Term
| The first arriving officer at a scene is responsible for what? |
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Definition
| completing the report, directing the initial investigation into the origin and cause |
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Term
| What are the responsibilities of the investigator? |
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Definition
| ensure that the cause has been determined and that related departmental, state, or provincial reports have been filed. Also responsible for carrying out the fire cause investigations |
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Term
| What should FF observe when approaching a scene? |
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Definition
| time of day, weather and natural hazards, man-made barriers, people leaving the scene |
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Term
| What should FF observe upon arrival? |
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Definition
| time of arrival and extent of fire, wind direction and velocity, doors or windows locked or unlocked, location of the fire, presence of containers or cans, burglary tools and familiar faces |
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Term
| What should FF observe during fire fighting? |
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Definition
| unusual odors, abnormal fire behavior when water is applied, obstacles hindering fire fighting, presence of a trailer, structural alterations, fire patterns, heat intensity and heat release rate, fire detection and protection systems, intrusion alarms, location of fire, personal items missing or present, household items, equipment or inventory and business records |
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Term
| What are the responsibilities after a fire? |
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Definition
| officer interviews occupants, owners and witnesses to obtain information for use in the report; FF should write a chronological account of important circumstances personally noticed |
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Term
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Definition
| do not attempt to interrogate potential arson suspect(s); allow the owner(s) or occupant(s) to talk freely if they are inclined to do so; fire personnel should never make statements of accusation, personal opinion or probable cause to anyone |
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Term
| When securing the scene... |
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Definition
| if an investigator is not immediately available, the FD should keep control of the premises and guard the scene until all evidence has been collected; FD has authority to bar access to any building during fire fighting operations and for a reasonable length of time after fire suppression has terminated; fire personal should not allow anyone to enter the fire scene without the investigator’s permission, and an authorized individual should escort the subject |
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Term
| What factors should you consider when setting boundaries for evidence protection? |
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Definition
| area needed by emergency personnel to work, the degree of hazard presented by elements involved in the incident, the need to preserve evidence and the general geography of the area |
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Term
| What should an investigator consider during an initial fire investigation? |
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Definition
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Term
| What factors should be considered when stabilizing the structure? |
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Definition
| fire-damaged structural elements, structural damage caused by fire fighting operations, collapses during or after fire fighting operations, and additional water weight added to building from fire fighting operations |
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Term
| More fire deaths occur from what? |
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Definition
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Term
| What common gases are found at the fire scene? |
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Definition
| carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen cyanide, nitrogen oxides and phosgene |
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Term
| What is Hydrogen Chloride? |
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Definition
| colorless but easily detected by its pugent odor and cause for intense irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract. Causes swelling and obstruction of the upper respiratory tract. Common found in fires because of its use in plastics |
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Term
| What is Hydrogen Cyanide? |
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Definition
| interferes with respiration at the cellular and tissue level. Materials that give off this gas include: wool, nylon, foam, rubber and paper. |
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Term
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Definition
| nonflammable, colorless and odorless. End product of the complete combustion of carboniferous materials. Investigators should anticipate high carbon dioxide levels when a carbon dioxide total flooding system has been activated |
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Term
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Definition
| Nitrogen dioxide is a pulmonary irritant that is reddish brown; commonly called a silo gas and is the culprit when farmers are overcome in or around silos and grain bins; liberated when pyroxlin plastics decompose |
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Term
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Definition
| colorless and tasteless gas with a disagreeable odor, is produced when refrigerants, such as freon, contact flame. Strong lung irritant; musty-hay odor |
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Term
| Particular toxic gases given off at a fire vary according to the following four factors... |
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Definition
| nature of the combustible, rate of heating, temperature of the evolved gases and oxygen concentration. |
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Term
| What are the types of monitoring detection devices? |
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Definition
| detector tubes, combustible gas indicators, oxygen deficiency toxic gas and combination meters, multi-specific gas detectors and radiation detectors |
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Term
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Definition
| a rapid chemical reaction that gives off energy and products of combustion that are very different in composition from the fuel and oxygen that combine to produce them |
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Term
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Definition
| the energy transferred from one body to another when the temperatures of the bodies are different |
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Term
| British thermal unit is... |
