Firefighting Terminology

Click here to return to my Home Page

Ever wonder what the heck firefighters are talking about? I know I used to. Well here is a VERY brief glossary of some common firefighting terms. I hope to have a "Fire Slanguage" added here soon. If any one wants to contfibute, please e-mail me.

~ A~

A/B/C/D Sides
At a building fire, the building is identified by ABCD sides, with side A
being the front of the building, and sides BCD being named around the building in a
clockwise fashion. This helps maintain clear communication on the fireground.
Example: "Division C from Broadway Command, all personnel should withdraw
from the rear of the building at this time"

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.

Aerial Truck
Also known as a ladder truck or just plain truck.  A hydraulically powered ladder,
mounted on a vehicle that also carries several different length extension ladders,
extrication gear, ventilation equipment, and lighting.  May or may not have a
bucket or platform on the end. MHC's truck is 70 feet.  Some trucks can reach
as high as 200 feet!

Air Bags
Special heavy duty lifting bags made of multiple ply rubber/steel layers. These bags
are inflated with compressed air provided by air bottles, and have a lifting capacity of
several tons. Used to free trapped victims from under heavy objects.

Air Bottle
A fiberglass wrapped aluminum cylinder of compressed air that is used by our self
contained breathing apparatus. Each bottle carries approximately 66 cubic feet of
pure compressed air at a pressure of 4500 pounds per square inch.

Air Pack
A self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) the firefighter straps
onto his back to provide breathing air.

Attic Ladder
A ladder usually 8-10 feet long that usually can be folded so tha the two
beams touch each other. Also called a scuttle hull.


~ 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 occurance
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 lines 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.

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
Response to 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 orginates from the original
pull boxes located on the street in many communities.


~ D ~

Deck Gun
A large and fixed water nozzle attached to a engine. Deck guns deliver larger
amounts of water than hand-held hose. (See also Master Stream).

Defensive Operations
A fireground strategy based on firefighter safety and the protection of exposures.
The goal is to simply confine the fire to the building/area of origin. No aggressive
interior firefighting operations take place in the defensive mode. All fire streams
are operated onto the fire from the outside. This strategy is employed when a fire
has advanced to the point where attack operations  are too dangerous, and/or the
fire is beyond the capabilities of on scene resources.

Drafting
Pulling 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
and 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.

Engineer
The Engineer is the person that drives the Fire Engine or Ladder Truck.
The engineer is also responsible for all of the equipment that is on the
engine and making sure that it is clean and in good working condition.
They also run the pumps, etc. when they are at a fire.

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 ~


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 th 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 his 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 handline 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 ~

Halligan
An all-purpose steel prying bar used as a forcible entry tool. Invented by
New York City firefighter Huey Halligan.

Handline
A handline is a small diameter hose usually used inside a burning structure
to directly apply water on to the fire. Handlines are usually 1.5 or 1.75
inches in diameter.

Haz-Mat
Stands for Hazardous Materials or we also use it when we talk about a firefighter
that has received extra training.  All MHC firefighters are certified at the Operations
Level.  Some are trained at the Technician Level.

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 handlines, booster
lines and large diameter hose.

~ I ~

Incident Management System (IMS)
The flexible on scene incident management system that identifies key roles and
tasks that must be filled to safely manage an emergency incident. It stipulates that
one person (Incident Command) is responsible for overall operations during the incident.
The IC delegates responsibility to other officers by assigning them into pre-defined
roles that are understood by everyone operating in the incident. Below are some
of the key IMS positions typically assigned at a fire incident:

COMMAND - The officer responsible for the overall incident
SAFETY - The officer responsible for monitoring the safety of all personnel operating
within the incident perimeter.
STAGING - The officer responsible for collecting and allocating needed personnel and
resources into and out of the incident.
DIVISION - The officer responsible for operations within a geographical area of the
incident. Residential house fires and small commercial structure fires may require a
Division A assignment. Large fires may require all four sides of a building to have a
DIVISION officer assigned to conduct operations on their side of the building.

~ J ~

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.  The MHC uses Hurst equipment.

Jump Line
A handline stored in an extended bumper (also called a jump bumper) and
preconnected to the engine to allow for a quicker attack.


~ L ~

Ladder Company
Also known as a truck company.  An ladder company is a combination of a ladder truck
and the manpower used to staff it.  A standard ladder company will include an officer,
driver/engineer and four firefighters on a ladder truck.

Ladder Truck
The ladder truck is referred to as such because of its ability to carry a
full compliment of ground ladders as well as contains either a telescoping
ladder or a platform.

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 line usually having a gated wye on the end. Leader lines are usually 3 or
2.5 inches in diameter and the wye usually fees two or three 1.5 or 1.75 inch
attack lines.


~ M ~

Master Stream
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" or "mopping 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 ~

Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV)
A technique used to remove smoke and heat from a structure. A large gas or
electric fan is set up (usually within 6' of a doorway) to blow large amounts of
air into a building. Another opening is made somewhere else in the structure.
This creates greater atmospheric pressure inside of the building, pushing the
products of combustion out of the building. This technique is particularly useful
when set up behind the initial attack crew that enters a building. Cool air is
introduced as they enter the structure, lowering the heat level and increasing
visibility.

Pumper
Same as Engine.


~ R ~

Red Line
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.  The MHC's rescue unit is well equipped
to handle any rescue situation.

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)


~ 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.

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.

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 ~

Tanker
A fire truck  that is used primarily for carrying water to a fire scene.   Tankers
can be in size from 3000 gallons to 10,000 gallons.

Trash Line
Same as jump line, although not neccessarily 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 rowhouse-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 ft. 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 its 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.