
o Preparation
● Third step in four-step method of instruction?
 o Application

● FOUR STEPS
1. Preparation
2. Presentation
3. Application
4. Evaluation
● Who can the IC give authority to suspend or alter activities on a scene?
o Safety officer
● Minimum level of training to become a supervisory FO?
o FO1 (so don’t fuck up this test asshole!)
● Minimum number of FFs for interior ops?
o 2
● When should FOs review events with crews?
o After all events
● What can a FO develop to minimize chances of harm and identifying controlling factors that lead
to FF injury?
o IAP (incident action plan)

● Who can enter a FF into the employee assistance program (EAP)?

o Employee
● FFs should be medically examined with an emphasis on factors that could lead to?
o Heart attack (leading cause of death for FFs)
● FO notices that a FF has been absent numerous times and is irritable, what may be affecting FF
performance?
o Stress

● One rule that pertains to IDLH conditions?

o Two-in, two-out
● IDLH?
o Immediately dangerous to life or health
● When can employee contact union representation during grievance?
o Anytime
● Which method is held by union and employers to determine conditions of employment during
negotiation?
o Collective bargaining

● FO greatest challenge?
o Managing people
● One of the best tools to improve time efficiency?
o Delegation
● First step when establishing a local public education program? (p212, FO book)
o Identify fire or life-safety problems