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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 Sort descending Status Definition
gravity tank ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Water storage tank for fire protection and sometimes community water service that supplies water by gravity pressure.

fire cache ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A supply of fire tools and equipment assembled in planned quantities or standard units at a strategic point for exclusive use in fire suppression.

backpack pump ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A portable sprayer with hand-pump, fed from a liquid filled container fitted with straps, used mainly in fire and pest control.

foaming agent ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

An additive that reduces the surface tension of water (producing wet water) causing it to spread and penetrate more effectively and which produces foam through mechanical means.

foam type ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A term used to describe the consistency and viscosity of low expansion foam as the combination of drain time and expansion.

heat probe ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Apparatus used to detect heat.

headlamp ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Flashlight, ordinarily worn by firefighter on the front of the helmet.

hazardous materials (transported) ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A substance or material which has been determined by the Secretary of Transportation to be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce and which has been so designated.

National Pipe Straight Hose Thread ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

This is a straight (nontapered) thread standard with the same threads per inch as the appropriate size iron pipe thread. It requires a gasket to seal and is the thread standard used by most U.S. industry.

single stage pump ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Centrifugal pump with a single impeller.

swivel ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

An accessory used between the helicopter cargo hook and sling load to allow free turning of the load.

wet storage ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Fire retardants mixed with water and stored in tanks at air attack bases for immediate use by airtankers.

shutoff pressure ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Maximum pressure a centrifugal pump will attain when water flow is clamped or shut off.

foam concentrate ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

The concentrated foaming agent as received from the manufacturer which, when added to water, creates a foam solution; use only those approved for use in wildland fire situations by the authority having jurisdiction.

dry storage ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Refers to dry chemical retardants stored at air attack bases and available for mixing with water.

foam generation ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

The foam production process of forcing air into or entraining air in foam solution, creating a mass of bubbles.

overload (vehicle) ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Gross vehicle weight (GVW) in excess of the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) specified by the chassis manufacturer. Also an excess of weight over the gross vehicle axle weight rating (GAWR) specified by the chassis manufacture.

rich tool ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A long-handled combination rake and cutting tool, the blade of which is constructed of a single row of mowing machine cutter teeth fastened to a piece of angle iron.

All Terrain Vehicle ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

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.

council tool ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Long-handled combination rake and cutting tool, the blade of which is constructed of a single row of three or four sharpened teeth.

alidade ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A sighting device used by lookouts to determine the horizontal bearing and sometimes the vertical angle of a fire from a lookout.

tractor ETC Equipment Technology Committee Archived

A rubber tired or tracked rider-controlled automotive vehicle, used in wildland fire management for pulling a disk or a plow to construct fireline by exposing mineral soil.

tractor plow ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A steel tracked vehicle with or without a front mounted blade equipped with a plow for exposing mineral soil. Sometimes a tractor plow with a front mounted blade is referred to as a dozer plow.

combination nozzle tip ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Two attached straight stream nozzle tips of different orifice size used to increase or restrict water flow.

lined fire hose ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Fire hose with a smooth inner coating of rubber or plastic to reduce friction loss.

inductor ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A control mechanism that allows a regulated quantity of foam concentrate to be introduced into the main hose line.

unlined fire hose ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Hose commonly of cotton, linen, or synthetic fiber construction without rubber tube or lining, often used for wildfires because of its light weight and self protecting (weeping) characteristics; such hose is attached to first-aid standpipes in buildings. At a specified flow, friction loss in unlined hose of a stated diameter is about twice that of lined fire hose. 

cache ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A pre-determined complement of tools, equipment and/or supplies stored in a designated location, available for incident use.

vapor suppression ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Creating a seal with foam which prevents a release of flammable vapors from fuels.

durability (foam) ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

The effective life span of foam bubbles.

desiccant ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Chemical that, when applied to a living plant, causes or accelerates drying of its aerial parts; used to facilitate burning of living vegetation by substantially lowering fuel moisture content within a few hours.

