TCFP Firefighter I
Checked against TCFP and SFFMA sources. Published .Start free practiceStudy All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceFire Hose Practices
Fire Hose Practices
Share of the exam7 to 13%
Tables2
Tested facts2
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Large-diameter hose (LDH) | 3.5 in. (88 mm) or greater, standard sizes 4 in. and 5 in., primarily supply hose |
| Booster hose flow | Only 40 to 50 gpm, so small outdoor and trash or dumpster fires only, never structural or vehicle firefighting |
| Attack hose annual test | Minimum 300 psi (2068 kPa), with service use up to 275 psi |
| Supply hose test | 200 psi minimum |
| Visual hose inspection | At least quarterly, plus a visual check after every use |
| Threaded couplings | Used on hose up to 3 in. in diameter, sealed by a rubber swivel gasket |
| Load | Key point |
|---|---|
| Flat load | Hose lies flat; the load that can be used with any hose size, including LDH |
| Horseshoe load | Stands each length on its edge around the bed perimeter; LDH tends to fall over, so not for LDH |
| Accordion load | On edge, so more hose wear and not recommended for LDH, but easy to carry off in folds |
| Triple-layer load | Hose folded back on itself to about one third of its length before loading; one person can deploy it, suiting minimal staffing, though it is harder to load |
| Minuteman load | Lets one fire fighter flake out one fold at a time from the shoulder, controlling deployment and avoiding sharp kinks |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceFirefighter PPE & SCBA
Firefighter PPE & SCBA
Share of the exam5 to 11%
Tables2
Tested facts1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Oxygen-deficient atmosphere | 19.5 per cent or less |
| Respiratory protection regulation | 29 CFR 1910.134 |
| Rated 30-minute cylinder under work | About 15 minutes, roughly half the rated duration |
| Named weight figure | At least 25 lb (11 kg) |
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Low-air alarm (EOSTI) activation | 35 per cent of cylinder capacity |
| 45-minute cylinder under exertion | About 20 to 25 minutes of real working time |
| Skip breathing cycle | About 5 seconds per cycle |
| RIC pack LEDs | Two steady green means full; one steady green means about half full |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceFire Streams
Fire Streams
Share of the exam5 to 11%
Tables2
Tested facts0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Pressure per foot of elevation | 0.434 psi |
| Master stream flow | 350 to 1500 gpm (1325 to 5678 L/min) |
| Large handline | 2.5 inches (65 mm) or more, flowing more than 250 gpm |
| Nozzle | What it does |
|---|---|
| Adjustable-gallonage fog | The operator picks a discrete flow setting, held as long as rated pressure is supplied; a fixed-gallonage nozzle has one preset flow and an automatic nozzle varies its opening with a spring-loaded piston |
| Water curtain | A flat screen of water; radiant heat passes through its air gaps, so direct it onto the exposed building's surface to wet and cool it |
| Cellar or Bresnan distributor | Lowered through an opening into a cellar or cockloft, spraying a wide circular pattern like a large sprinkler head |
| Piercing nozzle | Driven or hammered through sheet metal or a wall to discharge water into a void that cannot otherwise be reached |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceFire Behavior (Fire Science)
Fire Behavior (Fire Science)
Share of the exam4 to 10%
Tables0
Tested facts1
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceSalvage & Overhaul
Salvage & Overhaul
Share of the exam4 to 10%
Tables1
Tested facts0
| Tool | Reach |
|---|---|
| Standard pike pole, 4 to 6 ft | Lets a fire fighter on the floor pull down a 10 ft (3 m) high ceiling |
| Closet hook | 2 to 4 ft (0.6 to 1 m), a short pike pole for tight spaces such as closets |
| Longer variants | 8 to 10 ft and 12 to 14 ft poles serve higher ceilings |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceFirefighter Safety & Health
Firefighter Safety & Health
Share of the exam3 to 9%
Tables1
Tested facts2
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Cold weather rehab trigger | Wind chill of 10 degrees Fahrenheit or lower (USFA) |
| Self-rehab after one 30-minute cylinder | Minimum 10 minutes with fluid replacement, also after 20 minutes of intense work without SCBA |
| After two cylinders or an encapsulating suit | Minimum 20 minutes |
| First dehydration sign | Increased thirst, at roughly 1 per cent body-weight fluid loss |
| Invisible combustion particulates | Approximately 97 per cent |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceFire Service Ladder Practices
