Firefighting Terms
Air Bags: Inflatable device used in rescue operations, typically to support a heavy object, such as an automobile.
Alarm Box: A street-level alarm device, often using a pull-trigger, that signals a Fire Department relative to a specific intersection or location.
ALS: Advanced Life Support. Often used when referring to an ambulance or Rescue Ambulance (such as by the Los Angeles Fire Department). See RA.
A/O: Also known as an Apparatus Operator. This is the firefighter who drives a ladder or truck company apparatus.
Arson: The intentional setting of a fire with criminal intent.
Asbestos: Fireproof insulation material that was used for many years. No longer in use, due to canserous airborne fibers that disengage from the material. Considered extremely dangerous.
Assistant Chief: Varies by city, but is often used to command a large section of the city, including the Battalion Commanders and companies within that section of city. As an example, the city of Los Angeles has 15 battalions to protect 400 + square miles. Those 15 battalions are split into three divisions - each one managed by an Assistant Chief.
Backdraft: A literal explosion of fire caused by the sudden (rapid) introduction of oxygen into an exclosed space.
Battalion Commander: Also called a Battalion Chief, used in larger cities, such as Los Angeles, to command a section of the city and the fire companies housed within that section of the city.
BLS: Basic Life Support. Often used when referring to an ambulance or Rescue Ambulance (such as by the Los Angeles Fire Department). See RA.
Bottle: See SCBA.
Breather: See SCBA.
Bucket Brigade: A group, typically made up of volunteers, who extinguish fire using a series of buckets. This was a common firefighting technique in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Cause: The reason for a fire. “The root cause was…”
Clacker: A 19th centure device, often used in Europe, but in North America as well, that was used as a fire signal.
Conflaguration: A very large, devastating fire that effectively destroy’s a municipality’s ability to function.
Deck Gun: A streaming water device, often mounted to the top of a fire engine or a fire boat. It can be used to direct a flow of water over an extended section of land or sea. Typically, the amount of water pushed through the gun makes it too powerful for men or women to operate in a hand-held manner.
Engineer: This is a firefighter specialty job. This individual, in addition to being a firefighter, drives and operates the fire engine. The Engineer’s “Office” is the panel on the side of the fire engine used to pump and deliver water to the hoses used by firefighters during a fire incident.
Ethyl Mercaptan: A chemical odor added to natur can and to propane to help people know there is a gas leak. It’s important to know that many gases in reality have no odor and as such, can be extremely dangerous.
Firebreak: A pre-determined path designed to stop a fire, typically in an open space, such as a mountainous area.
Firefighter: This is the main fire fighting job - putting out fires. However, in today’s more complex society, many firefighters are also emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics, or specialists in various job functions.
Fire Chief: This is the main administrator and command officer for the fire department. The role of the Chief may change from department to department, but typically it is one that relates to the protection of a municipality and its residents, in addition to overseeing the operations of the department. In most cases, the Fire Chief is not involved in most day-to-day firefighting activities.
Fire Curtain: A barrier that stops the progress of fire or smoke - often used in theaters or interior sections of buildings.
Fireload: Flammable materials
Fire Mark: An international term for a metal sign placed in front of buildings in the 18th century. The Fire Mark would identify the name of the insurance company that provided coverage for the building.
Fire-Stop: An international term for a bit of wood, metal, or other material inserted between studs or joists to slow the progress of fire.
Fire Triangle: The three basic, primary elements required for fire to exist: heat, fuel, and oxygen.
Firestorm: A rapidly moving fire, created when heated air rises and creates a vacuum beneath it that surrounding air rushes to fill. The result is accelerated “movement” of the fire and strong winds.
Fire Tetrahedron: A more modern and technical reference to the traditional “fire triangle.” Refers to the three basic components required for fire to exist: a heat source, an oxidizing agent, and a reducing agent.
Fire Wall: A wall that is resistant to fire that will slow a fire within a structure.
First-Water: Often, in the 19th century, insurance company-based firefighters would earn a bonus if they were first on-scene and first to get water on the fire.
Flashover: When the tempurature exceeds the ignition point of flammable materials and they ignite, the rapid process of ignition is referred to as a flashover.
Flat-head axe: A tool carried by most firefighters for opening the walls and roof areas of a building, either for access to to allow smoke and heat to escape.
Halligan Tool: A stell or similar metal ended tool used for pulling down ceiling panels, or otherwise opening up or manipulating interior components of a structure.
Hazmat: An abbreviation for hazardous materials.
Helitac: A firefighter who is deployed on a helicopter.
Holmatro Rescue Tools: The Holmatro company offers a wide range of forcible entry and extraction tools used by firefighters. Often referred to as, “the Jaws of Life,” these very powerful tools operate as a “kit” and can be used in a wide variety of applications. See JAWS OF LIFE.
