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NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire, PMS 205

Overview

The NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire provides an extensive listing of approved terms and definitions used by the NWCG community. It contains terms commonly used by NWCG in the areas of wildland fire and incident management and is not intended to list all terms used by NWCG groups and member agencies. The NWCG has directed that all committee and subgroup product glossaries be contained within the NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire to maintain definition consistency and clarity among documents.

Comments, questions, and recommendations shall be submitted to the appropriate agency program manager assigned to the Data Standards and Terminology Board (DSTB). 

NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire, PMS 205  (Quick View)

EDG Explorer is a database platform used for managing NWCG Glossary terms.  The following table is a quick view of the terms found in EDG. More detailed information such as rules, documentation, and term relationships may be viewed in EDG Explorer.  

Note: If the NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire is not displaying below please report it to NWCG Webmaster

Title Steward Status Definition
dispatch center (sending) NCSC National Coordination System Committee, IBC Incident Business Committee Approved

Either the home or current dispatch center for a resource.

Dispatch Center Area NCSC National Coordination System Committee Approved
dispatch center location NCSC National Coordination System Committee Approved
Dispatch Center Name NCSC National Coordination System Committee Approved
Dispatch Center Unit Identifier NCSC National Coordination System Committee Approved
Dispatch Tier NCSC National Coordination System Committee Approved
dispersion FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee Approved

The decrease in concentration of airborne pollutants as they spread throughout an increasing volume of atmosphere.

display class FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved

In WIMS, a one-digit number representing the number of decision points used to evaluate the magnitude of the Staffing Index.

display class breakpoints FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved

In WIMS, the climatological breakpoints separating the highest staffing levels. Commonly these are the index values corresponding to the 90th and 97th or 80th and 95th percentiles for the staffing index.

Distance Learning IPSC Incident and Position Standards Committee Archived

A concept of providing access to quality wildland fire education and training using appropriate instructional technology, delivered anywhere, anytime to prepare a fire management work force to safely achieve fire management objectives.

Distance Measuring Equipment NIAC National Interagency Aviation Committee Approved

Aircraft navigational equipment that provides the slant range distance in miles (kilometers) from the aircraft to the VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range) station to which the DME is tuned, usually at or near an airport.

Distributed Incident Simulation Exercise IPSC Incident and Position Standards Committee Archived

An on-line mission rehearsal event providing an individual or team with an experiential learning environment utilizing the National Interagency Incident Management System to "game" a computer generated incident from multiple training locations.

disturbance FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee Approved

A weather system usually associated with clouds, rain and/or wind.

diurnal FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee Approved

Daily, especially pertaining to cyclic actions which are completed within 24 hours, and which recur every 24 hours, such as temperature, relative humidity and wind.

divergence FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee Approved

The expansion or spreading out of a horizontal wind field. Generally associated with high pressure and light winds.

Division NIMSIC National Incident Management System Integration Committee Approved

The organizational level having responsibility for operations within a defined geographic area. Divisions are established when the number of resources exceeds the manageable span of control of the Section Chief. See Group.

Documentation Unit NIMSIC National Incident Management System Integration Committee Approved

Documentation Unit staff maintain incident files and data for legal, analytical, and historical purposes, including a complete record of the major steps taken to resolve the incident. They also provide duplication services for incident personnel; compile, reproduce, and distribute the IAP; and maintain the files and records that are developed as part of the IAP and planning function.

dormant season burning FUSC Fire Use Subcommittee Approved

Prescribed burning early in the dry season before the leaves and undergrowth are completely dry or before the leaves are shed, as an insurance against more severe fire damage later on.

double arsonist WFISC Wildland Fire Investigation Subcommittee Approved

An offender who sets two fires at one site, at the same time, in a single event.

double doughnut ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Two lengths of hose rolled side by side or a single length rolled into two small coils for convenient handling.

double female coupling ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A hose-coupling device having two female swivel couplings to permit joining two male hose nipples of the same size and thread type when lines are laid with couplings in opposite or reverse directions.

double jacket hose ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Fire hose having two cotton or other fiber jackets outside the rubber lining or tubing.

double male coupling ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A hose-coupling device having two male thread nipples for connecting hose and for connecting two female couplings of the same diameter.

double shift IBC Incident Business Committee Approved

Equipment is staffed with 2 operators or crews (1 per shift) and must be ordered and documented on a resource order. (Reference OF-294 general clauses for payment information.) Regardless of hiring method, on-shift time for operated equipment will be recorded with clock hours on the appropriate document, e.g., equipment hired under a daily rate will be posted with start and stop time for daily work.

doughnut roll ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A 50 or 100-foot length of hose or a 50-foot length of hose rolled up for easy handling. There are various ways of forming the doughnut. A convenient one has both couplings close together with the male thread protected by the female coupling.

downloading NIAC National Interagency Aviation Committee Approved

A calculated reduction in actual payload to provide a margin of safety.

dozer ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Any steel tracked vehicle equipped with a front mounted blade used for exposing mineral soil.

dozer company ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A resource that includes a dozer, its transportation unit and a standard complement of personnel for its operation.

dozer line IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved

Fireline constructed by the front blade of a dozer.

dozer tender ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Any ground vehicle with personnel capable of maintenance, minor repairs, and limited fueling of dozers.

draft IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved

Drawing water from static sources such as a lake, pond, cistern, river, etc. into a pump which is above the level of the water supply. This is done by removing the air from the pump and allowing atmospheric pressure [14.7 psi (101 kPa) at sea level] to push water through a noncollapsible suction hose into the pump. 

