Free CFPS Exam Flashcards

A sprinkler system with water constantly held in the piping, ready for immediate discharge when a sprinkler head activates. It offers the fastest response time of any sprinkler type and is used in heated spaces with no freeze risk.

Pipes are filled with pressurized air or nitrogen instead of water; a valve holds water back until a head fuses and the air releases. This protects unheated spaces from freezing but delays water delivery compared to wet pipe.

Pre-action systems require both a fire detection event to open a valve AND a sprinkler head to fuse before water enters the pipes, adding a layer of protection against accidental discharge from a damaged head in sensitive areas.

Deluge systems use open sprinkler heads with no fusible element, so when the detection system activates, water discharges from every head simultaneously. It is used in high-hazard occupancies, such as flammable liquid areas, that need instant total coverage.

Antifreeze systems use a listed antifreeze solution in wet piping for small, limited freeze-prone areas, avoiding the transit-time delay of dry pipe. Only NFPA-listed solutions are permitted; unlisted glycol mixes are prohibited.

225 sq ft maximum coverage per sprinkler and a minimum design density of 0.10 gpm per sq ft. Light hazard covers occupancies like offices and schools with low fuel loads.

OH1 requires a minimum density of 0.15 gpm/sq ft and OH2 requires 0.20 gpm/sq ft, both with 130 sq ft maximum coverage per head. OH2 covers occupancies with higher combustible loads, such as manufacturing.

Extra hazard tops out at 100 sq ft of coverage per sprinkler head, smaller than ordinary hazard (130 sq ft) or light hazard (225 sq ft), because higher fuel loads demand closer head spacing.

A fire pump boosts water pressure and flow to meet full system demand during an actual fire event. A jockey pump is a small pump that maintains system pressure during minor leaks, preventing the larger fire pump from cycling on unnecessarily.

Class I standpipes use 2.5-inch connections for fire department use, with a minimum 100 psi residual pressure at the topmost outlet. Class II standpipes use 1.5-inch connections for occupant use, with a minimum 65 psi residual pressure.

Clean agents extinguish fire by displacing oxygen or absorbing heat without leaving residue or damaging sensitive equipment, making them ideal for data centers, archives, and areas with valuable electronics where water damage is unacceptable.

Type I construction uses noncombustible materials, primarily steel and concrete, with the highest fire-resistance ratings of any construction type, allowing structures to withstand fire longest without structural collapse.

Type II is also noncombustible steel or concrete construction, but it carries lower fire-resistance ratings than Type I, meaning its structural members are protected for a shorter duration during fire exposure.

Exterior walls are noncombustible masonry, while interior structural elements such as floors and roof framing are combustible, typically wood joists. This mixed combustibility is the hallmark of 'ordinary' construction.

Heavy timber uses large-dimension, exposed structural wood members that meet minimum size thresholds, which char slowly and retain load capacity longer than the smaller lumber used in Type V framing.

Type V is wood-frame construction where the structural members themselves are combustible, giving it the lowest fire-resistance rating of all five types and making it fully combustible from frame to finish.

32 inches minimum clear width. This ensures adequate passage for occupants, including those using mobility aids, during an emergency evacuation.

150 sq ft (gross) per person under NFPA 101 (2018 edition onward; the legacy figure was 100). This occupant load factor drives egress design — the number of occupants determines how many exits are required and how wide they must be.

Class A finishes have a flame spread index of 0-25 (the best fire performance); Class B finishes range from 26-75. A lower index means flame spreads more slowly across the material's surface.

It activates once the surrounding air reaches a pre-set temperature threshold. It resists false alarms well in dusty, steamy, or high-humidity environments where a smoke detector would nuisance-trip.

It responds to a rapid increase in temperature over a short time span rather than reaching one fixed threshold, making it faster to respond in quickly developing fires.

Ionization detectors respond fastest to the small, largely invisible combustion particles produced by fast, flaming fires, because those particles disrupt the detector's internal ionization current more readily than large smoke particles.

Photoelectric detectors sense light scattered by the larger, visible smoke particles typical of smoldering fires, making them faster to respond to slow-burning, low-flame fires than ionization detectors.

It samples air moving through supply or return ducts to detect smoke being circulated by the HVAC system, typically shutting down fans or closing dampers to prevent smoke from spreading throughout the building via ductwork.

30 feet nominal spacing. Using the 0.7-times-spacing method, no point on the ceiling should be more than 21 feet from a detector, which helps account for irregular ceiling layouts.