elevation loss ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

In hydraulics, the pressure loss caused by raising water through hose or pipe to a higher elevation (roughly equal to one psi for every two-foot increase in elevation above the pump) (11.3 kPa per meter).

dozer ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

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

monitor ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A turret-type nozzle usually mounted on an engine.

relay tank ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A tank, usually collapsible, used as a reservoir in the relay of water from one fire pump to another.

wet water ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Water with added chemicals, called wetting agents, that increase water's spreading and penetrating properties due to a reduction in surface tension.

straight stream nozzle ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A hose tip spout designed to provide the maximum reach of water without feathering.

tips ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Nozzle tips used to change orifice size of a hose stream.

Rheologic properties ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Flow characteristics of liquid fire retardants, especially their cohesiveness or ability to hold together while falling through the air.

mixing chamber ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A tube, constructed with deflectors or baffles, that mixes foam solution and air to produce tiny, uniform bubbles in a short distance (1 to 2 ft).

mattock ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Hand tool with a narrow hoeing surface at one end of the blade and a pick or cutting blade at the other end; used for digging and grubbing.

pressure loss ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Reduction in water pressure between a pump or hydrant and a nozzle due to expenditure of pressure energy required to move water through a hose; includes losses due to back pressure, friction loss, elevation loss, and/or losses in fittings.

jump suit ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Approved protection suit worn for smokejumping.

parallel pumping ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Procedure by which the flow from two fire pumps is combined into one hose line.

hard suction hose ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Noncollapsible suction hose attached to a pump and used to draft water from a source lower than the pump. Customary hose sizes in wildland fire engines are 2 and 2-1/2 inches in diameter (51 and 64 mm).

Reversible Siamese ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Hose fitting that performs the functions of a Siamese or a wye (i.e., to combine the flow from two lines into a single line or to permit two lines to be taken from a single line).

wye ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A hose connection with two outlets permitting two connections of the same coupling diameter to be taken from a single supply line.

slug flow ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

The discharge of distinct pockets of water and air due to the insufficient mixing of foam concentrate, water, and air in a compressed air foam system.

spark arrester ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A device installed in a chimney, flue, or exhaust pipe to stop the emission of sparks and burning fragments.

inhibitor ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Any agent which retards a chemical reaction.

Displaying 401 - 450 of 2524

Modified / Reviewed:

NWCG Latest Announcements

NWCG Work Capacity Test Administrator's Guide, PMS 307

Date: December 7, 2023
Contact: Risk Management Committee (RMC) 

An updated NWCG Work Capacity Test Administrator's Guide is now available. This publication is intended to aid WCT Administrators in preparing and performing a WCT. 

The WCT Administrator will be able to complete proper paperwork and administer respective job-related field tests to determine a worker's capacity to meet NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.

References:

NWCG Work Capacity Test Administrator's Guide, PMS 307

Updated NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505

Date: December 6, 2023
Contact: Interagency Aerial Supervision Subcommittee (IASS) 

The December 2023 revision of the NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505, is now available for download. No changes have been made to the associated forms and documents.

References:

NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505

Training catalog will migrate to the Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Date: October 23, 2023
Contact: NWCG Training 

In November 2023, the training catalog will be migrated from the NWCG website to the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP) as part of a streamlining and process improvement effort. This will first occur for all training that is required for positions, followed by training that has been recommended for positions.

References:

NWCG Training Courses

Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP)

Suicide Prevention Week September 10 - 16, 2023

Date: September 8, 2023
Contact: Mental Health Subcommittee (MHSC) 

In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Week, the NWCG Mental Health Subcommittee has created daily messages to share resources and mental health information to prevent suicide in our community.

We encourage you to use these materials to start conversations with coworkers about maintaining mental health and wellness. Each short piece takes only a few minutes to review, but it could provide information that makes a difference for you or someone else. Please share these widely.

 

References:

MHSC Suicide Prevention Week 

Opening Letter

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline