Examiner s Report March 2013 Level 3 Diploma Paper 5: Fire Service Operations UK Specific. Introduction Candidates were required to answer six questions from a choice of ten questions. The most popular questions with candidates were question 1 (high rise building incident risk assessments and bridgehead), question 4 (command support at an escalating incident) and question 5 (fire behaviour backdraught and flashover). The questions where candidates performed best were questions 1, 5 and 6: candidates performed least well on question 9. Feedback on candidate performance in each of the examination questions follows. Question 1 You are called to a fire on the 16 th floor of a high rise building. You are the first officer on scene. a) With regard to fire behaviour and development with this type of incident, identify and outline the factors that will impact on your risk assessment. (6 marks) b) Define the term bridgehead. Discuss the factors that need to be taken into account when setting up a bridgehead. (6 marks) c) With reference to firefighting and search and rescue at this type of incident, identify and discuss the issues that should be considered within your risk assessment. (8 marks) This was one of the most popular questions on the paper and most candidates attempting it scored high marks. Some candidates answered parts b) and c) by using bullet point lists that restricted their capacity to discuss the issues fully and limited the marks they could earn from their answers. Other candidates failed to discuss the specific risks in their answers, for example the stack effect; wind pattern; cold smoke; the Coanda effect.
Question 2 You are called to a military aircraft that has crashed off airport in your area. a) En route to the incident your initial considerations focus on the materials used in the construction of military aircraft. Identify the metals and other materials you will have to deal with at this incident. Outline the uses and properties of these materials. b) On arrival you discover that the aircraft is a helicopter. (6 marks) In relation to this type of aircraft detail the significant hazards and risks you need to assess prior to the deployment of operational crews. (14 marks) This was another popular question where candidates who gained high marks responded particularly well to part b (where the majority of the marks stood to be gained) by detailing the significant hazards and risks relating to an incident of this type, including the following:- Moving rotor blades and downdraught; aviation fuel Weapons systems and activation of safety systems Engine exhaust; interference to FRS communication systems Question 3 You are called to a large rural fire. It is moving very quickly and you are to attend at a declared rendezvous point (or RVP). a) With reference to the appropriate Generic Risk Assessment, identify and describe the significant risks and hazards associated with this type of incident. b) You start to fight the fire but it spreads towards a local farm. (12 marks) With reference to the appropriate risk assessment, describe and discuss the types of hazardous substances and materials you would expect to find in a farm and the risks they present. (8 marks) Successful candidates gained high marks for their answers by applying practical knowledge to the specific context of the question as opposed to including generic references to incident command structure. The significant hazards and risks associated with this type of incident include the following:- Environmental conditions and terrain e.g. weather, visibility, open water, forest or moorland Stacked materials
Pylons and overhead power lines Insects, animals movement of non-service vehicles Manual handling and heavy physical work Question 4 You are nominated as command support at an escalating incident. a) Explain the function of command support at incidents. Outline the roles and responsibilities within command support. The incident develops into a large scale incident and the command vehicle arrives. b) Describe in detail the additional roles and responsibilities that now fall under the remit of command support. As with answers to Question 3, candidates scored good marks when they demonstrated a thorough understanding of the command support role. Unfortunately many candidates explained in detail the function of particular officers involved at incidents (not required by the question,) and this earned them few marks as a result. The key to a successful answer lay in articulating the additional roles and responsibilities that accrued as the incident developed. This centred on the delegation of responsibility to a suitably trained and experienced officer as more resources became available. Question 5 You are to deliver a lecture on fire behaviour to the crew on the watch. a) i. Define the term backdraught. List and explain the signs and symptoms of backdraught. ii. Describe the safe systems of work that would need to be put in place before a crew entered a building where backdraught was suspected. b) i. Define the term flashover. List and explain the signs and symptoms of flashover. ii Explain the safe systems of work that must be employed by an internal BA crew on recognising the signs and symptoms of flashover. This was the most popular question on the paper and successful candidates demonstrated a good understanding of the safety critical elements of an operational manager s role. They also supported their responses with detailed explanations of SSON.
The common safety factors to be observed when dealing with suspected backdraughts and flashovers are as follows:- Ensure you are properly protected Ensure entrance is covered with a charged branch Check escape routes are protected and secure Stay low Spray upwards through a slightly open door Ventilation and dealing with steam and hot gases are more complex issues when dealing with suspected backdraughts. Question 6 You are called to an incident involving radiation. a) Identify the different types of radiation arising from radioactivity and describe the risks and hazards associated with each. b) Detail the primary control measures required for all types of radiation when a safe system of work is established. The description should include an explanation of sealed and unsealed sources. Although answers to this question generated one of the highest average marks, this question was not popular amongst candidates. Few candidates provided detailed responses explaining the risks and hazards associated with each type of radiation in part a). However candidates were generally more confident in answering part b) and demonstrated a good understanding of the primary control measures involving time, distance and shielding. They also went on to explain well how these control measures could be implemented operationally. Question 7 You are the stability officer at a large ship fire in port. a) In relation to stability explain the following terms:- i. Longitudinal stability ii. Transverse stability iii. Buoyancy iv. Metacentric height v. Free surface effect. b) Identify and describe in detail the duties of the stability officer. This was the least popular question on the paper and those who attempted it evidently did so without a background of specialist knowledge. Few candidates showed a detailed understanding of the terms listed and even fewer commented on
their relation to the stability of a ship. The lack of detailed knowledge shown in answering the first part of the question disadvantaged them further when answering part b). Although the duties of a stability officer vary between different fire and rescue services, they should include the following:- Securing an appropriate number of firefighters to act as stability crew Obtaining plans of the ship s pumping system, accommodation, cargo stowage (if applicable), water, ballast and fuel tanks, firefighting equipment etc., together with any cargo manifest. Setting up a stability point, e.g. a position by the ship's inclinometer and completing the stability board and updating it at regular intervals. Obtaining an assessment of the amount of water that can safely be put into the section(s) on fire. Checking any on-board firefighting installations in use and advising the incident commander as to whether any of these should be shut down. The incident commander would have to keep all interested organisations informed of the firefighting and stability position and confer with them. Question 8 You are called out to an incident where a fire has been located near a large elevated electricity transformer. The fire is also near several overhead lines. a) Describe the construction and operation of an electricity transformer. With regard to firefighting and crew safety, explain in detail the risks associated with electricity transformers. (12 marks) b) With reference to the overhead electrical hazards in the diagrams below identify the recognised minimum clearance distances (A E) and distribution voltages (F L) where appropriate. (Remember to identify the items A L on your answer script. Please do NOT label the diagram on the question paper.) (8 marks) D E A B C
F G H J K --------------------------------------- L Candidates who attempted this question gained good marks for explaining and detailing the risks and hazards associated with electricity transformers yet they failed to pick up easy marks by neglecting to identify correctly the minimum safety distances identified in the diagram contained in part b). As these minimum clearance distances proved to be something of an issue for many candidates, they are reproduced below:- A: monitor; 30 metres. B: hand held hose; 20 metres. C: operational / working without hose; 10 metres. D: in smoke or flames approaching conductor; 10 metres. E: in training; 20 metres. Question 9 You are attending a large fire at a petrochemical plant and you have been asked if Hi Expansion Foam can support firefighting operations. a) Define the term Hi Expansion Foam and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using it on the fireground. b) Explain the risks that need to be considered before deploying Hi Expansion Foam and outline the hazards it presents to operational personnel. As with answers to Question 1, some candidates answered part a) by using bullet point lists that restricted their capacity to discuss the advantages and disadvantages fully and limited the marks they could earn from their answers. Others however articulated their answers to this section well in addition to explaining the risks and hazards Hi Expansion Foam presents to operational personnel. Among the advantages of high expansion foam are the following benefits:- High expansion foam can be effective in extinguishing fires in a wide range of solid and liquid fuels.
It can also be used in hazardous areas where it is unsafe to send personnel, such as refrigerated rooms, mine shafts and cable tunnels. High expansion foam can be very effective outdoors but only if the wind speed is very low. High expansion foam is very slow-flowing and is poured on to a fire rather than projected. It is mainly intended for use to 'flood' enclosed areas such as basements etc. Question 10 You are called to an incident in which a large cow is stuck in a peat bog. a) Discuss the significant hazards associated with this type of incident as detailed in the appropriate Generic Risk Assessment. b) With regard to the Generic Risk Assessment for this type of incident, describe the key control measures you would need to put in place to ensure a successful and safe outcome. Candidates who were awarded good marks for their answers discussed the hazards in detail and at the right level. Less successful candidates provided a list of hazards in the form of bullet points. Although these lists were often accurate, it is not in the nature of bullet point lists to discuss issues in any depth and candidates did themselves no service by adopting this method of response. As with several of the questions in this paper, a good working knowledge and understanding of the relevant GRA was the key to a successful answer. This question was quite popular with candidates and the average mark achieved by those who attempted it amounted to a minimum pass.