National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)Glossary of Wildland Fire Terminology |
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6 Minutes for Safety
- A daily safety briefing for wildland fire that focuses on high risk events found within a firefighter's scope of work that are performed on an infrequent basis.
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Abort
- To jettison a load of water or retardant from an aircraft, or terminate a preplanned aircraft maneuver.
- A designated area where unused quantities of water or fire retardant may be jettisoned, usually to permit an air tanker to land with less than a full load.
- Term frequently used in aviation operations, usually in connection with a stated altitude.
- Total amount of water vapor in the air.
- Act of soaking up and retaining a gas in liquid or in a solid; also retention of radiant energy.
- Material ( usually a flammable liquid) used to initiate or increase the spread of a fire.
- The potential fire loss a community is willing to accept rather than provide resources to reduce such losses.
- The burning of understory prior to the sale of forest products to improve the efficiency of timber marking and harvesting.
synonym: Premarking Burn
- Any tactical plan developed by any element of ICS in support of the incident action plan.
see also: Incident Action Plan
- A fire in which a solid flame develops in the crowns of trees, but the surface and crown phases advance as a linked unit dependent on each other.
- Resources checked in and assigned work tasks on an incident.
synonym: Assigned Resources
see also: Allocated Resources ; Available Resources
- Fuels resulting from, or altered by, forestry practices such as timber harvest or thinning, as opposed to naturally created fuels.
see also: Logging Debris ; Natural Fuels
- Term used in flight planning/following to document actual time spent flying between points.
- Term used in flight planning/following to document time of arrival at a point.
Actual Time of Departure (ATD)
- Term used in flight planning/following to document time of departure from a point.
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Adapter
- A device for connecting hoses of the same size with non-matching hose threads, or connecting a threaded coupling to a quick-connect coupling.
see also: Coupling
- Thermodynamic change of state in which no heat is added or subtracted from a system; compression always results in warming, expansion in cooling.
- A public information description of the relative severity of the current fire danger situation.
Administrative Payment Team (APT)
- A team that supports incident agencies by processing payments for resources. Resources may include emergency equipment, casuals, lcoal vendors for suppies, etc.
Administratively Determined (AD)
- A person hired and compensated under the Pay Plan for Emergency Workers.
synonym: Casual
see also: Emergency Firefighter
- Oral or written statement tending too link its maker to involvement in a particular crime.
- Advanced life support skills performed by an EMS practitioner or service, e.g. intravenous fluids and drug administration.
- Moving a hose lay toward a specified area from the point where the hose-carrying apparatus has stopped.
- That portion of the fire with rapid fire spread with higher intensity which is normally burning with the wind and/or up slope. Also called: forward fire, or a run.
synonym: Head Fire
Advancing Front Combustion Stage
- The period of combustion when a fire is spreading, usually accompanied by flaming combustion that releases heat to sustain the convection column.
- The transfer of atmospheric properties by the horizontal movement of air, usually in reference to the transfer of warmer or cooler air, but may also refer to moisture.
- A fire-trenching or digging tool having a sharp, tempered blade, which is useful for heavy grubbing, trenching, and light cutting.
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Aerial Detection
- A system for, or the act of discovering, locating, and reporting fires from aircraft.
- Standing and supported live and dead combustibles not in direct contact with the ground and consisting mainly of foliage, twigs, branches, stems, cones, bark, and vines.
see also: Draped Fuels
- Ignition of fuels by dropping incendiary devices or materials from aircraft.
- Inclusive term applied to equipment designed to ignite wildland fuels from an aircraft.
see also: Delayed Aerial Ignition Devices ; Helitorch ; Ping-Pong Ball System ; Plastic Sphere Dispenser
- A person specifically assigned to discover, locate, and report wildland fires from an aircraft and to observe and describe conditions at the fire scene.
- A person skilled in identification and measurements of natural and cultural features on aerial photographs.
- Use of aircraft for detecting and observing fire behavior, values-at-risk, suppression activity, and other critical factors to facilitate command decisions on strategy and tactics needed for fire suppression.
- An ignition device suspended under a helicopter, capable of dispensing ignited fuel to the ground for assistance in burning out or backfiring.
- A statement of declaration in writing and affirmed before an official with authority to administer an oath; a statement of declaration alleging fact to support the issuance of a search or arrest warrant.
