NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

A component of NWCG standards. They enable consistent and uniform performance by personnel mobilized by position under NIMS-ICS principles. Position qualification requirements include training, experience, physical fitness, position currency and incident position descriptions (duties and responsibilities).

The minimum criteria necessary for individuals to fill a specific position.

Derived from the incident position descriptions and are a component of NWCG standards. Position specific standards specify the tasks and behaviors that make up the incident position’s duties and responsibilities.

The committee or subgroup that is assigned to manage an incident position

A document listing the performance requirements (competencies and behaviors) for a position in a format that allows for the evaluation of individual (trainee) performance to determine if an individual is qualified in the position. Successful performance of PTB tasks, as observed and recorded by a qualified evaluator, will result in a recommendation to the trainee's home unit that the individual be certified in the position. 

A title for a position used for incident management response.

A pump which moves a specified quantity of water through the pump chamber with each stroke or cycle; it is capable of pumping air, and therefore is self-priming, but must have pressure relief provisions if plumbing or hoses have shut-off nozzles or valves . Gear pumps and piston pumps are common examples of this type. 

A level of certainty that is feasible but does not rise to the level of probable.

Quick method of rolling hose for pick up; hose is rolled as a ball of string.

Depicts linear potential control features that may form wildland fire potential operational delineation polygon boundaries.

A polygon depicting control features that form wildland fire potential operation delineation boundaries.

Measurement of pressure (e.g., pump pressure, nozzle pressure, friction loss in hose, pressure loss or gain due to elevation).

Systems designed to produce, transport and distribute energy. (summary of information found in PMS 412 and FI-210)

An output shaft on an engine, transmission, or transfer case of a motorized vehicle that delivers engine power to auxiliary equipment.

Work that is assigned before a training session begins. The purpose is to prepare learners for an upcoming training with the knowledge and skills required to participate in training activities. Pre-course work typically consists of readings, videos, online resources, or gathering of information that will be pertinent to the course.

In the 1978 version of NFDRS, the herbaceous stage approximately 30 days prior to green-up.

An assessment that must be passed before admittance into the course.

A planned, systematic procedure for collecting, recording, and evaluating prefire and fire management intelligence data for a given planning unit or preattack block. The planning phase is usually followed by a construction and development program integrated with other resources and activities. 

Unit of wildland delineated by logical and strategic topographic features for preattack planning.

Within designated blocks of land, planning the locations of firelines, fire camps, water sources, and helispots; planning transportation systems, probable rates of travel, and constraints of travel on various types of attack units; and determining what types of attack units likely would be needed to construct particular firelines, their probable rate of fireline construction, and topographic constraints on fireline construction. 

A landing necessitated by apparent impending failure of engines, systems, or components which makes continued flight unadvisable.

Any or all forms of water particles, liquid or solid, that fall from the atmosphere and reach the ground.

The total amount of precipitation that occurred within the preceding 24-hour period.

Time, in hours and fraction of hours, that a precipitation event lasts. More precisely, for fire danger rating purposes, the length of time that fuels are subjected to liquid water.

Device commonly used to collect and permit measurement of any form of rain and snow sufficiently heavy to have fallen to the earth's surface.

A standard instrument approach procedure for fixed-wing aircraft in which an electronic glide slope is provided, such as ILS and PAR.

Blind landing in which the aircraft is observed from the ground by means of radar and directed along a suitable glide path by instructions radioed to the pilot.

Hard suction hose or discharge hose carried connected to pump, eliminating delay occasioned when hose and nozzles must be connected and attached at fire.

Those Geographic Area and National-level fire weather or fire danger services and products produced by wildland fire agency meteorologists and intelligence staffs in support of resource allocation and prioritization.

A polygon depicting the extent of the Predictive Services Area boundary.

Unique name of the Predictive Services Area defined by Predictive Services.

Unique code for every PSA associated to a single unit.

Thermal or chemical decomposition of fuel at an elevated temperature. This is the pre-combustion stage of burning during which distillation and pyrolysis predominate. Heat energy is absorbed by the fuel which, in turn, gives off water vapor and flammable tars, pitches, and gases. These ignite when mixed with oxygen to initiate the flaming combustion phase. 

Preliminary phase of combustion in which fuel elements ahead of the fire are heated, causing fuels to dry. Heat induces decomposition of some components of the wood, causing release of combustible organic gases and vapors.

Activities that lead to a safe, efficient, and cost-effective fire management program in support of land and resource management objectives through appropriate planning and coordination.

The range of deliberate, critical tasks, and activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability to protect against, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents.

Mental readiness to recognize changes in fire danger and act promptly when action is appropriate.

Increments of planning and organizational readiness dictated by burning conditions, fire activity, and resource availability.

A written plan providing for timely recognition of approaching critical fire situations, priority setting, the deployment of forces, and other actions to respond to those situations.

An event dealing with effective and efficient response by the wildland fire community to planned, anticipated or event activity. This category includes activities such as move-up and cover, fire menace standby, and severity activities.

Application of prescribed fire.

A wildland fire originating from a planned ignition in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and regulations to meet specific objectives.​

An event, where a wildland fire originating from a planned ignition in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and regulations to meet specific objectives.

A plan required for each fire application ignited by management. Plans are documents prepared by qualified personnel, approved by the agency administrator, and include criteria for the conditions under which the fire will be conducted (a prescription). Plan content varies among the agencies.

Indicates whether the wildfire resulted from an escaped prescribed fire. Y or N.

A team of skilled and mobile personnel dedicated primarily to prescribed fire management that can ignite, hold and monitor prescribed fires.

A plan required for each fire application ignited by management. Plans are documents prepared by qualified personnel, approved by the agency administrator, and include criteria for the conditions under which the fire will be conducted (a prescription).

In the context of wildland fire, a prescription is measurable criteria that define conditions under which a prescribed fire may be ignited. Prescriptions may also be used to guide selection of management responses to wildfire to define conditions under which management actions are most likely to achieve incident management objectives. Prescription criteria typically describe environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and fuel moisture, but may also include safety, economic, public health, geographic, administrative, social, or legal considerations. 

The difference in atmospheric pressure between two points on a weather map. That is, the magnitude of pressure difference between two points at sea level, or at constant elevation above sea level. Wind speed is directly related to pressure gradient. If distance between constant pressure lines is reduced by one-half, wind speed will be doubled. Conversely, if distance between lines is doubled, wind speed will be reduced by one-half.