TFT’s Firefighting Glossary: Terms used in the firefighting industry
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
A
Aerial: An Aerial Ladder Truck that contains a long, extendable ladder for reaching high points of buildings for firefighting or rescue operations.
AFFF (aqueous film forming foam): A fire suppressant commonly used in flammable liquid fires that cools surfaces, forms a vapor barrier to limit vapor ignition, and smothers flame.
Air Decontamination System: A system for reducing the number of contaminants in the air you breathe.
Apparatus: A general term for a firefighting vehicle
Appliance: Valves and valve devices such as wyes, siamese, water thieves, large diameter hose appliances, and hydrant valves, fittings such as adapters, and intake devices that allow movement of water from point to point.
Automatic Nozzle: A constant pressure, variable flow nozzle that maintains the nozzle’s rated operating pressure within the NFPA tolerance range of +/- 15 psi (+/- 1 bar) throughout the entire nozzle’s rated flow range.
B
Backdraft: A sudden and violent explosion of flames and hot gases from an enclosed space that is a result of a vent limited fire environment.
Branch: A term for a firefighting nozzle, most often used in the United Kingdom.
Brush Truck: Specialized fire truck designed to fight fires in wildland areas. These vehicles are typically smaller, more maneuverable, and carry specialized equipment.
Bunker Gear: Protective clothing worn by firefighters, also known as turnout gear and/or PPE.
Bus: A slang term for ambulance.
Bush Truck: See Brush Truck. This term is most used in Canada and some parts of the United States.
C
Charged Hose: A firefighting hose filled with water from a pressurized source.
Chief’s Buggy: A chief’s car or specially equipped vehicle used by the fire chief at a fire incident.
Combination Nozzle: A firefighting nozzle capable of flowing a straight stream or a fog pattern.
D
Deck Gun: See Fixed Monitor
Drafting: The process of pulling water from a static source such as a pond, lake, river, or drop tank, for use in firefighting.
Drop Tank: A portable tank filled with water, used to supply water to firefighting operations without a fire hydrant.
E
Eductor: See Foam Eductor
F
Finished Foam: Firefighting foam solution after it has been proportioned with water and mechanically agitated to create a foam blanket.
Fire Ground: The area directly involved in a fire incident, including the burning structure or area and the zone where firefighters are actively working to extinguish the blaze and secure the scene.
Fire Nozzle: A firefighting tool connected to the end of a hose line which is a restriction that builds pressure. It also allows the control of the water pattern and flow rates in some models.
Fire Tetrahedron: A fire model illustrating the four elements necessary for self-sustaining combustion to occur: heat, fuel, oxygen, and a chemical chain reaction.
Fire Triangle: A simple fire model illustrating three elements necessary for self-sustaining combustion to occur: heat, fuel, and oxygen.
First Responder: The first trained individuals to arrive at the scene of an emergency.
Fixed Flow: A Firefighting Nozzle rated at one specific flow and pressure.
Fixed Monitor: A water flow device permanently mounted to a fire truck or water supply source (i.e. hydrant) to deliver water to a fire.
Flow: The rate at which water is discharged from a hose line.
Flow Meter: a device attached to a fire hose line that measures the rate of water flow passing through it.
Foam: A specialized firefighting agent that smothers flames, creates a vapor barrier, and cools surfaces.
Foam Concentrate: A concentrated liquid that must be mixed with water and agitated to create firefighting foam.
Foam Eductor: A device attached to a fire hose line or fire apparatus that uses the venturi principle to pull foam concentrate into a water stream for creation of a foam solution.
Foam Solution: Water and foam concentrate mixed in the water line, prior to being agitated for creation of finished firefighting foam.
Fog Nozzle: See Combination Nozzle
Fog Pattern: A water pattern discharged from a firefighting nozzle that fans water out in a cone shape.
Four-Way Hydrant Valve: A multipurpose appliance that can be installed on a hydrant or within a rural hose line deployment. It allows water to pass from the source to fire or for a secondary apparatus to connect and boost flow and pressure from the source to the fire.
Friction Loss: The decrease in water pressure (velocity) that occurs as water travels through a hose line due to friction against the inner lining of the hose.
Friction Loss Formula: A formula for determining the friction loss experienced over a length of hose. (Brush up on your hydraulic calculations and formulas here!)
Fully Involved: A fire that has engulfed a structure or an area completely.
G
Gating: A technique used to control water flow from a hose line by partially closing the shutoff valve.
H
Half Bailing: A nozzle operation technique which requires moving the bail handle somewhere between all the way on and all the way off. This technique reduces flow rate and nozzle reaction. Depending on the style of the nozzle, it also affects stream quality.
Halogen: An extinguishing agent used in fixed fire protection sprinkler type systems for protection of high-risk areas usually involving electronics.
Handline: A hose line that is carried and controlled by a firefighter.
High-Rise Equipment: Specialized tools and equipment used to respond to fires in high-rise buildings.
Hood: Personal protective equipment worn to further protect the face, neck, and SCBA area of the firefighter.
Hook: A slang term for a pike pole.
Hydrant Assist Valve: See four-way hydrant valve
Hydrant Wrench: A specialized tool used to open and close the shutoff valve on a fire hydrant.
I
Irons: A slang term for a Halligan and flathead axe combined into a single piece of equipment.
J
Jake: A slang term for a firefighter.
Job: A fire incident or emergency that firefighters are responding to.
