Cooperative Personnel Services Firefighter (CPS) Practice Exam

The term 'blast overpressure' specifically refers to the pressure generated when an explosion occurs. This phenomenon describes the sudden increase in air pressure above the ambient atmospheric pressure that is typically produced in the vicinity of an explosion. Such overpressure can have significant impacts, including structural damage to buildings, injury to individuals, and other dangerous effects, as it travels outward from the explosion source.

Understanding blast overpressure is critical for firefighters and emergency responders, as it helps in assessing the potential hazards in the aftermath of an explosion. The other options focus on aspects of an explosion that, while relevant, do not directly define blast overpressure; for instance, the sound produced by an explosion and the light emitted are different physical phenomena, and the cooling effect is unrelated to the immediate pressure changes caused by an explosive event.