Fire Service Ladder Practices
Share of the exam3 to 9%
Tables1
Tested facts1
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Truck company | 115 ft (35 m) of ground ladders total, including at least two straight ladders with roof hooks, two extension ladders and one folding ladder |
| Quint | An 85 ft minimum complement |
| Initial (quick) attack apparatus | One combination or extension-type ladder at least 12 ft (4 m) long |
| Ground ladder maximum | 50 ft (15 m); taller buildings need aerial apparatus |
| Bangor ladder | Staypoles are required at 40 ft (12 m) or longer |
| Fresno ladder | Narrow two-section attic extension ladder, 10 to 14 ft, no halyard, extended manually |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceVentilation Practices
Ventilation Practices
Share of the exam3 to 9%
Tables1
Tested facts0
| Cut | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Louver cut | Cut panels are tilted into the opening, using each roof support as a fulcrum, like hinged louvers |
| Triangular cut | Preferred on metal decking; it prevents the cut metal from rolling away and sliding into the opening |
| Trench (strip) cut | A defensive cut from one exterior wall to the other, stopping horizontal spread through the attic or cockloft of long narrow buildings such as strip malls |
| Kerf cut | A single narrow examination cut |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceWater Supplies
Water Supplies
Share of the exam3 to 9%
Tables1
Tested facts0
| Colour | Flow |
|---|---|
| Red | Under 500 gpm |
| Orange | 500 to 999 gpm (Class B) |
| Green | 1000 to 1499 gpm |
| Light blue | 1500 gpm or more |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceRopes
Ropes
Share of the exam3 to 9%
Tables2
Tested facts0
| Rope | Rule |
|---|---|
| Life safety rope | 7/16 in. to 5/8 in., minimum breaking strength 8,992 lbf (40 kN) |
| Escape rope | A single emergency self-rescue by one person; not reused |
| Utility rope | Never relied upon to support a human load |
| Polypropylene | Floats and resists snagging on underwater hazards, though it is weaker |
| Part | Role |
|---|---|
| Working end | Forms the knot |
| Running end | Used for lifting or hoisting |
| Standing part | The section between the working end and the running end |
| Bight | A bend in the rope |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceRescue Operations
Rescue Operations
Share of the exam1 to 5%
Tables2
Tested facts0
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Standard search | The team stays together, following an outside wall in a left-handed or right-handed pattern, shoulder against the wall |
| Oriented search | The officer remains outside the rooms, monitoring the searchers' safety, air supply and the progress of the fire |
| Team search | For large open structures with limited visibility, such as warehouses, or locating a lost fire fighter |
| Door marking | A slash means a search is in progress; an X means the search has been completed |
| Single-family benchmark | One or two teams can search all rooms in 15 minutes or less |
| Tool | Job |
|---|---|
| Hydraulic spreader | Applies several tons of force on a very small area for vehicle and machinery extrication |
| Reciprocating saw | Cuts metal during extrication of a victim from a motor vehicle |
| Spring-loaded centre punch | Breaks tempered automobile glass by disrupting its integrity at a pinpoint |
| Cutting torch | Cannot be used where flammable fuels are present, because its extreme heat could ignite them |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceForcible Entry
Forcible Entry
Share of the exam1 to 6%
Tables1
Tested facts0
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Halligan pick end | Makes holes, drives through locks and shackles, or breaks glass; the blade pries and the fork gives mechanical advantage |
| Maul | 6 lb (3 kg) or more, axe on one side of the head and sledgehammer on the other |
| Sledgehammer | Head weighs anywhere from 2 to 20 lb (1 to 9 kg) |
| Bolt cutters | Cut through chains or padlocks to open doors or gates |
| Rabbit tool | Hand-powered hydraulic tool designed to quickly open doors |
| Shove knife | For outward-swinging doors; works only on a limited number of wooden-frame doors, not metal frames |
| San Francisco hook | Built-in gas shut-off and directional slot, useful for forcible entry and ventilation |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceFire Control
Fire Control
Share of the exam1 to 6%
Tables0
Tested facts0
No tables or tested facts in this domain yet; the guide covers it in prose. The share above is still the real exam's.
