Free OFAI Map and Route Interpretation Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Based on the provided street map, your fire engine is at the intersection of King St. and Second Ave. You are dispatched to an emergency at the corner of Queen St. and Fourth Ave. King St. runs parallel to Queen St., and the avenues are numbered sequentially. What are the primary cardinal directions of the most direct route?
- West, then North
- East, then South
- North, then East (Correct answer)
- South, then West
Correct answer: North, then East
To get from Second Ave. to Fourth Ave., you must travel in the direction of increasing numbers, which is typically East on a standard grid map. To get from King St. to Queen St. (assuming alphabetical order corresponds with cardinal direction), you would travel North. Therefore, the most direct route involves traveling North and East.
Question 2: You are responding to a motor vehicle collision. The dispatcher provides the grid coordinates C-5 from a map book. According to the map legend, what landmark should you expect to find in that grid square?
- A fire hydrant
- A railway crossing
- A hospital
- A school zone (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A school zone
When interpreting a map grid, you must locate the specified square by finding the intersection of the lettered column and the numbered row. In this scenario, the landmark located within grid C-5 is the school zone, requiring extra caution upon approach.
Question 3: A pre-incident plan map shows a symbol of a solid red square. According to NFPA 170, the standard for fire safety and emergency symbols, what does this symbol represent?
- A fire alarm control panel. (Correct answer)
- A hazardous materials storage area.
- The primary building entrance.
- Location of standpipe connection.
Correct answer: A fire alarm control panel.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 170 standard, a solid red square is used on diagrams and pre-incident plans to indicate the location of the Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP) or annunciator panel.
Question 4: Your fire engine is traveling north on Maple Street. Dispatch instructs you to 'take the next left, proceed two blocks, then turn right.' What street will you be on after completing these maneuvers?
- Pine Avenue
- Oak Avenue (Correct answer)
- Maple Street
- Elm Street
Correct answer: Oak Avenue
Traveling north on Maple, the next left turn would be onto a westbound cross-street (e.g., Pine Ave). After proceeding two blocks west, a right turn would place the engine on a northbound street that runs parallel to Maple, which is Oak Avenue according to the map.
Question 5: You are dispatched from the fire station to an incident at a warehouse. The most direct route on the map is via the 5th Street underpass. However, the map legend indicates the underpass has a vertical clearance of 12 feet. Your ladder truck has a height of 13.5 feet. Which of the following is the best course of action?
- Proceed with caution at a reduced speed through the underpass.
- Notify dispatch you are proceeding and request a spotter at the scene.
- Identify and take an alternate route that avoids the underpass. (Correct answer)
- Request the police department to close the underpass to other traffic.
Correct answer: Identify and take an alternate route that avoids the underpass.
The ladder truck's height (13.5 feet) exceeds the underpass clearance (12 feet), making the route impassable. The only safe and correct action is to immediately find an alternate route to the incident to avoid delay and vehicle damage.
Question 6: According to the provided map, which of the following routes from Point A to Point B is the most efficient, considering one-way streets and a road closure?
- West on Main St., then North on First Ave.
- East on Main St., then North on Third Ave. (Correct answer)
- East on Main St., then North on Second Ave.
- West on Hill St., then North on Third Ave.
Correct answer: East on Main St., then North on Third Ave.
This route correctly follows the direction of the one-way street (East on Main St.) and bypasses both the road closure on Second Ave. and the incorrect direction of travel on First Ave. It represents the shortest navigable path between the two points.