Hook: A firefighting tool for opening up walls or ceilings, typically used for ventilation (to allow smoke and heat to escape).
Hook and Ladder: A fire engine that contains a tractor (engine and crew) and a trailer that includes a long, typically 100-foot aerial ladder. In the eastern US, these fire engines are often referred to as “ladder companies,” while on the west coast, they are more commonly referred to as “truck companies.”
Hose Jacket: A metal fitting placed around a hose to repair a leak.
Hose Reel: A cart used to contain hose.
Incendiary: See ARSON.
Incident-Command: An organizational process for command of a fire scene - often related to large structure fires, major emergencies, or fires that involve more than one municipality.
Jaws of Life: A hydraulic rescue tool used to remove components that may be trapping individuals (typically automobiles). See HOLMATRO RESCUE TOOLS.
Joker: An international term for the first signal received from a fire alarm “box.”
Jump-Net: A large net held by firefighters that is used as a receiving platform for people who may need to jump from a building on fire. These devices only work for lower floor escapes and today, are often replaced with air bags.
Nomex: The material used as an outer layer of a firefighter’s turnout coat, pants, and perhaps other clothing as well. Nomex is used in a wide variety of materials and was initially used (and still is) by racing drivers to protect them from fire. Nomex is not fire-proof, but it does impede the progress of fire, giving anyone wearing it a chance to put out the fire or to be rescued by others.
Nozzle: A fixture attached to the end of a hose that controls the stream of water being placed on a fire.
Origin: The place where a fire begins.
Oxidizing agent: Any gas that supports combustion. See FIRE TETRAHEDRON.
PAL: Common term for “personal alarm.” Used to help rescuers find a missing or trapped firefighter.
PASS: Common term for a “personal alert safety system.” This is a device that monitors a firefighter’s movement and goes off if triggered or if the firefighter becomes immobile. See PAL.
Personal Protective Equipment: Also referred to as turnouts or PPEs, this is the protective clothing worn by firefighters. Typically, this includes pants, jacket, hood, and gloves. The Fire Helmet is worn separately. See TURNOUTS.
Plenum: An air-filled space, such an an elevator shaft or a stairway, in which fire can move very quickly.
Propane: A clean-burning fuel, often used for a BBQ, and in firefighting, used during training exercises.
Pumper: A fire engine used to pump water.
Pyrolysis: The release of combustible gases from an object due to heat action. See FIRE TETRAHEDRON.
Quad: A fire engine that includes a pump, water tank, hose, and an aerial ladder.
Quint: A fire engine that includes the same components as a QUAD, but with the addition of basic rescue equipment.
Reducing Agent: Any substance that, through heat action, can be broken down into its constituent, flammable parts. This usually involves gases such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide. See PYROLYSIS and FIRE TETRAHEDRON.
Rollover: An explosion of flame, following the ignition of gas that has collected at the top of an enclosed space, such as an attic in a building.
Scaling ladder: Rarely used today, this was once a commonly used ladder for ascending the side of a building or a wall.
Self-Contained-Breathing Apparatus (SCBA): An oxygen tank and face mask (plus regulator) that provides fresh, breathable oxygen to the firefighter wearing it. Also referred to as a “Breather” or a “bottle.”
Smoke Jumpers: Firefighters who parachute from planes into forest or brush areas to fight fire. These firefighters typically have exceptional skills.
Still Alarm: A fire alarm received from a telephone as opposed to one signalled from a fire alarm box.
Super Pumper: A fire engine designed to pump water from multiple water sources simultaneously. A super pumper can often move more than 8,000 GPM (gallons per minute) or even more…
Tank: A term for a fire engine that has a water tank.
Thermal Imager: A hand-held device that displays different levels of heat signatures on a screen. This helps firefighters find heat or fire inside walls or ceilings or in places where smoke or lack of light prevent them for visually identifying possible fire or heat problems.
Thermal Patterns: The furn marks that fire investigators (See ARSON) examine to discover the point of ORIGIN and the cause of a fire.
Tower Ladder: A truck mounted with an aerial platform that rises and rotates and is used in fire supression and rescue efforts.
Trailer: Materials used by an arsonist (such as paper) to increase the spread of a fire. See ARSON.
Triple: A fire engine that includes a water tank, hose, and a water pump. Today, a triple is the most common type of fire engine used by most modern cities, such as Los Angeles.
Truck Company: See HOOK AND LADDER.
Turnout Gear: A firefighter’s basic fire-fighting clothing, designed to provide protection from heat, smoke, flames, and water. See PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
Water Tower: A still tower with a hose nozzle on top that can be elevated and used in fighting fire.