- A professional discussion of an event, focused on performance standards, that enables Agency Administrators and firefighters to discover for themselves what happened, why it happened, and how to sustain strengths and improve on weaknesses. An After Action Review is a tool incident command personnel and units can use to get maximum benefit from every incident. It provides a daily review of the day’s actions: - Identify and discuss effective and non-effective performance. Candid insights into specific firefighter, leader, and unit strengths and weaknesses from various perspectives. - Feedback and insight critical to actions that were not standard operating procedures, or those that presented safety problems. - Lessons learned and how to apply them in the future.
- An agency is a division of government with a specific function, or a non-governmental organization (e.g., private contractor, business, etc.) that offers a particular kind of assistance. In ICS, agencies are defined as jurisdictional (having statutory responsibility for incident mitigation), or assisting and/or cooperating (providing resources and/or assistance).
see also: Assisting Agency ; Cooperating Agency ; Supporting Agency
- Managing officer of an agency, division thereof, or jurisdiction having statutory responsibilitiy for incident mitigation and management. Examples: NPS Park Superintendent, BIA Agency Superintendent, USFS Forest Supervisor, BLM District Manager, FWS Refuge Manager, State Forest Officer, Fire Chief, Police Chief.
see also: Line Officer
- The process whereby the employing agency or contractor documents that the individual is fully qualified to perform duties and responsibilities for a specified position.
- The agency or jurisdictional facility from which resources are allocated to incidents.
- A person working within an agency organization who processes resources to and from incidents.
see also: Dispatcher
- This ICS position serves as the point of contact for an assisting or cooperating agency which has been delegated authority to make decisions on matters affecting that agency's participation at the incident and reports to the Liaison Officer.
see also: Assisting Agency ; Cooperating Agency
Agency/Area Coordination Center
- A facility which serves as a central point for one or more agencies to use in processing information and resource requests. It may also serve as a dispatch center for one of the agencies.
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Air Ambulance
- A rotary wing aircraft configured, staffed and equipped to respond, care for and transport a patient(s) and approved/licensed by a state to do so. An air ambulance is sometimes referred to as a medevac.
- The deployment of fixed-wing or rotary aircraft on a wildland fire, to drop retardant or extinguishing agents, shuttle and deploy crews and supplies, or perform aerial reconnaissance of the overall fire situation.
- Permanent facility at which aircraft are stationed for use in air attack operations.
see also: Reload Base
- All items for transport and delivery by aircraft.
- An airborne dust, fume, gas, mist, odor, smoke, vapor, soot, pollen, carbon, acid or particulate matter or any combination thereof.
see also: Air Pollution
- A common VHF-FM frequency used by natural resource agency aircraft for emergency radio transmissions. Also called national air safety guard frequency.
- An extensive body of air having the same properties of temperature and moisture in a horizontal plane.
Air Operations Branch Director (AOBD)
- This ICS position is responsible for management of an incident's air operations and reports to the Operations Section Chief.
- Portable air (not oxygen) tanks with regulators which allow firefighters to breathe while in toxic smoke conditions. Usually rated for 30 minutes of service. Used primarily on fires involving structures or hazardous materials.
synonym: Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
see also: Respirator
- The general term referring to the undesirable addition of substances (gases, liquids, or solid particles) to the atmosphere that are foreign to the natural atmosphere or are present in quantities exceeding natural concentrations.
see also: Air Contaminant
- A statement issued by an Air Quality Regulatory Agency due to high measured concentrations of pollutants. The alert remains in effect until monitoring shows a decrease in pollutant levels. Should conditions worsen, air pollution warnings and emergencies may be issued. At each stage (alert, warning and emergency) additional emission restrictions are put into effect so as to not intensify the situation. Essentially, at the emergency level all industrial activities and auto usage stop.
- The composition of air with respect to quantities of pollution therein; used most frequently in connection with "standards" of maximum acceptable pollutant concentrations. Used instead of "air pollution" when referring to programs.
- Mathematical or quantitative representation or simulation of air quality processes; e.g., emission models, receptor models, or air quality dispersion models.
- A statement issued by a National Weather Service forecast office when atmospheric conditions are stable enough such that the potential exists for air pollutants to accumulate in a given area. The statement is initially issued when conditions are expected to last for at least 36 hours.