General areas require signals at least 15 dBA above the average ambient sound level. Sleeping areas require a minimum of 75 dBA measured at the pillow, since occupants are less alert while asleep.

A flash point below 100°F (37.8°C). Class I liquids, such as gasoline and acetone, ignite most easily and require the strictest storage controls.

Class II: flash point 100-140°F. Class IIIA: 140-200°F. Class IIIB: 200°F or higher. Higher class numbers mean progressively harder-to-ignite liquids, with correspondingly relaxed storage limits.

120 gallons total. Approved storage cabinets provide fire-rated containment that limits fire spread and buys evacuation time if a container fails.

Health (blue), flammability (red), instability/reactivity (yellow), and special hazards (white, such as oxidizer or water-reactive symbols). Numeric ratings of 0-4 in each colored section rank severity, letting responders assess hazards at a glance.

A: ordinary combustibles like wood and paper. B: flammable and combustible liquids/gases. C: energized electrical equipment. D: combustible metals like magnesium and titanium. K: commercial cooking oils and fats. Each class requires an extinguishing agent matched to how that fuel burns.

Pull the safety pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep side to side. Aiming at the fuel source's base — not the flames — is what actually knocks the fire down.

Fuel, oxygen, heat, and an uninhibited chemical chain reaction. The tetrahedron adds the chain reaction component to the classic fuel-oxygen-heat triangle, explaining why chemical flame inhibitors can extinguish some fires even without removing fuel, oxygen, or heat.

Conduction transfers heat through direct material contact. Convection transfers heat via moving fluid, such as hot gases and smoke rising. Radiation transfers heat via electromagnetic waves across open space, which is how a fire can ignite nearby combustibles without touching them.

The simultaneous, near-instantaneous ignition of all combustible surfaces and gases in a compartment, driven by accumulated radiant heat. It typically occurs near 600°C (1100°F) and marks the transition from the growth stage into a fully developed fire.

A backdraft is an explosive ignition that occurs when oxygen is suddenly introduced, such as by opening a door, into a ventilation-limited, oxygen-starved fire. Unlike flashover's gradual radiant buildup, a backdraft is a sudden explosive event triggered by a new air supply.

Natural, accidental, incendiary (intentionally set), and undetermined. Investigators assign one of these categories based on the evidence gathered at the scene.

Mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. NFPA 1600 is the standard for disaster/emergency management and business continuity programs, guiding facilities through the full emergency lifecycle.

It documents building layout, hazards, utility shutoffs, and suppression system locations in advance so that responding fire and rescue personnel can act quickly and safely during an actual incident — it is written primarily for responders, not building occupants.

In occupancies like high-rises or healthcare facilities where total evacuation is impractical or dangerous, occupants in unaffected areas remain in place, or move to a protected refuge, while the fire is confined and suppressed near its point of origin.

An emergency plan is the general strategy and organizational framework for responding to emergencies. Procedures are the specific, step-by-step tasks assigned to individuals to carry out that plan during an actual event.

Overall authority and responsibility for managing the entire incident, including setting objectives, priorities, and strategy. Every other ICS section ultimately reports through the command structure to the Incident Commander.

Operations executes tactical objectives on the ground. Planning develops and tracks the incident action plan. Logistics provides resources, supplies, and support. Finance/Administration tracks incident costs and administrative needs.

Three to seven resources or subordinates reporting to one supervisor, with five as the optimal target. Exceeding this range overwhelms a supervisor's ability to direct and account for personnel safely.

A strike team consists of the same resource type and kind, such as five identical fire engines, operating under one leader. A task force combines different resource types assembled for a specific mission, such as engines plus a ladder truck plus an ambulance.

The National Incident Management System is the overarching U.S. framework for consistent, coordinated emergency response across agencies and jurisdictions. ICS is the on-scene command structure that NIMS mandates for managing individual incidents.

A fire wall is designed to stand alone structurally even if the building on either side collapses, typically rated 2-4 hours. A fire barrier relies on the building's structural frame for support and carries a lower minimum rating of 1 hour.

It automatically closes to block smoke migration through duct penetrations in smoke barriers, preventing the HVAC system from spreading smoke to unaffected areas of the building.

A smoke barrier is built to restrict the movement of smoke, while a fire barrier is rated specifically to resist the passage of fire and heat for a set duration. Buildings often use both together as part of overall compartmentation.

Pressurization, which keeps protected areas like stairwells at higher pressure than the fire zone, and exhaust, which mechanically removes smoke from the fire area, working together to keep egress paths clear of smoke.