drain time ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

The time (minutes) it takes for foam solution to drop out from the foam mass; for a specified percent of the total solution contained in the foam to revert to liquid and drain out of the bubble structure.

draped fuels FUSC Fire Use Subcommittee Approved

Needles, leaves, and twigs that have fallen from above and have lodged on lower branches or brush. Draped fuels are part of aerial fuels.

drift FBSC Fire Behavior Subcommittee Approved

Effect of wind on smoke, retardant drops, paracargo, smokejumper streamers, etc.

drift smoke FUSC Fire Use Subcommittee Approved

Smoke that has drifted from its point of origin and is no longer dominated by convective motion. May give false impression of a fire in the general area where the smoke has drifted.

drip torch ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Hand-held device for igniting fires by dripping flaming liquid fuel on the materials to be burned; consists of a fuel fount, burner arm, and igniter. Fuel used is generally a mixture of diesel and gasoline.

drive axle ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

An axle that supports a portion of the vehicle weight and transmits a driving force to the wheels.

drive wheels ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Wheels powered by all of the vehicle's drive axles. Dual tires are considered as single wheels. The number of wheels is commonly referenced by the terms "4x2", "4x4", etc. where the first figure indicates the total number of wheels on the ground and the second figure, the number of drive wheels.

drizzle FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee, FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved

Precipitation composed exclusively of water drops smaller than 0.02 inches (0.5 mm) in diameter.

drop configuration NIAC National Interagency Aviation Committee Approved

The type of retardant drop selected to cover a ground target. Terms that can specify the type of drop configuration include Salvo Drop and Trail Drop.

drop pass IASS Interagency Aerial Supervision Subcommittee Approved

Indicates that the airtanker has the target in sight and will make a retardant drop on this run over the target.

drop pattern SEATB Single Engine Airtanker Board, IAB Interagency Airtanker Board Approved

The distribution of an aerially delivered retardant drop on the target area in terms of its length, width, and momentum (velocity x mass) as it approaches the ground. The latter determines the relative coverage level of the fire retardant on fuels within the pattern. 

Drop Zone SEATB Single Engine Airtanker Board, IHOPS Interagency Helicopter Operations Subcommittee, IAB Interagency Airtanker Board Approved

Target area for airtankers, helitankers, cargo dropping.

drought FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee, FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved

A period of relatively long duration with substantially below-normal precipitation, usually occurring over a large area.

drought index FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee, FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved

A number representing the net effect of evaporation, transpiration and precipitation in producing cumulative moisture depletion in deep duff or upper soil layers.

drum lifter NIAC National Interagency Aviation Committee Approved

Device used to transport a 55-gallon drum (208 L) via sling on a helicopter.

dry IBC Incident Business Committee Approved

The government furnishes all operating supplies after the equipment arrives at the incident.

dry adiabatic lapse rate FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee Approved

The rate of decrease of temperature with height of a parcel of dry air lifted adiabatically through an atmosphere in hydrostatic equilibrium. Numerically equal to 9.7670 C degrees per km or about 5.40 F degrees per thousand feet.

dry air mass FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee Approved

A portion of the atmosphere that has a relatively low dew point temperature and where the formation of clouds, fog, or precipitation is unlikely.

dry bulb FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee Approved

A name given to an ordinary thermometer used to determine the temperature of the air (to distinguish it from the wet bulb).

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Modified / Reviewed:

NWCG Latest Announcements

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Incident Replacement Guidance, Memo 23-09

Date: June 30, 2023
Contact: Incident Business Committee (IBC)

Currently, a fleet rate has not been established for agency or cooperator owned UAS. Most UAS and related support equipment are purchased and maintained at a local unit level with base funding. Therefore, unlike manned aircraft, a daily availability rate or applicable hourly flight rate for operations is not being assessed when a UAS is assigned to an incident. Incident replacement guidance for UAS is outlined is memo 23-09.

References:

Memo 23-09

NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations, PMS 508

Date: June 30, 2023
Contact: Interagency Airtanker Base Subcommittee (IABS)

The updated 2023 NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations (SABO), PMS 508 standardizes operations and procedures at interagency airtanker bases to ensure safe, efficient, and effective operations in support of interagency goals and objectives.

References:

6 Minutes for Safety - Week of Remembrance June 30 -July 6

Date: June 29, 2023
Contact6MFS Subcommittee

As we approach the Week of Remembrance (June 30 - July 6), we all take a moment to reflect on the wildland fire incidents that took the lives of many of our brothers and sisters. Today, the 6 Minutes For Safety Subcommittee issued a letter to leadership to honor the fallen and to express the importance of lessons learned, checking in with your wildland fire families, and prioritizing the people who serve in the important mission of fighting wildland fire.

References:

6MFS Week of Remembrance

Summary of NWCG Complex Incident Management Implementation Decisions

Date: June 23, 2023
Contact: Aitor Bidaburu and Sarah Lee

The purpose of this memorandum is to summarize the NWCG decisions related to the implementation of Complex Incident Management (CIM) to date and to communicate the pathways for Type 3 Command & General Staff (C&G), Unit Leaders, and Division Supervisors (DIVS) to Complex C&G positions.

This memo does not include any new decisions and is only a summary of NWCG decisions to this point.

References:

Memorandum 23-005

CIM Story Map