Air Support Group Supervisor (ASGS)
- This ICS position is responsible for overseeing logistical support and management of helibase and helispot operations and temporary fixed-wing base(s) and reports to theAir Operations Branch Director. This position also maintains liaison with air tanker and fixed-wing bases supporting incident operations.
Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS)
- This ICS position is responsible for directing and coordinating airborne aircraft operations and management of an incident's airspace and reports to the Air Operations Branch Director.
- Fixed-wing aircraft certified by FAA as being capable of transport and delivery of fire retardant solutions.
Air Tanker/Fixed-Wing Coordinator (ATCO)
- This ICS position is responsible for coordinating air tanker and fixed-wing operations over an incident and reports to the Air Tactical Group Supervisor.
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- An unplanned event that does substantial damage or causes serious injuries when associated with the operation of applicable aircraft. Event occurs between the time engine(s) is (are) started or rotors turning for the purpose of commencing flight, until the aircraft comes to rest with engines and propellers or rotors stopped, the brakes set or wheel chocks in place, and all persons have disembarked.
Aircraft Base Radio Operator (ABRO)
- This ICS position is responsible for maintaining base communications with assigned helicopters, helibases, helispots, air operations personnel, and project aviation manager, and reports to the Helibase Manager.
- Card or documentation required to be on board the aircraft which approves use and indicates specific types of use.
- That area on the surface of the earth, runway, or ramp that is covered by the tread of the aircraft tire while the aircraft is motionless. Also called wheel loading.
- An aircraft mishap in which there is no intent to fly. However, the power plants and/or rotors are in operation and damage is incurred requiring replacement or repair of rotors, propellers, wheels, tires, wing tips, flaps, etc., or injury is incurred requiring first-aid or medical attention.
- An unplanned event that results in damage which is less than serious aircraft incident criteria, or injuries not requiring medical attention.
see also: Serious Aircraft Incident
- Applies to radio frequencies primarily used for air operations.
- This ICS position is responsible for keeping time and other information concerning helicopters assigned to a helibase and reports to the Helibase Manager.
- A sighting device used by lookouts to determine the horizontal bearing and sometimes the vertical angle of a fire from a lookout.
synonym: Osborne Firefinder
see also: Firefinder Map
- An incident, natural or human-caused, that requires an organized response by a public, private, and/or governmental entity to protect life, public health and safety, values to be protected, and to minimize any disruption of governmental, social, and economic services. One or more kinds of incident (fire, flood, mass casuality, search, rescue, evacuation, etc.) may occur simultaneously as part of an all hazard incident response.
see also: Incident ; Values To Be Protected
All Hazards Meteorological Response System (AMRS)
- A mobile weather data collection and forecasting system consisting of two-way satellite communications and a laptop computer. Used by incident meteorologists on an incident.
see also: Air Transportable Modular Unit ; Incident Meteorologist ; Micro-Remote Environmental Monitoring System
- Any motorized vehicle designed for or capable of cross-country travel on or immediately over land, water, sand, snow, ice, marsh, swampland, or other terrain.
synonym: Off-road Vehicle
- Char patterns formed on paint or burned wood remains, usually in the shape of blisters.
see also: Depth of Char Indicators
- Resources dispatched to an incident, that have not yet checked in.
see also: Active Resources ; Assigned Resources ; Available Resources
- The amount of weight that is available for passengers and/or cargo. On the load calculation form it is the operating weight subtracted from the selected weight.
see also: Operating Weight
- The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92) inches.
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Ambient Air
- Air of the surrounding environment.
- A ground transport vehicle configured, equipped and staffed to respond, care for and transport a patient(s) and approved by a state to do.
see also: Air Ambulance
- An advantageous location, usually a barrier to fire spread, from which to start constructing a fireline. The anchor point is used to minimize the chance of being flanked by the fire while the line is being constructed.
- An instrument designed to measure wind speed.
- Standing fuels that are burned at an angle that indicates the direction of fire spread. Also called vertical char.
- Annual review by an employing agency of an individual's position qualifications and documentation certifying that the individual is fully qualified to perform duties and responsibilities for a specfied position. Annual certification is based on established performance standards and agency specific requirements.