K
K-Factor: A value used to calculate the discharge rate from a nozzle. It is a relationship between flow and pressure. (Get a better understanding of your K-Factor with this article)
K-Value: See K-Factor
L
Ladder Truck: A fire truck equipped with a long, extendable ladder.
Leatherhead: A slang term for a firefighter that references the traditional leather helmet.
Lid: A slang term for a firefighting helmet.
M
Makin’ the Push: A slang term that refers to advancing the hose line while flowing water until you reach the seat of the fire and execute full extinguishment.
Makin’ Grabs: A term referring to the rescue of an individual during a fire.
Master Stream: An appliance or large nozzle capable of flowing over 350 GPM or 1325 LPM.
Monitor: An appliance that delivers large amounts of water to a fire. Monitors can be fixed or portable and may be called deck guns, water cannons, or deluge guns.
Mutual Aid: Agreements between fire departments of neighboring communities where they aid each other at major incidents to ensure enough firefighters and equipment are available.
N
NFPA: The National Fire Protection Association – a nonprofit organization responsible for creating standards and codes for fire safety in the United States. They are also recognized in certain regions across Latin America.
Nozzle: A firefighting tool attached to the hose line that builds pressure and allows the control of the water flow and pattern.
Nozzle Jockey: A slang term for the firefighter assigned to handle the nozzle and direct the water stream during firefighting operations.
Nozzle Reaction: The force exerted back on the firefighter holding the hose line when water is discharged from the nozzle. (Learn more here)
O
Off-Gassing: The release of contaminants over time from smoke, soot, and particulates that have landed on your firefighting gear or other belongings.
P
Particulate: A mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.
Personal Protective Equipment: Also called PPE – specialized clothing and equipment worn by firefighters to protect themselves.
Pickup Tube: The hose attached to an external eductor that allows foam concentrate to travel up the tube into the eductor to create foam solution.
Pike Pole: A long pole with a sharp metal hook or point at the end used for pulling down ceilings or walls to expose flames, opening doors or windows, or putting ventilation holes in roofs.
Plug: A slang term for a fire hydrant.
Portable Monitor: A piece of firefighting equipment designed to connect to a hose line and direct large amounts of water at a fire.
Pressure loss: See friction loss
Probie: A slang term used to refer to probationary firefighters.
Pump Discharge Pressure (PDP): Water pressure measured at a given outlet of a fire truck’s pump.
Pump Discharge Pressure Formula: A formula for determining what the pump discharge pressure needs to be set at to provide the proper flow and pressure at the fire nozzle, monitor, deck, gun or any other piece of water delivery equipment. (Brush up on your Hydraulic Formulas here!)
Pump Operator: The firefighter responsible for operating the fire truck’s pump during firefighting operations.
Pumper: A fire truck equipped with a pump that can draft water from an open source or hydrant and pressurizes it for delivering water through hose lines.
Q
Quick Attack Vehicle: A smaller, maneuverable firefighting vehicle designed for rapid response to emergencies.
R
Respond: Answering a fire alarm or call and deploying to the scene of the incident.
Response District: A specific geographic area assigned to a particular fire station.
S
SCBA: Self Contained Breathing Apparatus or respirator that provides breathable air to firefighters.
Selectable Nozzle: A firefighting nozzle that lets the nozzle operator select from multiple flow rates by using a selector on the nozzle.
Smoke: a visible suspension of fine particles produced by incomplete combustion of materials.
Smoothbore: A type of firefighting nozzle that has a smooth, round interior that creates a solid stream of water.
Soot: Residue left behind by the incomplete burning of organic materials.
Spanner Wrench: A specialized tool used to open and close the shutoff valves on some fire hydrants and hose line connections.
Standpipe: A vertical pipe installed in a building to provide a readily available water supply for firefighting.
Straight Stream: A cohesive jet of focused water droplets tightly concentrated, minimizing air movement, and providing high reach.
Stick: A slang term for a ladder truck.
Stretch: The act of deploying a hose line from the fire truck to the fire scene.
Structure Fire: A fire that occurs in a building or other fixed, man-made structure.
T
Tiller: A specialized fire truck common in large cities with a driver in the front cab and another located behind the rear axle. The drivers work in tandem to maneuver the truck in ways unachievable by a standard vehicle.
Tower: See aerial ladder truck.
Triple Decka’: A Boston slang term for a three level / multi-level balloon frame construction single family or multi family dwelling.
Turnout Gear: Protective clothing worn by firefighters.
U
V
Vapor Suppression: A firefighting technique that focuses on preventing the spread of flammable vapors released during a fire.
Ventilation: A firefighting tactic that removes smoke, heat, and toxic gases from a burning building.
Venturi Principle: The relationship between speed and pressure of a fluid flowing through a tube that uses a constricted section of tube to create a pressure decrease. This principle is used in foam eductors to pull foam concentrate into a water stream.
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC): Gases emitted into the air from products or processes.
W
Water Cannon: See Monitor
Water Hammer: A pressure surge that occurs in a piping system when water flow is suddenly stopped or reduced. This causes an abrupt change in pressure that travels through the system and can damage equipment.
Water Hydraulics: The behavior of water in motion within a piping or hose system.
Water Monitor: See Monitor
Working a Job: A slang term used for actively working in a fire or another immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) environment.
Wye: A piece of firefighting equipment that splits a single source of water into two.
