Firefighter Training S-130 – Suppression, Communication, and Mop-Up Exam Questions and Answers | Verified & Graded A
Question : Variables to Consider When Deciding Tactics
CORRECT ANSWER : When deciding the tactics to use in a
particular situation, Command will take into account: Actual
or potential life hazards Exposures—threatened property or resources Fuel types, moisture, continuity, and arrangement Current and expected weather, including temperature and especially wind Topography Anchor points
Question : Direct Attack
CORRECT ANSWER : In a direct attack, the IC determines
if personnel and resources can safely work against the flames directly. One of the primary determining factors in direct attack is flame lengths. Normally, flame lengths of less than 4 feet (1.2 m) can be fought directly with hand tools and handlines. When working in this manner, keep one foot in the black and one foot in the unburned area. Flames up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) require heavy equipment or airdrops. Some
common direct attack techniques include: - Smothering or
removing fuel with hand tools - Spraying water in stationary or mobile attack
Question : Indirect Attack
CORRECT ANSWER : When flame lengths exceed 8 feet
(2.4 meters), direct attack of any kind becomes impractical. In this situation, indirect attack is the only option. Indirect attack requires firefighters to build control lines, either by hand, with mechanized equipment, with water (wet line), or by using existing natural or man-made barriers. You then burnout or backfire fuels between the control line and the oncoming fire edge. On large incidents, you may be miles from the actual fire edge. On smaller incidents, you may be very close to the flame front.
Question : Flank Attack
CORRECT ANSWER : Another tactic for fighting wildland
fires is the flank attack, also referred to as a flanking attack or flanking the fire. The flank attack is used for moderately intense fires moving at a moderate rate of spread (ROS).
Here's the skinny on flank attacks: Start a flank attack at a
secure anchor point on one or both flanks of a fire, and work
toward the head. Attack the flanks directly or indirectly—the distance of the control line from the fire edge usually depends on fire intensity Attack the flanks simultaneously or successively, depending on fire conditions and resources available Aircraft can be one of the flank-attack resources when necessary
Question : Parallel Attack
CORRECT ANSWER : A control line is constructed as near
to the fire's edge as possible while still allowing enough time to complete the line before the fire front arrives. For this reason, parallel attacks often employ mechanized equipment, such as tractor-plows and bulldozers, because the line can be constructed more quickly. The parallel attack is similar to an indirect attack, but the control line is constructed much closer to the fire's edge, usually within 100 feet (30 m). The area sacrificed to the fire is smaller than in an indirect attack. A parallel attack reduces the labor of hand crews because a line can be constructed straight across indentations of the fire front, thus shortening the line. When performing a parallel attack, the area between the control line and the fire is usually burned out as the work progresses, or firefighters patrol the line to ensure that it is not breached when the main fire
reaches it. Use a parallel attack: Whenever a fire is too intense
for direct attack When a fire's edge is so irregular that direct attack would result in an excessively long control line To keep the fire away from heavy fuels To encircle spot fires
Question : Hot Spotting
CORRECT ANSWER : Hotspotting involves making a rapid
attack on the hot-burning points of a fire's edge, such as rapidly developing fingers or other active parts of a fire that are threatening life or high-value property. Hotspotting is done prior to constructing control lines and is one of the more dangerous tactics because it is not initiated from an anchor point. Hotspotting is usually done by any available resources (with the proper experience) and should be done from within the black or by taking advantage of other natural barriers.
Question : Cold Trailing
CORRECT ANSWER : Firefighters cold trail to try to
improve their control of a partly dead fire edge by checking for hot spots and widening the line or cutting a new one if necessary. Cold trailing involves carefully inspecting and feeling with bare hands to detect any fire, digging out and