Annual Operating Plan (for Fire Weather) (AOP)
- A procedural guide which describes fire meteorological services provided within the Geographic Area of responsibility, including the National Interagency Fire Center. The guide is based on the National Interagency Agreement and applicable Geographic Area Memorandum of Agreement.
- A plant that lives for one growing season, starting from a seed each year.
- An area of high atmospheric pressure with closed clockwise circulation.
see also: Surface High
- A motor-driven vehicle, or group of vehicles, designed and constructed for the purpose of fighting fires. May be of different types such as engines, water tenders, ladder trucks, etc.
Appropriate Management Response (AMR)
- Any specific action suitable to meet Fire Management Unit (FMU) objectives. Typically, the AMR ranges across a spectrum of tactical options (from monitoring to intensive management actions). The AMR is developed by using Fire Management Unit strategies and objectives identified in the Fire Management Plan.
see also: Fire Management Objective ; Fire Management Plan
- In fire service terminology, that which is inspected and listed by recognized fire-testing agencies. The term as used in National Fire Protection Association standards means approval by the authority having jurisdiction, such as the fire chief, insurance inspection department, or other agency that enforces standards or regulations.
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Aramid
- The generic name for a high-strength, flame-resistant, synthetic fabric used in the shirts and jeans of firefighters. Nomex ®, a brand name for aramid fabric, is the term commonly used by firefighters.
see also: Nomex ®
- An organization established to: 1) oversee the management of multiple incidents that are each being handled by an incident management team (IMT) organization; or 2) to oversee the management of a very large incident that has multiple IMTs assigned to it. Area Command has the responsibility to set overall strategy and priorities, allocate critical resources based on priorities, ensure that incidents are properly managed, and that objectives are met and strategies
Area Command Aviation Coordinator (ACAC)
- The ICS position responsible for ensuring effective use of air resources and supplies among those incidents under Area Command management. Reports to the Area Commander.
see also: Area Command
- The ICS position responsible for the overall direction of incident management teams assigned to the same incident or incidents in close proximity managed under Area Command. Position responsibilities include ensuring that conflicts are resolved, compatible incident objectives are established, and strategies are selected for the use of critical resources among assigned incident management teams.
see also: Area Command
- Ignition of several individual fires throughout an area, either simultaneously or in rapid succession, and so spaced that they add to and influence the main body of the fire to produce a hot, fast-spreading fire condition. Also called simultaneous ignition.
- Delineated area surrounding a base which can be reached first by the ground or air attack units assigned to the base. Also called zone of influence.
- A source category of air pollution that generally extends over a large area. Prescribed burning, field burning, home heating, and open burning are examples of area sources.
- A term used to indicate that the air tanker dropping mechanism is set to allow a programmed release of part or all of the load of fire retardant.
- The taking or keeping of a person in custody by legal authority, especially in response to a criminal charge.
- At common law, the malicious and willful burning of another’s dwelling, outhouse or parcel; by most modern statutes, the intentional and wrongful burning of someone else's, or one's own, property. Frequently requires proof of malicious or wrongful intent.
- A fire that is intentional and wrongfully set to burn one's own or someone else's property.
- Group of individuals convened to analyze, investigate and solve arson problems in a particular region.
- One who commits arson.
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Ash Indicators
- White ash deposited on the origin side of objects.
- Cardinal direction toward which a slope faces.
see also: Exposure
- To draw in gases (or other substances); nozzle aspirating systems draw air into the nozzle to mix with the foam solution.
- A fire weather fire danger product based on a thorough evaluation of all pertinent sources of meteorological, fire danger and resource information.
- The evaluation and interpretation of measurements, intelligence, and other information to provide a basis for decision-making.
- Resources checked in and assigned work tasks on an incident.
synonym: Active Resources
see also: Allocated Resources ; Available Resources
- Tasks given to resources to perform within a given operational period, based upon tactical objectives in the incident action plan.
- Term used as a title for subordinates of the command staff positions. In some cases, assistants are also assigned to unit leader positions in the planning, logistics, and finance/administration sections. Qualifications, technical capability, and responsibility of assistants are normally less than those of the person holding the primary position.