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Definition
| amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit |
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Term
| List 3 ways Heat is transferrred |
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Definition
| conduction, convection, and radiation |
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Term
| What is chemical reaction? |
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Definition
| matter that is transformed from one state to another or a new substance is produced |
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Term
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Definition
| reactions that give off energy as they occur |
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Term
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Definition
| reactions that absorb energy as they occur |
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Term
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Definition
| formation of a chemical bond between oxygen and another element; most common chemical reaction; exothermic reaction |
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Term
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Definition
| self-sustaining chemical reaction yielding energy or products that cause further reaction of the same kind; exothermic reaction |
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Term
| What four components is necessary for combustion to occur? |
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Definition
| oxygen, fuel, heat and self-sustained chemical reaction |
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Term
| Oxidizing agents refers to |
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Definition
| those materials that yield oxygen or other oxidizing gases during the course of a chemical reaction |
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Term
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Definition
| They support combustion when combined with fuel, but are not combustible |
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Term
| Fuel gases are evolved from what? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| chemical decomposition of a substance through the action of heat |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| transformation of a liquid to its vapor or gaseous state |
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Term
| Why are gaseous fuels the most dangerous? |
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Definition
| because they are already in the natural state required for ignition |
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Term
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Definition
| form of chemical heat energy that occurs when a material increases in temperature without the addition of external heat. |
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Term
| Events needed for spontaneous ignition to occur is... |
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Definition
| rate of heat production must be great enough to raise the temperature of the material to its ignition temperature, adequate air supply and the insulation properties of the material immediately surrounding the fuel must be such that the heat being generated does not dissipate. |
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Term
| What are five stages of fire? |
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Definition
| ignition, growth, flashover, fully developed and decay |
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Term
| Factors that impact behavior of a fire and its development are: |
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Definition
| size, number, and arrangement of ventilation openings; volume of the compartment; thermal properties of the compartment enclosures; ceiling height of the compartment; size, composition, and location of the fuel package that is first ignited; availability and locations of additional fuel packages (target fuels) |
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Term
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Definition
| (thermal balance or heat stratification): tendency of gases to form into layers according to temperature |
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Term
| What four basic steps is used to determine area of origin? |
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Definition
| interview witnesses and FF; examine the exterior of the structure or vehicle and the surrounding area; examine the interior of the structure or vehicle; analyze the information gathered |
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Term
| What should an investigator do before determining the point of origin and cause of fire? |
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Definition
| the investigator must determine the geographic location of where the fire started-witch is the area of origin. |
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Term
| What should you do when examining the exterior? |
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Definition
| examine the exterior of the structure to corroborate and supplement the information gleaned in the interviews; look for anything unusual, such as gas cans or forcible entry tools, in the yard, shrubbery, trash cans, and outbuildings; match any exterior burn patterns to interior burn patterns |
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Term
| When examining the interior, you should... |
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Definition
| go inside the structure to the indicated area; work from the areas of least damage to the areas of greatest damage. Generally, the area of origin is the most damaged area inside the structure |
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Term
| Indicators for determining point of origin: |
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Definition
| charring, v-patterns, light bulbs, window panes, floor damage and multiple areas of origin |
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Term
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Definition
| the material composed of carbon that has been burned and has a blackened appearance |
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Term
| What should you do when using Char an as indicator in determining the point of origin? |
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Definition
| look for burns in low levels of the area; check the bottom and underside of furniture, low charring may indicate that the area of origin may be at a low level; study the entire pattern of damage and make an assessment of the low burns according to their relationship with the total damage; check the depth of the char with a proper tool, charring is usually deepest at or near the area of origin; compare the relative depth of char at the suspected area of origin with the char depth in similar fuels elsewhere (this may show direction in which the fire traveled); follow and diagram the char patterns from the least to most to assist in leading to the area of origin. |
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Term
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Definition
| usually the vertex (point) of a v-shaped burn pattern points close to or directly to the area of origin of that particular pattern |
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Term
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Definition
| incandescent light bulbs exposed to heat/fire often soften and swell. The swelling generally points toward the source of the heat, which may help determine the direction of fire travel |
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Term
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Definition
| glass lying on the ground or floor that is in a condition different from the glass left in the windowpane may indicate breakage before the fire or smoke reached that window. Glass left in a pane will probably investigator with very little information on origin |
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Term
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Definition
| because of the normal upward movement of heat and fire, floors are usually damaged much less than ceilings. Therefore, areas of floor damage may be good indicators of the area of origin. Areas of heavily charred flooring may be found at or near the area of origin because of longer exposure to the fire |
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Term
| What is fire induced spalling? |
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Definition
| chipping or breaking away of the surface of concrete as a result of the concrete reaching a significantly high temperature at that location. In the past, it was commonly thought that spalling occurred secondary to the use of a liquid accelerant |
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Term
| Multiple areas of origin refers to... |
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Definition
| the discovery of what appears to be multiple areas of origin may indicate intentional burning. However, an accidental fire may also ignite items that burn intensely and give the appearance of multiple points of origin |
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Term
| What factors affect the spread of fire? |
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Definition
| nature of the combustible in its path, building features and layout that assist or resist spread and ventilation drafts. |
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Term
| When examinining the scene of a vehicle fire, you should... |
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Definition
| speak to the owner of the vehicle and compare information that the owner provides with evidence found at the scene; conduct a thorough investigation of the scene; check in and around bushes, trees and surrounding ground for containers and other evidence that may have been hidden; check for tire tracks and footprints |
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Term
| When examining the exterior of a vehicle, you should... |
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Definition
| check the vin number, check burn patterns; condition and positions of doors and windows; condition of the body of the vehicle (any signs of an accident); condition of vehicle accessories such as a spare tire and jack |
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Term
| What should you do when investigating suspicious vehicle fires? |
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Definition
| look for mismatched tires/rims; hubcaps and wheels (do they match); lug nuts (are they in place and on tight); license plate; missing exterior parts; looks for siphon hoses and wicks |
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Term
| What should you do when examining the driving and passenger compartment area? |
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Definition
| look for the ignition key (is it present or absent); check steering lock assembly for damage; check to see whether installed radios and other accessories are present; check trunk and glove compartment for belongings; search for ignitable liquid containers and signs of accelerants on floor mats; check for timing or ignition devices |
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Term
| When examining the fuel system, you should... |
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Definition
| trace fuel line from the fuel tank to the carburetor or injection system; look for loose connections; check to see whether there is fuel in the tank and whether the fuel cap is in place. |
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Term
| What is the first step in investigating the cause of wildland fires? |
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Definition
| locate the area of origin |
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Term
| What has the greatest effect on fire spread and intensity? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the next most important factor in the rate of fire spread? |
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Definition
| SLOPE. Fire burns faster uphill than downhill |
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Term
| Where is the deepest char found? |
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Definition
| on the surfaces of brush and tree limbs near the head of the fire |
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Term
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Definition
| normally occurs on the windward side of the fuel. Produces a cup like shape on timber |
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Term
| What does fire produce when burning upslope with the wind? |
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Definition
| with the wind, it produces a char pattern on tree that slopes at an angle greater than the slop of the terrain |
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Term
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Definition
| general location where the fire started |
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Term
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Definition
| specific location where the heat source comes in contact with the fuel |
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Term
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Definition
| results of an event that bring together heat, fuel and an oxidizer and that results in fire |
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Term
| What are the types of fire cause? |
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Definition
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Term
| Accidental fires may originate... |
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Definition
| with or without the aid of a human being |
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Term
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Definition
| fires that are maliciously and deliberately ignited |
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Term
| What are the key indicators of an incendiary fire? |
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Definition
| multiple points of origin, trailers, incendiary devices, ignitable liquid patterns, low levels of charring, concrete spalling, inverted v-patterns and hourglass patterns |
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Term
| Low levels of charring indicate... |
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Definition
| high amounts of heat at low levels and may indicate the introduction of ignitable liquids |
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Term
