"setting driving
standards"
The Automotive Dictionary
A B
C D E F
G H I J
K L M N
O P Q R
S T U V
W X Y Z
Firefighter Terms
My thanks goes to Mr. Hall from Firefighter
Central for granting permission to copy the following information.
A
Advanced
Life Support
Advanced
life support (ALS) is medical care provided by paramedics trained to assess a patient's
condition, administer drugs, defibrillate and provide advanced airway
management prior to transportation to the hospital.
Attic Ladder
A ladder usually 8-10 feet long that usually can be folded so that the
two beams touch each other. Also called a scuttle hull or pencil ladder in
some parts of the country.
B
Backdraft
A backdraft occurs
when oxygen-starved fire suddenly receives oxygen. The sudden rush of
oxygen causes all of the super-heated gases to ignite at the same time, which
causes an explosion. While the risk of such an occurrence is low, a backdraft is
almost always fatal to anyone caught in it.
Basic Life Support
Basic life support
(BLS) is a level of care provided to patients requiring
transportation to the hospital. BLS does not include extensive medical
supervision or treatment.
Booster Line
Booster line is a hose
that is usually one inch in diameter and rubber jacketed. They are
used on small fires using the water carried in an apparatus' booster
tank and are usually stored on reels. Also referred to as a red
line.
Booster Tank
The tank on a pumper or
quint that supplies booster lines and hand lines at a fire until a
connection with a water source can be made. The booster tank on most pumpers is
between 500-1,000 gallons. The tank on a quint is usually smaller,
carrying only a couple of hundred gallons.
Box
Alarm
A
box alarm is the response to a report of fire or smoke inside or
coming from a structure. Usually, multiple companies are dispatched at the same
time on a box alarm. Some departments have Haz-Mat and Rescue Boxes for
hazardous materials and rescue calls. The term box alarm originates from
the original pull boxes located on the street in many communities. A typical
structure box alarm would include two or more engine companies, one
or more ladder companies, a
rescue
company and a chief officer.
D
Deck Gun
A large and fixed water
nozzle attached to an engine. Deck guns deliver larger amounts of water than
hand-held hose. (See also Master
Stream).
Drafting
Drafting is the
pulling of water from a source other than accepting pressurized water from a
hydrant or another fire apparatus. Cisterns, lakes, ponds and swimming pools are
often used in drafting operations. Many departments in rural areas without
fire hydrants use drafting.
E
Engine
The engine is also
referred to as a pumper because
of its ability to pump water. In most cases, an engine
carries small ground ladders, supply line to connect it with a
hydrant, hand lines to fight the fire with and a tank
holding between 500 and 1,000 gallons of water.
Engine Company
An engine company is a combination
of a fire engine and the manpower used to staff it. A standard engine
company will include an officer, driver/engineer and two firefighters on a pumper
truck.
Exposures
Exposures are buildings
or structures that are near the structure on fire and that
are placed at risk by the fire. A primary focus of the responding fire
department will be to protect the exposures, thus reducing the risk of the
fire spreading and causing additional damage to life
& property.
F
FAST (Firefighter Assist and Safety Team) Truck
A FAST truck is a
company of firefighters (usually from a truck or rescue company) whose sole
function at a fire is to stand by in case a firefighter becomes injured or
trapped and needs assistance. The company assigned to the FAST truck is usually
a highly trained group and reports only to the incident commander. In
some departments, this group is call a RIT
(Rapid Intervention Team).
Fast Attack
Fast attack is
when the first arriving engine company attacks the fire using water carried in the
booster tank, relying on the second company to secure a water supply.
Feeder
A line used for
water supply. Usually 4" or 5" LDH.
Flashover
The sudden ignition of all
flammable material in a room or structure. As the fire burns and heat
is generated and stored in the room on fire, it is possible
for the heat to accumulate faster than it can use
fuel. Once this reaches critical mass, the heat then turns all the
flammables in a room into fuel at one time. The danger is that this
causes an inversion of the thermal layers because the new fuel is almost always
near the floor. Despite superb protective gear, a firefighter has less than two
seconds to evacuate a room that has a flashover.
Foam
Foam is a concentrate
mixed with water or air and applied to any material that is on
fire or could potentially catch fire. The foam creates a barrier
between the material and the heat, preventing ignition of
flammable gases. Foam is commonly used on flammable liquid fires (gas
or oil), but is also being used in some areas for automobile & structure fire applications.
Forcible Entry
The act of gaining
access to a structure through means other than an open window or door.
Frequently, firefighters must force open doors that are locked or remove security doors and
bars in order to enter a structure to search for victims
& extinguish a fire. A variety of hand, power & hydraulic
tools can be used for forcible entry.
Forestry Line
A forestry line is a
small-diameter, cotton-jacketed hand line used to fight brush and forest fires.
Its construction reduces the weight a firefighter has to pull and therefore
reduces fatigue.
Forward Lay
A forward lay is
when fire hose is laid from the hydrant to the fire. (See also reverse
lay).
H
Hand line
A hand line is a
small diameter hose usually used inside a burning structure to directly
apply water on to the fire. Hand lines are usually 1.5 or 1.75 inches in
diameter. Lines as large as 2.5 inches in diameter (also called the "deuce
and a half") can be used for heavy fire conditions.
Hose
Hose is used to deliver
water onto a fire and to provide water from hydrants to
firefighting apparatus. The types of hose used include hand lines,
booster lines and large diameter hose.
Hydrant
An upright metal
casting connected to a water supply system and equipped with one or more valved
outlets to which a pumper or hose line can be connected.
I
Incident Command System (ICS)
A management
system of procedures for controlling personnel, facilities, equipment and
communications from different agencies to work together towards a common
goal in an effective and efficient manner. Is the chain of leadership and
command at the scene of an emergency.