Assistant Area Commander, Logistics (ACLC)
- The ICS position responsible for providing facilities, services and materials at the Area Command level, and for ensuring effective use of critical resources and supplies among those incidents under Area Command management. Reports to the Area Commander.
see also: Area Command
Assistant Area Commander, Plans (ACPC)
- The ICS position responsible for collecting information from those incidents under Area Command management in order to assess, evaluate potential conflicts in establishing incident objectives, strategies, and prioritizing use of critical resources. Reports to the Area Commander.
see also: Area Command
Assistant Disbursing Officer (ADO)
- Person with authority to pay wildland fire suppression crews, transient labor, local residents, and vendors with US Treasury checks.
- An agency directly contributing tactical or service resources to another agency.
see also: Agency ; Agency Representative ; Cooperating Agency ; Supporting Agency
- Acceptance of information as true without proof or demonstration.
see also: False Assumption
- An instrument that provides an approximate measure of evapotranspiration by measuring the water loss from an artificial evaporating surface.
- Departure from the usual increase or decrease with altitude of the value of an atmospheric property (in fire management usage, nearly always refers to an increase in temperature with increasing height).
- The layer through which this departure occurs (also called inversion layer). The lowest altitude at which the departure is found is called the base of the inversion.
see also: Atmospheric Stability ; Inversion ; Stable Layer of Air
- The force exerted by the weight of the atmosphere, per unit area.
see also: Barometric Pressure
- The degree to which vertical motion in the atmosphere is enhanced or suppressed. Vertical motions and pollution dispersion are enhanced in an unstable atmosphere. Thunderstorms and active fire conditions are common in unstable atmospheric conditions. Stability suppresses vertical motion and limits pollution dispersion.
see also: Atmospheric Inversion ; Inversion ; Stable Layer of Air
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Attack a Fire
- Limit the spread of fire by any appropriate means.
- A line of hose, preconnected to the pump of a fire apparatus and ready for immediate use in attacking a fire. Contrasted to supply lines connecting a water supply with a pump or to feeder lines extended from a pump to various points around the perimeter of a fire.
- The starting date, hour, and minute of the first suppression work on a fire.
- Single vehicle or aircraft and its associated personnel and material provided for the purpose of responding to and abating a fire or other emergency.
- The response of one attack unit to a fire or other emergency with no regard for the number of return trips to that same fire or emergency.
- An area considered to have air quality as good as, or better than, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) as defined in the Clean Air Act. An area may be in attainment for one or more polutants but be in nonattainment for one or more other pollutants.
Automated Sorting Conversion and Distribution System (ASCADS)
- A BLM-administered, interagency system used as the interagency method of retrieving data from GOES satellites and forwarding to WIMS. It is used for metadata storage and maintenance documentation, and it produces a data watchdog.
see also: Weather Information Management System ; Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
Automatic Direction Finder (ADF)
- An aircraft radio navigational receiver operating in the low frequency bands.
Automatic Lightning Detection System (ALDS)
- An electronic system that detects cloud-to-ground lightning strikes by their electrical discharges and plots their locations.
Automatic Weather Station (AWS)
- A non-GOES telemetered weather station that provides hourly observations to a local database.
see also: Manual Weather Station
- A proportioning method or device that readily adjusts to changes in water flow and or pressure to maintain a desired mix ratio.
- A helicopter flight condition in which the lifting rotor is driven entirely by action of air when the helicopter is in motion.
- A secondary pump on an engine in addition to the main pump. Usually of small capacity.
- That portion of the total fuel that would actually burn under various environmental conditions.
- Fuel available for use in a motor vehicle, aircraft, or other motorized equipment.
- Resources assigned to an incident and available for assignment.
see also: Active Resources ; Allocated Resources ; Assigned Resources
- The expected amount of annual rainfall. Average annual precipitation is an important component to determining the Keech-Bryam Drought Index (KBDI).
- Part of the National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS). The mathematical average of the maximum and minimum relative humidities measured at a fire weather station from one basic observation time to the next.
- The mathematical average of the maximum and minimum dry-bulb temperatures measured at a fire weather station from one basic observation time to the next.
- A smoke emission control strategy that considers meteorological conditions when scheduling prescribed fires in order to avoid incursions into smoke sensitive areas.
- The continual process of collecting, analyzing, and disseminating intelligence, information, and knowledge to allow organizations and individuals to anticipate requirements and to react effectively and safely.
- Horizontal angle or bearing of a point measured clockwise from true (astronomic) north.
- A circle graduated in 360 degrees in a clockwise direction from true (astronomic) north.
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