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Math
Being able to do mathematics is important in every career.
Complete the following math problem to help the firefighters fight the Brondes Fire from "Called to Duty".
Getting enough water pressure
Gravity effects how much water gets to the fire because gravity pulls the water out of the hose
and back down to the ground. Firefighters add extra pressure to the engine pump setting to fight the
effects of gravity. This is called back pressure.
Back Pressure Formula:
You'll need to how high above the ground floor the fire is, in feet. Then multiply that height
by 0.434 pounds per square inch.
In this case the fire is 20 feet high or 10 feet above the ground floor.
PB= 0.434(n)(h)
PB=back pressure in psi
N= location of fire in number of floors above the ground floor
H=height of each floor
What is the back pressure in psi for this firefighting situation?
In the case of this fire, firefighters tell us that the challenge is getting enough water to cool the
heat and allow the fire to go out. In order to provide enough water to the fire a variety of different
appliance are used. Firefighters can use two varieties of nozzle tips on their hoses: solid stream and combination.
Solid stream, is just like it sounds, the nozzle tip is fixed at a certain size opening.
A combination tip has a series of dials to change the amount of water being sprayed.
Here is a formula, The Solid Sream Nozzle Tip Formula. Use this to calculate the size of nozzle
tip the fire fighters will need.
During the Brondes Fire, firefighters were using 10,000 gallons per minute to fight the fire.
Use this fact to help you calculate the nozzle size.
T= G + 200 T= size of nozzle tip in inches
400 G= gallons per minute from tip
What size nozzle tip in inches should be used to fight this fire?
Rescue
When firefighters must enter a burning building to rescue victims, they must determine the best
way to get in and out of the building. To make this decision, the firefighter must know the options.
Can they use the stairs, a fire escape or ladders?
Rules of ladders
- A ladder must be placed so its top end is even with the base of the window.
Most windows are located halfway between the ceiling and the floor.
- To be safe, the base of the ladder must be placed at a distance equal to 25% of its length
away from the base of the building.
The Pythagorean Theorem
Is a formula for triangles with a right angle (90-degree angle). The formula lets you calculate the
length of any one side of a triangle if you know the length of two of its sides.
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a2 + b2 = c2
a=height from the base of the building to where the ladder touches the building
b= distance from the base of the ladder to the base of the building
c=length of the ladder
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Toledo Firefighters are attempting to rescue a mother and her four-year old daughter from the second
story bedroom of a burning house. The distance measures 15 feet from the victims window to the ground.
If the ladder is 24 feet, how many feet should the distance be from the base of the building to the bottom
of the ladder?
How many feet is the distance from the base of the building to where the ladder
will touch the building?
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