Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) Practice Test

True or False: Before breathing apparatus were used, firefighters used wet rags around their faces for air filtration.

1. True

2. False

3. Sometimes

4. Never

The correct answer is: True

The answer is true because historically, before the development and widespread use of modern breathing apparatus, firefighters employed various rudimentary methods to filter the air they breathed while combating fires. One of the methods involved using wet rags or cloths, which they would wrap around their faces. The moisture from the rags helped to trap and filter out some of the dust and particulate matter present in the smoky, toxic environments they often encountered. This approach, though not completely effective, provided some level of protection for firefighters during operations when they had no other means to ensure clean air. Advancements in firefighting equipment have since replaced these primitive methods, enhancing the safety and effectiveness of firefighters while they work in hazardous conditions.