J
Jake
A term used to
refer to a good firefighter. One story has the term originating from the
corruption of the phrase, "J-key." Years ago, the bed was the most
expensive piece of furniture in a dwelling. Since firefighters weren't as good at
stopping fire as they are today, they would attempt to remove as
many belongings as possible. The bed was too large to carry out in one piece
and had to be disassembled using a bed key. The key was shaped like the letter J
and called a J-key.
Jaws
A generic term applied
to a type of rescue tool that can cut, push or pull material (most often pieces
of an automobile). Jaws of Life is a synonym, but is the copyrighted product
name of Hurst. Holmatro and Amkus are also major manufacturers of jaws.
Jump
Line
A
jump line is a hand line stored in an extended bumper (also called a
jump bumper) and preconnected to the engine to allow for a quicker attack.
L
Ladder Company
A ladder company
is a combination of a fire truck with an aerial ladder, an assortment of
ground ladders and forced entry tools and the manpower used to staff
it. Ladder trucks can have straight aerial ladders as short as 65 feet or longer
ladders with platforms (buckets) on the end. In many department's ladder
companies are responsible for ventilation
and forcible entry duties. A standard ladder company will include an
officer, driver/operator and two firefighters on a ladder truck.
Large Diameter Hose
The biggest hose used
by firefighters, large diameter hose (LDH) is sometimes referred to as a water
main above ground. LDH is usually 4-5 inches in diameter and is used to supply
water from the hydrant to pumper trucks. See also supply
hose.
Leader Line
A leader line is a line
usually having a gated wye on the end. Leader lines are usually 3 or 2.5
inches in diameter and the wye usually feeds two or three 1.5 or 1.75 inch
attack lines.
M
Master Stream
A master stream is
a large and fixed stream of water. Master streams are used on the end of
aerial ladders on ladder trucks and on top of pumper trucks. Master
streams can deliver larger amounts of water than hand-held hose.
Monitor
A type of master stream
similar to a deck gun, but removable from the apparatus. Hose can be laid into
it, making it mobile.
O
Overhaul
Commonly viewed as
"cleaning up" after a fire, overhaul is the process of
putting a structure in the safest condition following a fire. Additionally,
it is during the overhaul phase of an incident that firefighters verify that the
fire has not extended into unknown areas and that hidden "hot spots"
are extinguished.
P
Pumper
In most
cases, a pumper carries small ground ladders, supply line to connect it
with a hydrant, hand lines to fight the fire with and a tank
holding between 500 and 1,000 gallons of water. Same as an Engine.
R
Red Line
Red line is a hose
that is usually one inch in diameter and rubber jacketed. This
type of hose is used on small fires using the water carried in an
apparatus' booster tank and are usually stored on reels. Same as booster
line.
Rescue Company
A rescue company is a
term used to describe a rescue truck and the firefighters used to
staff it. A rescue company is equipped and trained to handle a
variety of duties including search and rescue, medical treatment of victims,
suppression at the scene of a fire and the extrication of victims in motor
vehicle accidents. The actual duties of a rescue company can vary in different
parts of the country as does the term to describe one. A Rescue Company is
called a Squad in some areas while other areas use the term when referring
to their ambulances.
Reverse Lay
When supply hose
is laid from the fire to the water source, placing the pump
at the source of water. (See also forward
lay)
RIT (Rapid Intervention Team)
Same as FAST
Truck.
S
Salvage
The process of
protecting the contents of a building from fire, smoke and water damage. Tools
used include salvage covers that are placed over furniture, preventing
damage from water and debris.
Size-Up
A mental
process of evaluating all of the influencing factors at a fire scene before
committing personnel and equipment to a course of action. This usually
includes hazards, life safety, fire involvement and plan of attack.
Stick
The
aerial of a ladder truck. Aerials vary in length depending on the
needs and finances of a department. Some are as short as 65 feet, while
others reach lengths greater than 100 feet.
Still Alarm
A
still alarm is a call requiring only one company.
Examples of a still alarm include a small fire or a medical call.
Strike
the Box
To
transmit or strike an alarm over the radio for a full first alarm
assignment.
Supply
Hose
Hose
line used to supply water from a hydrant to fire apparatus. Many departments use large
diameter hose (see above) for this purpose. LDH
is sometimes referred to as a water main above ground and is usually 4-5 inches
in diameter. However, some departments use smaller 3-inch hose to supply
water at a fire.
T
Trash Line
Same as jump line,
although not necessarily carried on the front bumper.
Truck
Company
See
Ladder
Company.
U
Up and Over
A standard ventilation
operation conducted by a team of firefighters wherein ladders are raised at a
working fire involving a row house-type dwelling to gain access to the roof to
allow the firefighters to ventilate the involved dwelling. The intent is to
get the upper floor opened up as quickly as possible. This is accomplished
by opening skylights and/or scuttles and ensuring windows in the rear and front
are taken out at the same time. The advantage of this operation is that
many times, it is difficult to bring portable ladders to the rear of a
row-type dwelling in some areas due to trash-strewn, overgrown, narrow,
winding alley-ways. A 6-foot hook allows the one firefighter venting the
rear to reach down (carefully where wires are involved) and take out
(break) the windows. Any blinds, curtains, or drapes can be snagged with the hook
to remove them and thereby facilitate the speedy evacuation of super-heated
smoke and gases.
V
Ventilation
Ventilation is
the systematic removal of smoke from a building. Ventilation is usually
accomplished with one of two methods: positive and negative pressure
ventilation. Positive pressure ventilation increases the atmospheric pressure in
the building until it is grater than the pressure outside the building. With
negative pressure ventilation, the pressure inside the building is reduced until
its less than the pressure outside the building.
