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NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

Term Steward Status Definition
orbit ASSC Aerial Supervision Subcommittee Approved A circular holding pattern of an aircraft around a fixed location often related to a wildland fire. For example, the circular pattern of an airtanker in the vicinity of a wildland fire, waiting to make a retardant drop.
ordered standby FBC Finance/Business Management Committee Approved An employee is on duty, and time spent on standby duty is hours of work if, for work-related reasons, the employee is restricted by official order to a designated post of duty and is assigned to be in a state of readiness to perform work with limitations on the employee’s activities so substantial the employee cannot use the time effectively for his or her own purposes. A finding that an employee’s activities are substantially limited may not be based on the fact that an employee is subject to restrictions necessary to ensure that the employee will be able to perform his or her duties and responsibilities, such as restrictions on alcohol consumption or use of certain medications (5 CFR 551.431(a) (1)).
organic matter FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved That fraction of the soil that includes plant and animal residues at various stages of decomposition, cells and tissues of soil organisms, and substances synthesized by the soil population.
organic soil FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved Any soil or soil horizon containing at least 30% organic matter (e.g., muck, peat).
organization assessment IFPC Interagency Fire Planning Committee Approved The recommended organization for the incident based on analysis.
organization category
organization kind
organization unit QMC Qualifications Management Committee, NISC NIMS Integration Subcommittee Approved The organizational element having responsibility within a functional area in the incident command structure such as operations, planning, logistics or finance.
organizational unit code UIB Unit Identifier Board Approved Three to four alpha-numeric characters specific to a unit existing within the agency’s official organizational structure. The organizational unit code identifies the unit within the interagency incident management community in a common manner.
organizational unit name UIB Unit Identifier Board Approved The full name of the organization found on official documents or web sites.
organizational unit type UIB Unit Identifier Board Approved The type of organizational unit within the interagency incident management community represented by the Unit ID.
orographic IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved Pertaining to, or caused by mountains.
orthophoto GISC Geospatial Information Subcommittee Approved Photograph obtained from the orthogonal (i.e., horizontal) projection of a correctly oriented stereoscopic model formed by two overlapping aerial photographs; an orthophoto is free of tilt and relief displacements.
orthophoto maps GISC Geospatial Information Subcommittee Approved Aerial photographs corrected to scale such that geographic measurements may be taken directly from prints. They may contain graphically emphasized geographic features and may be provided with overlays of such features as: water systems, facility location, etc. 
orthostatic EMSC Emergency Medical Subcommittee Approved Of, relating to, or caused by erect posture.
Osborne Firefinder IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved A sighting device used by lookouts to determine the horizontal bearing and sometimes the vertical angle of a fire from a lookout.
other ICS positions meeting currency requirements Archived Positions in another function or at an equivalent or lower level in the same function that will meet the currency requirements for the position under which they are listed.
other structure IRSC Incident Reporting Subcommittee Approved A constructed building not designed for continuous human occupancy, such as barns, commercial buildings, etc.
other structures currently threatened IRSC Incident Reporting Subcommittee Approved The number of non-residential structures actively under threat at the time of the incident report.
other structures destroyed quantity IRSC Incident Reporting Subcommittee Approved The total number of structures, other than residences, destroyed as a result of a fire.
other structures threatened quantity IRSC Incident Reporting Subcommittee Approved The total number of structures, other than residences, threatened by the fire.
other training which supports development of knowledge and skills PMC Fire Planning Management Committee, QMC Qualifications Management Committee, QSSC Qualifications Systems Subcommittee, LMC Logistic and Equipment Management Committee Approved Courses defined as containing supplemental knowledge and skills not required for safe and tactical operations success on a wildfire.
otitis EMSC Emergency Medical Subcommittee Approved Inflammation of the ear.
out (fire) IRSC Incident Reporting Subcommittee Pending All observable combustion has ceased and there is no risk of the fire again becoming active and requiring additional control or management actions.
out-of-service resources FBC Finance/Business Management Committee Approved Resources assigned to an incident but unable to respond for mechanical, rest, or personal reasons.
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