Write the following sentences in another way, beginning as shown. Use the underlined word in your sentences

 

Example: It is considered that water is the most common extinguishing medium.

Water is considered to be the most common extinguishing medium.

 

1. It is said that modern dry powders are as complex as vaporizing liquids. Dry powders___________________________________________________

2. It seems that he has chosen the most suitable extinguishing medium.

 

He___________________________________________________________

 

3. It is known that volatile liquid compounds of the halogen have great fire extinguishing properties.

 

Volatile liquid compounds_________________________________________

4. It is likely that methods of extinction will be discussed a bit later.

Methods of extinction____________________________________________

 

5. It is considered that the theory of combustion interference is the same for dry powders and halogenated agents.

 

The theory of combustion interference_______________________________

 

6. It is known that some fires are extinguished by introducing inert gases. Some fires_____________________________________________________

 

7. It is expected that the introduction of halogenated agents, wet and dry chemicals will widen the scope of attack and give firefighter a selectivity of extinguishing media.

 

The introduction of halogenated agents, wet and dry chemicals___________

_____________________________________________________________

 

51

8. It is believed that halon destroys the ozone layer.

Halon_________________________________________________________

9. It is alleged that the fire was arson.

The fire_______________________________________________________

 

10. It is thought that defective electrical equipment caused the fire. Defective electrical equipment_____________________________________

 

 

SPEECH PRACTICE EXERCISES 13. Answer the following questions.

 

1. Why is water used for the majority of fires?

2. How can water be applied to the heart of the fire?

3. What is the difference between chemical and mechanical foams?

4. How is foam expansion usually rated?

5. How does foam extinguish the fire?

6. How long have halogenated agents been used for firefighting?

7. What is released from halogenated as they decompose in the fire?

 

8. What is the primary advantage of halogenated agents?

9. What halogenated agents used for firefighting do you know?

10. In what environments are halogenated extinguishing agents often used?

 

11. What may another agents cause if they are discharged in such environments?

 

12. What is a wet chemical agent?

 

13. What class of fires were wet chemical agents specially designed for?

 

14. What are the two methods through which wet chemical extinguishers work on class K fires?

 

15. What is called saponification?

 

16. If you compare the efficiency of plain water and wet chemical agent for the extinction of class A fires, what will be more efficient?

 

17. On what type of fires are dry chemical agents especially efficient?

 

18. What is the relation between particle size of dry chemical and its effectiveness as a fire extinguishing agent?

 

19. What are the mechanisms through which dry chemical agents extinguish fires? What is the main mechanism?

 

20. What acts as a barrier between the fuel and the heat?

 

Translate the following sentences into English.

 

1. Огнетушители, насосы, пожарные рукава и другие установки используются для подачи реагентов на пожар.

 

2. Каждое средство пожаротушения имеет свои уникальные свойства, от которых зависит их применение.

 

52

3. Применение различных реагентов для тушения пожара должно быть адаптивным, так как неверный выбор средства пожаротушения может нанести больший ущерб, чем сам пожар.

 

4. Химическая пена образуется в результате химической реакции, в то время как механическая пена представляет собой раствор, который требует нагнетания воздуха для образования пузырьков

 

5. Все пены характеризуются кратностью, под которой понимается процентное соотношение объема пены к объему воды и пенообразователя.

 

6. Такие химические вещества, как галоны, воздействуют на огонь химически, а не физически: связываясь со свободными радикалами, они не дают цепной реакции продолжаться.

 

7. Хладоны особенно эффективны при тушении пожаров в электронном оборудовании, реактивных двигателях и оптическом оборудовании.

 

8. Жидкие химические реагенты были разработаны специально для тушения пожаров класса «К», тем не менее, они показали большую эффективность для тушения пожаров класса «В», чем беспримесная вода.

 

9. Омыление (сапонификация) – это процесс образования мыльной пены на поверхности горящего материала в результате химической реакции между жирными кислотами и щелочными реагентами.

 

10. Основной механизм пожаротушения при использовании сухих порошков – это прерывание цепной реакции, однако помимо этого снижение концентрации кислорода и охлаждение также имеют место.

 

Express the main idea of the text in 5–7 sentences. Write your summary.

Retell the text according to the following plan.

 

1. Extinguishing media: what to choose.

 

2. Water.

3. Foam.

4. Halogenated agents.

5. Wet chemicals.

6. Dry powders.

 

Be ready to work on the following projects.

 

1. Firefighting Foams.

2. Halogenated Agents.

3. Fire Investigation.

 

53

TEXT B

 

Read the text. Choose the correct meaning of the italicized words.

 

1. The word “ ravage ” means (kill / destroy / put out).

 

2. The word “ entire ” means (whole / wooden / half).

3. The word “ concerned ” means (suffered / detected / interested).

4. The word “ rationale ” means (penalty / principle / law).

5. The word “ eliminated ” means (studied / explained / removed).

6. The word “ incendiary ” means (accidental / obvious / deliberate).

7. The word “ intercepted ” means (arrested / identified / fined).

 

8. The word “ costly ” means (cheap / expensive / difficult).

9. The word “ time-consuming ” means (long / fast / difficult).

10. The word “ compromised ” means (endangered / protected / moved).

11. The word “ split ” means (unidentified / shared / personal).

12. The word “ commitment ” means (willingness / agreement / duty).

13. The word “ cover ” means (report / ignore / do).

14. The word “ scaled back ” means (reduced / ignored / performed).

 

FIRE INVESTIGATION

 

Since Roman times, civil authorities have recognized the threat that fire represents. In the days of wooden walls and roofs and straw-covered floors, any fire could ravage an entire city. So, it was in the interest of all concerned to investigate fires and establish how they began. Civil authorities attempted to control the fire risk by assessing penalties if an accidental fire was allowed to get out of control. The same rationale applies today. Fires of accidental cause need to be identified, so that dangerous practices can be eliminated by public education, or so that defective or dangerous products can be taken off the market. Fires of incendiary cause must be detected, so that the firesetter can be intercepted before doing more harm and punished. While fire investigation may appear to be a solution to the problem of fires and arsons, a number of major complications in this sphere exist.

 

A fire can be a complex event whose origin and cause are not obvious. The training and preparation of qualified investigators are often costly and time-consuming, requiring dedication to the profession over many years.In some fires, sufficient data to establish the origin and cause do not survive no matter how diligent the search or well prepared the searcher. The destructive power of the fire itself compromises evidence from the outset. The larger a fire becomes and the longer it burns, the less evidence of causation will remain. In case of major fires, representatives from law enforcement, fire, rescue, and emergency medical services; utility company

 

54

other public agency personnel may conduct some obligatory official duties. The presence of so many people, in addition to members of the press and the public offers yet more chances for scene security to be compromised and critical evidence to be contaminated, moved, or destroyed.

 

Responsibility for the investigation of fires is split. While the fire service has the primary civil responsibility to establish a fire’s cause, if the cause is accidental, the scene is released to the owner or the owner’s insurance company for further examination. If the conclusion is that the fire was purposely set, a crime has been committed and law enforcement authority is needed to investigate the crime. Any such transfer may cause complications in establishing lines of authority.

 

A lack of commitment to conduct fire investigations exists on the part of some law enforcement and fire agencies. Because of the demand for rescue, emergency medical assistance, in addition to their traditional duties of fire suppression, fire departments often find themselves with fewer resources to stretch to cover all obligations. As a result, the less visible responsibilities of fire investigation and fire prevention are often scaled back. Law enforcement agencies, facing similar overwhelming demands for their time, might prefer not to become involved.