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NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

Term Steward Status Definition
normal fire season (period of time) IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved Period of the year that normally comprises the fire season based on historical fire occurrence.
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved A satellite observation-derived value that is sensitive to vegetative growth, measured at 1.1 km (0.6 mile) spatial and 1 week temporal scales.
Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved Notice identified as either a NOTAM or Airmen Advisory containing information concerning the establishment, condition, or change in any component of, or hazard in, the National Airspace System, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations. 
nozzle aspirated foam system ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved A foam generating device that mixes air at atmospheric pressure with foam solution in a nozzle chamber.
nozzle operator IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved A person assigned to operate a fire hose nozzle, usually on a handline.
number [water source] Approved Number of the water source.
NWCG Standard IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved A defined behavior, action, process, or equipment type, agreed upon by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group for wildland fire performance, and is necessary to meet consistent, interagency fire management activities.
NWCG standards NWCG-EB NWCG Executive Board Approved NWCG standards establish common practices that enable efficient and coordinated national interagency wildland fire operations. These standards may be comprised of requirements, guidelines, procedures, processes, best practices, specifications, techniques, and methods. NWCG standards are interagency by design; however, the decision to adopt and utilize them is made independently by the individual member agencies and communicated through their respective directives systems.
nylon MFES Mobile Fire Equipment Subcommittee Approved A synthetic fiber named by E.I. Dupont Co. used in wearing apparel and other commercial and industrial applications where elongation is not a factor.
objective (desired condition) FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved A description of a desired condition; quantified and measured, and where possible, with established time frames for achievement.
objective (land management) FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved Specific, achievable, measurable, time-limited results to be achieved through land management practices, either through a description of a desired condition or the degree of desired change in an attribute.
observation time IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved Time of day required to record meteorological data at a fire danger station.
obstruction name AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved Common name of feature.
obstruction to vision IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved Condition in which obscuring phenomenon restricts horizontal visibility to six statute miles (10 km.) or less.
obstruction type AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved Specific descriptor of aviation obstruction identified on a map.
occluded front or occlusion IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved The front that is formed when and where a cold front overtakes a warm front or a stationary front.
Occurrence Index (OI) FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved A number in the National Fire Danger Rating System related to potential fire incidence within a protection unit.
Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee 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.
off-shift FBC Finance/Business Management Committee Approved Non-compensable time, e.g., eating, sleeping or other activities of a personal nature.
off-site/remote assignment FBC Finance/Business Management Committee Approved Work performed by an individual employee in support of an incident while remaining at the employee’s duty station or other designated off-site location.
Officer QMC Qualifications Management Committee, NISC NIMS Integration Subcommittee Approved The ICS title for a member of the Command Staff authorized to make decisions and take action related to his/her area of responsibility.
official passenger AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved The following categories of personnel are official passengers: Officers and employees of the federal government traveling on official business. Members of Congress and employees of congressional committee staffs whose work relates to the agency’s programs. Non-federal passengers when engaged in missions which enhance accomplishment of an agency program such as personnel of cooperating state, county, or local agencies; representatives of foreign governments; and contractors’ representatives to include those employed by such agencies; and private citizens.
Offline Copy GISC Geospatial Information Subcommittee Approved The Mobile Geodatabase (GDB) is created when the user runs the Download Map function. This is a copy of the National Incident Feature Services (NIFS) data that can be edited and synchronized. Sync works both ways and an Offline Copy can be synced multiple times; the Offline Copy should always be synchronized before an edit session (to pull down new data) and after an edit session (to push up new edits). Note that this is not the same GDB used for map creation.
offshore flow IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved Wind blowing from land to water.
oleoresin EMSC Emergency Medical Subcommittee Approved A natural plant product (as copaiba or turpentine) containing chiefly essential oil and resin.
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