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Definition
| caused by high heat liberating the moisture in the concrete, leaving its surface chipped and pitted |
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Term
| What are inverted v-patterns? |
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Definition
| these indicate the introduction of ignitable liquids. Patterns generally found on walls and originate at the floor |
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Term
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Definition
| formed as a result of air movement from the side of the fire, cooling the wall surface where air enters the flame zone. Patterns may be the result of an ignitable liquid or any other material that release heat at a high rate |
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Term
| Electrical sources of ignition can be divided into what four groups? |
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Definition
| aging electrical equipment, improper use of approved equipment, electrical accident and improper installations. |
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Term
| Common ignition sources associated with electrical equipment include: |
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Definition
| insulation failure of the electrical cord, inadequate clearances and breakdown and shorting of internal components. |
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Term
| Conversion of a material to pyrophoric carbon occurs... |
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Definition
| when wood or other cellulose material is subjected to a how heat source for a long period of time. As this conversion takes place, the ignition temperature of the material is lowered until finally auto-igniton takes place |
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Term
| What are the common heat sources for pyrophoric ignition? |
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Definition
| steam pipes, flues (wood burning stoves and fire places) and fluorescent light ballasts |
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Term
| What are the causes and indicators of wildland fire? |
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Definition
| lightning, campfires, smoking materials, debris burning, incendiary fires, heavy equipment use, railroads and children. |
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Term
| Juvenile fire setter are divided into what five categories? |
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Definition
| curiosity, crisis, delinquent, strategic and pathological |
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Term
| Why do crisis fire setter set fires? |
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Definition
| in response to stressful circumstances |
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Term
| Who are delinquent fire setters? |
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Definition
| older children who are described as irresponsible and resistant to authority |
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Term
| Strategic fire setters are... |
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Definition
| often teenagers who are streetwise and have a history of juvenile delinquency. Often have low self esteem and find their support from peer groups |
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Term
| Pathological fire setters are... |
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Definition
| characterized by recurring fire setting behavior |
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Term
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Definition
| An adult who intentionally or knowingly sets a fire |
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Term
| What are the motives of adult fire setters? |
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Definition
| revenge, vandalism, profit (fraud), crime concealment, excitement, or extremism (terrorism) |
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Term
| What are the three primary categories of evidence? |
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Definition
| direct, circumstantial and physical |
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Term
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Definition
| composed of those facts to which a person can attest without further support (i.e. witness) |
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Term
| What is circumstantial evidence? |
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Definition
| supports an inference formed from direct evidence (i.e. one could infer that a person set a fire in a building if there was direct evidence that the person was seen carrying a container of ignitable liquid in the building and was seen running from the building as the fire started). |
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Term
| What is Physical (real) evidence? |
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Definition
| speaks for itself (e.g. gas can) |
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Term
| What is preserving evidence? |
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Definition
| secure the scene and keep unnecessary people out; preserve the evidence that is in danger of destruction in the best possible way; photograph the evidence; record the time of discovery and maintain constant surveillance while evidence is still in original place |
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Term
| What is the objective in interviewing a person(s)? |
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Definition
| to gather information to discover the cause of the fire |
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Term
| What is the best method of note taking? |
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Definition
| tape-record the interview and make notes during the recording of the witness...It is imperative that the person investigating the fire record accurate and concise notes |
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Term
| What are the pitfalls of interviewing? |
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Definition
| taking something for granted; jumping to conclusions; leading the witness; having a closed mind |
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Term
| Give some techniques for keeping the interview on track |
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Definition
| do not reveal your opinion of the origin and cause of the fire to person(s) being interviewed; do not bluff/threaten/insinuate; encourage the witnesses to talk; use properly constructed questions to get the desired information without creating a defensive attitude. |
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Term
| Once the fire scene has been released, investigators may not reenter the property without... |
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Definition
| first gaining the consent of the owner or obtaining a warrant. |
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Term
| What is required in most jurisdictions in order to obtain entry after the fire department has left the scene? |
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Definition
| An administrative warrant |
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