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceFire Department Communications
Fire Department Communications
Share of the exam1 to 7%
Tables1
Tested facts2
| Item | What it is |
|---|---|
| Portable radio | Hand-held, battery-operated two-way radio a fire fighter carries, with limited transmitting power |
| Mobile radio | Permanently mounted in a vehicle |
| Base station | Mounted in a fixed building or tower site |
| Repeater | Receives a weak signal on one frequency and automatically rebroadcasts it at full base-station power on a second frequency |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceGround Cover Fire Fighting
Ground Cover Fire Fighting
Share of the exam1 to 7%
Tables1
Tested facts1
| Part | Definition |
|---|---|
| Head | The travelling edge advancing most rapidly into new fuel |
| Heel (rear) | Stays near the area of origin |
| Flank | The edge running parallel to the direction of spread, between head and heel |
| Finger | A narrow secondary extension |
| Unburned fuel between a finger and the main body, surrounded by fire on three sides and dangerous to crews caught inside |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceBuilding Construction
Building Construction
Share of the exam1 to 5%
Tables2
Tested facts0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Type I | Fire-resistive construction (a 2 hour rating appears as a named figure) |
| Traditional floor under fire | Lasts about 19 minutes |
| Lightweight floor under fire | Lasts about 6 minutes |
| Thermoplastic | Melts and drips, sometimes as low as 500 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Type | Defining trait |
|---|---|
| Type I, fire-resistive | Noncombustible with at least a 2 hour fire-resistance rating, interiors divided into compartments |
| Type II, noncombustible | Also noncombustible, but typically a large single-storey building without the compartmentation or rating |
| Type III, ordinary | Masonry exterior walls with wood interior framing, so contents and combustible structure both fuel a fire |
| Type IV, heavy timber | Masonry exterior with solid or laminated wood interior, posts about 8 in. square and beams about 14 in. deep, and no concealed spaces |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referencePortable Extinguishers
Portable Extinguishers
Share of the exam1 to 6%
Tables1
Tested facts1
| Class | Symbol |
|---|---|
| A | Green triangle |
| B | Red square |
| C | Blue circle |
| D | Yellow five-pointed star |
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceFire & Life Safety Initiatives
Fire & Life Safety Initiatives
Share of the exam1 to 5%
Tables0
Tested facts1
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceFire Cause & Origin
Fire Cause & Origin
Share of the exam1 to 5%
Tables0
Tested facts1
Study All · TCFP Firefighter I quick referenceOrientation & Fire Service History
Orientation & Fire Service History
Share of the exam3 to 9%
Tables1
Tested facts0
| Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Familia Publica, about 24 BC | Augustus Caesar's force of roughly 600 slaves; ineffective because they had little incentive to take risks |
| Corps of Vigiles, about 60 AD | 7000 free men under Nero; adopted the Roman military rank structure that still shapes fire department ranks |
| First paid US fire department | Boston, 1679, which also had the first fire stations and engines |
| First volunteer fire company | Philadelphia, 1735, under Benjamin Franklin; citizens kept filled water buckets outside their doors |
| Fire hydrant, 1817 | Frederick Graff Sr.; valves called fireplugs tapped the water pipe system |
| Steam-powered pumper, 1829 | Replaced Richard Newsham's 1720 hand-powered pumpers; volunteers resisted the heavy horse-drawn machines |
| Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire | 146 deaths; the real precursor to NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code |
Sources this sheet is checked against
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire hose
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), hose construction and couplings
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), supply line and attack line evolutions
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), personal protective equipment and SCBA
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), personal protective equipment
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), SCBA and air management
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire streams
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), nozzles and appliances
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire suppression streams
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire behavior
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire science
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), salvage and overhaul
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), salvage equipment
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), salvage and overhaul operations
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), firefighter health and safety
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), firefighter survival
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), firefighter rehabilitation and health
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), ladders
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), ladder types
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), ladder inspection and use
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), ventilation
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), vertical ventilation
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), mechanical and horizontal ventilation
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), water supply
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), water supply systems
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), ropes and knots
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), rope construction and use
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), search and rescue
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), rescue techniques and tools
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), forcible entry
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire fighter tools and equipment
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire suppression
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire suppression hazards
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), communications
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire service communications
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), radio systems
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), wildland fire
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), wildland and ground cover fires
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), building construction
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), building construction types
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), portable fire extinguishers
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), extinguisher classification
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire prevention and public education
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), community risk reduction
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire cause determination
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), evidence preservation during overhaul
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), the fire service
- Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills (IAFC / NFPA / Jones & Bartlett), fire service history and organisation
Share or cite this sheet
Study All editorial team. TCFP Firefighter I quick reference. https://study-all.com/references/tcfp-firefighter-i
Link to Study All or to this page; the text and tables are free to reproduce for study with that credit.